Dragons, Dinosaurs, and Pterosaurs
Are “ancient” and legendary creatures somehow related?
Dragons, by whatever name, existed (at least in legends) in the past, in various cultures in various parts of the world. But could some of the accounts relate to real living creatures? Please consider some of the descriptions, then compare them with the dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
A long tail is common, as is a reptilian-like appearance. Some, but not all, dragons were drawn with four legs. Some had wings. Evil and danger were associated with dragons of Europe, but not with those of China (where they were associated positively). And gigantic were some dragons.
A sauropod dinosaur could
be compared with a dragon, especially when wings are absent and four legs are mentioned. According to
the fossils, sauropods are
the largest land creatures to have lived on this planet.
What about a winged dragon that could exhale fire? Could such an animal have existed? Could it now exist? Consider the ropen of Umboi Island.
One eyewitness described the glow of the nocturnal creature as red, like the glow from burning embers. Those few witnesses who have seen a ropen in daylight mention an
absence of feathers or a “lizard-appearance.” That could be compared with a fire-breathing reptilian-like dragon. Indeed it could.
One English eyewitness of a featherless creature with a long tail observed the creature in Eastern Spain (in 2007).
Wawanar dragon
By Jonathan Whitcomb