Talk:Dinosaur

2007-03-20T21:19:21Z

Sureal:

Talk:Dinosaur

2007-03-20T20:45:31Z

Sureal: /* More quote mining */

Dinosaur

2007-03-20T20:39:50Z

2007-03-14T22:36:01Z

Sureal: Fixing minor vandalism

The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>http://www.trueauthority.com/dinosaurs/about.htm</ref>, from the [[Latin]] for "terrible lizard" (fututor). Dinosaurs were a group of large [[reptiles]] that previously lived in abundance on Earth.

The consensus among peer-reviewed science is that dinosaurs lived from 230 million until 65 million years ago and that they are all currently extinct (however [[birds]] are considered by scientists to be descended from early [[therapod]] dinosaurs). Many Creationists dispute this.

==Dinosaurs through Science==
What follow are the perspectives on dinosaurs accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community, through use of the [[scientific method]], and taught in the world's major research universities. Following any of the references in this section will lead to scientific treatment of the issue discussed.

===Dinosaur Speciation===
Dinosaur species were immensely varied, from herbivores to carnivores. Although many have been found in the fossil record, paleontologists expect that they have barely scratched the surface of the vast genus that the dinosaurs encompassed.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060905-dinosaurs_2.html</ref>

===Extinction===

[[Image:800px-KT_boundary_054.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Badlands near [[Drumheller, Alberta]] where erosion has exposed the KT boundary.]]Close to 65 million years ago, at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period, and the beginning of what we call the [[Tertiary]] period, an event occurred which has come to be known as the [[K-T Event]]. This event obliterated most life on Earth, plunging the world into something that would now be likened to global nuclear winter, through which few extant species could survive. Although scientists dispute the nature of the K-T Event (selecting among any number of catastrophes that could have caused the significant global cooling that resulted), most find, based on strong geological evidence, that the K-T Event was caused by the collision of a massive asteroid with the Earth, the dust and debris from which shrouded the sky for thousands of years, cooling Earth considerably.<ref>Kevin O Pope, "Meteorite impact and the mass extinction of species at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/19/11028</ref> The dinosaurs did not survive this cataclysm.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0823_020823_asteroid.html</ref> Evidence of the dust that caused this long winter is still visible, though, as a line of metal of extraterrestrial origin is often visible in sediment worldwide, occurring as a result of the vaporization and then fall of dust from the meteorite's impact, and its compression within the subsequent geological record.<ref>''Ibid.''</ref> The crater is also visible.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0307_030307_impactcrater.html</ref>

===Cambrian Life Explosion===
The extinction of the dinosaurs removed a major food competitor, and predator, of smaller animals. As a result of a new "vacancy" in the food chain, following the [[K-T Event]], vast speciation occurred, as the evolutionary pressure of a new cold age propelled animal species to adapt or die out. What we now know as [[mammals]] were some of the main beneficiaries of this explosion: their fur allowed them to adapt to the cold, and their small size allowed them to conserve energy relative to the huge dinosaurs of the previous age.<ref>Bennet, Shostak, Jakotsky, "Life in the Universe," viewable at http://www.amazon.com/Life-Universe-Jeffrey-Bennett/dp/0805385770</ref>

===Dinosaurs and Birds===

As a number of feathered dinosaur fossils have been discovered, and the similarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs, scientists contend that modern birds are a descendant of dinosaurs. This is cited as an example of [[macroevolution]].<ref>National Geographic, "New Dinosaur Discovered: T-Rex Cousin Had Feathers," http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_feathery_dino.html</ref>

==Dinosaurs and Creation==
What follow are religious perspectives on dinosaurs, offered by organizations such as "Answers in Genesis," or "Creation on the Web." Following any of the links associated with this section will lead to a treatment of the issue in line with Biblical literalism.

===Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting===
[[Image:Jesus-on-dinosaur.jpg|thumb|A dinosaur]]
Some claim there are a number of lines of evidence that point to dinosaurs and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dinosaurs.asp</ref> <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3061/</ref> For example, explorers have reported seeing a live dinosaur.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> An expedition which included Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to portray dinosaurs and man coexisting.<ref>http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm</ref><ref> http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving</ref>. The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html</ref>

An alternate theory for the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is the existence of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by erosion were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaur (as well as non-dinosaur) fossils to be found in China <ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CH/CH712.html</ref>.

===Dinosaurs and Creationism===

Some [[Christians]] reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the current science community consensus of the age of the earth. Of those Christians who reject evolution, the [[Creationism | Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], but also drawing on [[archeological]] and fossil evidence, that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day of the [[Creation Week]]<ref>''Genesis'', 1:25</ref> as a final addendum to the wonders God created, approximately 6,000 years ago; that they lived in the [[Garden of Eden]] in harmony with other animals, eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of various dinosaurs were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2001/dinos_on_ark.asp "Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?"], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>; that fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/dinosaurbones.asp "Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?"], ''Creation'' 21(1):54–55, December 1998</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp "Are dinosaurs alive today?"], ''Creation'' 15(4):12–15, September 1993</ref>, even though none of the six billion people currently residing on the planet have seen them. It should be noted that none of these claims have been backed by any serious scientific research, and rely almost wholly either on the infallibility of the Bible, or on human speculations based to a greater or lesser degree upon the Biblical account. Ken Ham states the theory that Dinosaurs were killed during the great flood, buried in mud and then fossilized.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/08/1/l_081_04.html Ken Ham at PBS.com]</ref>

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] obviously does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs,<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp "Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?"], ''TJ'' 15(2):42–45, August 2001</ref> <ref>http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm</ref>, although some reject this view, saying that behemoth was a hippopotamus and leviathan was a crocodile. There is a problem with this view, however, such as the fact that a hippo doesn't have a "tail like a cedar" and a crocodile does not accurately match the description of leviathan.

==References==
<references/>

Dinosaur

2007-03-14T19:24:03Z

Sureal: Added source

The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>http://www.trueauthority.com/dinosaurs/about.htm</ref>, from the [[Latin]] for "terrible lizard" (fututor). Dinosaurs were a group of large [[reptiles]] that previously lived in abundance on Earth.

The consensus among peer-reviewed science is that dinosaurs lived from 230 million until 65 million years ago and that they are all currently extinct (however [[birds]] are considered by scientists to be descended from early [[therapod]] dinosaurs). Many Creationists dispute this.

==Dinosaurs through Science==
What follow are the perspectives on dinosaurs accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community, through use of the [[scientific method]], and taught at the United States' major research universities. Following any of the references in this section will lead to scientific treatment of the issue discussed.

===Dinosaur Speciation===
Dinosaur species were immensely varied, from herbivores to carnivores. Although many have been found in the fossil record, paleontologists expect that they have barely scratched the surface of the vast genus that the dinosaurs encompassed.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060905-dinosaurs_2.html</ref>

===Extinction===

[[Image:800px-KT_boundary_054.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Badlands near [[Drumheller, Alberta]] where erosion has exposed the KT boundary.]]Close to 65 million years ago, at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period, and the beginning of what we call the [[Tertiary]] period, an event occurred which has come to be known as the [[K-T Event]]. This event obliterated most life on Earth, plunging the world into something that would now be likened to global nuclear winter, through which few extant species could survive. Although scientists dispute the nature of the K-T Event (selecting among any number of catastrophes that could have caused the significant global cooling that resulted), most find, based on strong geological evidence, that the K-T Event was caused by the collision of a massive asteroid with the Earth, the dust and debris from which shrouded the sky for thousands of years, cooling Earth considerably.<ref>Kevin O Pope, "Meteorite impact and the mass extinction of species at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/19/11028</ref> The dinosaurs did not survive this cataclysm.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0823_020823_asteroid.html</ref> Evidence of the dust that caused this long winter is still visible, though, as a line of metal of extraterrestrial origin is often visible in sediment worldwide, occurring as a result of the vaporization and then fall of dust from the meteorite's impact, and its compression within the subsequent geological record.<ref>''Ibid.''</ref> The crater is also visible.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0307_030307_impactcrater.html</ref>

===Cambrian Life Explosion===
The extinction of the dinosaurs removed a major food competitor, and predator, of smaller animals. As a result of a new "vacancy" in the food chain, following the [[K-T Event]], vast speciation occurred, as the evolutionary pressure of a new cold age propelled animal species to adapt or die out. What we now know as [[mammals]] were some of the main beneficiaries of this explosion: their fur allowed them to adapt to the cold, and their small size allowed them to conserve energy relative to the huge dinosaurs of the previous age.<ref>Bennet, Shostak, Jakotsky, "Life in the Universe," viewable at http://www.amazon.com/Life-Universe-Jeffrey-Bennett/dp/0805385770</ref>

===Dinosaurs and Birds===

As a number of feathered dinosaur fossils have been discovered, and the similarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs, scientists contend that modern birds are a descendant of dinosaurs. This is cited as an example of [[macroevolution]].<ref>National Geographic, "New Dinosaur Discovered: T-Rex Cousin Had Feathers," http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_feathery_dino.html</ref>

==Dinosaurs and Creation==
What follow are religious perspectives on dinosaurs, offered by organizations such as "Answers in Genesis," or "Creation on the Web." Following any of the links associated with this section will lead to a treatment of the issue in line with Biblical literalism.

===Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting===
[[Image:Jesus-on-dinosaur.jpg|thumb|A dinosaur]]
Some claim there are a number of lines of evidence that point to dinosaurs and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dinosaurs.asp</ref> <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3061/</ref> For example, explorers have reported seeing a live dinosaur.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> An expedition which included Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to portray dinosaurs and man coexisting.<ref>http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm</ref><ref> http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving</ref>. The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html</ref>

An alternate theory for the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is the existence of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by erosion were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaur and dragon fossils to be found in China <ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CH/CH712.html</ref>.

===Dinosaurs and Creationism===

Some [[Christians]] reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the current science community consensus of the age of the earth. Of those Christians who reject evolution, the [[Creationism | Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], but also drawing on [[archeological]] and fossil evidence, that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day of the [[Creation Week]]<ref>''Genesis'', 1:25</ref> as a final addendum to the wonders God created, approximately 6,000 years ago; that they lived in the [[Garden of Eden]] in harmony with other animals, eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of various dinosaurs were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2001/dinos_on_ark.asp "Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?"], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>; that fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/dinosaurbones.asp "Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?"], ''Creation'' 21(1):54–55, December 1998</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp "Are dinosaurs alive today?"], ''Creation'' 15(4):12–15, September 1993</ref>, even though none of the six billion people currently residing on the planet have seen them. It should be noted that none of these claims have been backed by any serious scientific research, and rely almost wholly either on the infallibility of the Bible, or on human speculations based to a greater or lesser degree upon the Biblical account. Ken Ham states the theory that Dinosaurs were killed during the great flood, buried in mud and then fossilized.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/08/1/l_081_04.html Ken Ham at PBS.com]</ref>

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] obviously does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs,<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp "Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?"], ''TJ'' 15(2):42–45, August 2001</ref> <ref>http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm</ref>, although some reject this view, saying that behemoth was a hippopotamus and leviathan was a crocodile. There is a problem with this view, however, such as the fact that a hippo doesn't have a "tail like a cedar" and a crocodile does not accurately match the description of leviathan.

==References==
<references/>

Talk:Dinosaur

2007-03-14T19:16:04Z

Sureal:

How absurd!

What are "Old-Earth Evolutionists"? Is there another kind of "evolutionist"? Is evolutionist a word?

Why is the word "evolved" in inverted commas in the second sentence?

Why are the creationists referred to as scientists whereas the "Old-Earth Evolutionists" are not?

Why does it say that the "Creation scientists" have beliefs based on evidence when it says no such thing about the "Old-Earth Evolutionists"? (who you might think have a better claim to beliefs based on evidence).

Why doesn't the article tell me anything about dinosaurs?

I will be back to do some editing. --[[User:Horace|Horace]] 20:27, 22 February 2007 (EST)

:Note Horace's use above of the Britishism "inverted commas" instead of the proper American "quotation marks". This shibboleth makes his contributions look rather suspiciously like the work of a Wikipedia agitator. [[User:Rich P|Dr. Richard Paley]] 17:21, 23 February 2007 (EST)

:::Please, don't start making anti-British ad hominem attacks… And "proper American"? Are you aware that the English language originated in Britain? [[User:Linus M.|Geekman314]]([[User talk:Linus M.|contact me]]) 10:55, 11 March 2007 (EDT)

:::: As I'm sure you are aware American English is a rationalised improvement on British English and is not influenced by France (according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_english).

:::: Is this rationalisation of the English language the reason your representative president cannot pronounce 'nuclear'? Instead he insists on butchering his own language preferring to pronounce it 'newqoolar'. He has learnt this because of the simplification of spelling which you call a rationalisation has meant that American English has forgotten how to pronounce even the most basic vowels. The rest of the world laughs at you, not with you.

:::::Yep, resumé isn't at all French. Anyway, why do people care? I'm sure that if I was a Brit reading Conservapedia, I would think that a "strong anti-British bias" (to make a modified paraphrase of one of Conservapedia's ideas about Wikipedia) was evident. [[User:Linus M.|Geekman314]]([[User talk:Linus M.|contact me]]) 19:10, 11 March 2007 (EDT)

::You, sir, are a bounder. Oops. Did it again. I would have thought that the substance of my contributions can speak for themselves. I am not any sort of agitator other than perhaps an agitator for accurate articles. --[[User:Horace|Horace]] 18:25, 25 February 2007 (EST)

There, that's a start. --[[User:Horace|Horace]] 20:49, 22 February 2007 (EST)

== Courtesy ==

How about some discussion before editing Rich? --[[User:Horace|Horace]] 21:45, 22 February 2007 (EST)

== Anti-Christian Bias ==

Why was all information based on the Creation worldview removed from this article? I thought this was precisely the sort of anti-Christian bias that Conservapedia was created to combat. Are people from Wikipedia trying to undermine this site? Well, nevermind; those interested to hear non-PC discussions of [http://creationwiki.org/Dinosaur dinosaurs] and Origins in general are welcome to come to [http://creationwiki.org/Main_Page CreationWiki] instead. [[User:Rich P|Dr. Richard Paley]] 01:41, 23 February 2007 (EST)

:I removed this information because it does not speak for all Christians, and none of the sources even claimed to speak for most Christians.

::Leaving aside the question of rampant apostasy in the modern Church re: Biblical Creation, I had originally clearly labeled those views as belonging to "Creation Scientists" -- for whom those sources do speak -- not "all Christians" or "most Christians". This was altered to "Creationists" in general (which is vague enough to include any number of errant views, including Hindu creation myths and Raelian extraterrestrial genetic-engineering delusions), and then the entire section was cut, leaving only the views of Darwinists. I do not see how these changes are consonant with the mission statement of Conservapedia (i.e. the elimination of Liberal bias which suppresses the Biblical worldview). Although it pains me to do so, I feel I must question whether those making these suspicious changes are working for the forces of Wikipedia to sneakily impose that project's PC, anti-Christian bias on this project. [[User:Rich P|Dr. Richard Paley]] 16:56, 23 February 2007 (EST)

::Furthermore, let me note that if this were merely a question of the views being presented in that paragraph only belonging to "some Christians", then why not ''add'' additional paragraphs explaining the views of the other so-called Christians instead of simply silencing the views of the (clearly labeled) subset of Christianity? Nothing is gained by this change except to give the false impression that all Christians agree with Darwinian views on dinosaurs. Was this the intent? [[User:Rich P|Dr. Richard Paley]] 17:08, 23 February 2007 (EST)

:::I am a Christian, and I accept evolution as a fact. I think that it is clearly demonstratable in the real-world. I know dozens of other Christians who also accept evolution. I think it is out of place for a website that is supposed to reflect all Christian views to only promote the views of a minority of Christians called "Creation Scientists". They should be relegated to the fringes, as they do not represent most Christians views.

:::Rich, there is a difference between writing from the creationist viewpoint and honesty. An article that claims, for instance, that Helder has documented "fresh" dinosaur remains may or may not be creationist in nature, but one thing it certainly is is dishonest, because no such documentation has stood up to any sort of scrutiny. Anyone can make claims, but if you don't care about the actual validity of those claims, only what views they purport to support, then you are not engaging in true scholarly citation practices.[[User:Plunge|Plunge]] 13:36, 1 March 2007 (EST)

== Catholic links deleted ==

Very odd, I'd put in some relatively straightforward links to some Catholic views, and it seems to have been deleted by somebody named "Aschlafly" who deleted them with the comment "deleted incorrect Catholic doctrine about evolution" and then added a bunch of stuff from what looks like Southern Baptist websites.
I don't know who this guy Aschlafly is, but I do not accept him as an authority on Catholicism. Is this conservapedia actually a "Southernbaptistapedia"? I would like to point out that not all conservatives are southern Baptists.
[[User:Franklin.jefferson|Franklin.jefferson]] 17:46, 2 March 2007 (EST)

==Edit by Sureal==

I made an edit, rewording certain parts to make the article more neutral (and more in line with reality), and adding in a bit. I've also organised it with headings, 'cos it was a real pain to read before. However, it's still seriously lacking any actual information on dinosaurs. Anyone feel up to adding some? [[User:Sureal|Sureal]] 13:01, 11 March 2007 (EDT)

==Birds==

From a cladistic point of view, birds are not merely descended from dinosaurs, they ''are'' dinosaurs.[[User:Tsumetai|Tsumetai]] 10:56, 14 March 2007 (EDT)

: I'm not sure that's correct. After all, humans evolved from aquatic creatures, and yet we don't cite humans as marine life. Having said that, I'm certainly not an expert on this, so I may be horribly wrong. [[User:Sureal|Sureal]] 15:16, 14 March 2007 (EDT)

Dinosaur

2007-03-12T16:00:37Z

Sureal: Dinosaurs weren't lizards. Changed 'large lizards' to 'large reptiles'

2007-03-11T16:02:29Z

Sureal:

The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>http://www.trueauthority.com/dinosaurs/about.htm</ref>, from the [[Latin]] for "terrible lizard". Dinosaurs were a group of large [[lizards]] that previously lived in abundance on Earth.

Most scientists believe that dinosaurs lived from 230 million until 65 million years ago and that they are all currently extinct (however [[birds]] are considered by scientists to be descended from early [[therapod]] dinosaurs). They claim the [[fossil]] evidence supports this theory, although many Creationists dispute this, and claim that the dating methods used to judge the age of the fossils are not always precise. Despite this, palaeontologists insist that their use of multiple techniques for dating (and the cross-over the results show) indicate some level of accuracy.

==Dinosaurs, Evolution and Creation==
===Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting===

Some claim there are a number of lines of evidence that point to dinosaurs and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dinosaurs.asp</ref> <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3061/</ref> For example, trained scientists have reported seeing a live dinosaur. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> An expedition which included, Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to point to dinosaurs and man existing <ref>http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm</ref><ref> http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving</ref> The World Book Encyclopedia states that: "The dragons of legend are strangely like actual creatures that have lived in the past. They are much like the great reptiles [dinosaurs] which inhabited the earth long before man is supposed to have appeared on earth. Dragons were generally evil and destructive. Every country had them in its mythology." <ref>http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/FAQ25.html</ref> The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html</ref>

Since 565 A.D. there are reports about the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie), a large Monster living in the Scotish lake Loch Ness. People, who saw Nessie described the Monster as it would look similar to a dinosaur. Early accounts describe St Columba driving away the dinosaur through prayer, lending even more credibility to the report. This suggests that Dinosaurs may have had a diabolical origin, indeed, their large teeth and frightening appearance would seem to support this theory. Evidence from China indicates that Dinosaurs may have lived communally suggesting they were left wing, and thus ungodly.

It should be noted, however, that none of these claims have been verified.

An alternate theory for the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is the existance of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by eroision were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaurs fossils to be found in China.

===Dinosaurs and Birds===

As a number of feathered dinosaur fossils have been discovered, and the similiarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs, scientists contend that modern birds are a descendant of dinosaurs.

==Dinosaurs and Creationism==

Some [[Christians]] reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the current science community consensus of the age of the earth. Of those Christians who reject evolution, the [[Creationism | Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], but also drawing on [[archeological]] and fossil evidence, that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day of the [[Creation Week]]<ref>''Genesis'', 1:25</ref>, approximately 6,000 years ago; that they lived in the [[Garden of Eden]] in harmony with other animals, eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of various dinosaur [[baramin]]s were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2001/dinos_on_ark.asp "Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?"], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>; that fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/dinosaurbones.asp "Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?"], ''Creation'' 21(1):54–55, December 1998</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp "Are dinosaurs alive today?"], ''Creation'' 15(4):12–15, September 1993</ref>.

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] obviously does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs. <ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp "Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?"], ''TJ'' 15(2):42–45, August 2001</ref> Other biblical scholars contend that the terms respectively refer to hippopotomi and crocodiles <ref>http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm</ref>.
==References==
<references/>

Dinosaur

2007-03-11T16:01:15Z

Sureal: Tried to clean it up a bit, and add a bit more balance. Still lacking (A LOT) in actual information on dinosaurs

The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>http://www.trueauthority.com/dinosaurs/about.htm</ref>, from the [[Latin]] for "terrible lizard". Dinosaurs were a group of large [[lizards]] that previously lived in abundance on Earth.

Most scientists believe that dinosaurs lived from 230 million until 65 million years ago and that they are all currently extinct (however [[birds]] are considered by scientists to be descended from early [[therapod]] dinosaurs). They claim the [[fossil]] evidence supports this theory, although many Creationists dispute this, and claim that the dating methods used to judge the age of the fossils are not always precise. Despite this, palaeontologists insist that their use of multiple techniques for dating (and the cross-over the results show) indicate some level of accuracy.

===Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting===

Some claim there are a number of lines of evidence that point to dinosaurs and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dinosaurs.asp</ref> <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3061/</ref> For example, trained scientists have reported seeing a live dinosaur. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> An expedition which included, Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to point to dinosaurs and man existing <ref>http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm</ref><ref> http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving</ref> The World Book Encyclopedia states that: "The dragons of legend are strangely like actual creatures that have lived in the past. They are much like the great reptiles [dinosaurs] which inhabited the earth long before man is supposed to have appeared on earth. Dragons were generally evil and destructive. Every country had them in its mythology." <ref>http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/FAQ25.html</ref> The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html</ref>

Since 565 A.D. there are reports about the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie), a large Monster living in the Scotish lake Loch Ness. People, who saw Nessie described the Monster as it would look similar to a dinosaur. Early accounts describe St Columba driving away the dinosaur through prayer, lending even more credibility to the report. This suggests that Dinosaurs may have had a diabolical origin, indeed, their large teeth and frightening appearance would seem to support this theory. Evidence from China indicates that Dinosaurs may have lived communally suggesting they were left wing, and thus ungodly.

It should be noted, however, that none of these claims have been verified.

An alternate theory for the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is the existance of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by eroision were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaurs fossils to be found in China.

===Dinosaurs and Birds===

As a number of feathered dinosaur fossils have been discovered, and the similiarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs, scientists contend that modern birds are a descendant of dinosaurs.

==Dinosaurs and Creationism==

Some [[Christians]] reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the current science community consensus of the age of the earth. Of those Christians who reject evolution, the [[Creationism | Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], but also drawing on [[archeological]] and fossil evidence, that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day of the [[Creation Week]]<ref>''Genesis'', 1:25</ref>, approximately 6,000 years ago; that they lived in the [[Garden of Eden]] in harmony with other animals, eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of various dinosaur [[baramin]]s were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2001/dinos_on_ark.asp "Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?"], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>; that fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/dinosaurbones.asp "Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?"], ''Creation'' 21(1):54–55, December 1998</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp "Are dinosaurs alive today?"], ''Creation'' 15(4):12–15, September 1993</ref>.

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] obviously does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs. <ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp "Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?"], ''TJ'' 15(2):42–45, August 2001</ref> Other biblical scholars contend that the terms respectively refer to hippopotomi and crocodiles <ref>http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm</ref>.
==References==
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