Dragon Studies
Palaeobiologist or Dragonologist?
I find the study of dragons around the world in myth, history, or archeology entertaining.
But a random thought based on some of my earlier research kept bugging me. How does an archeologist know what an animal looked like – coloring, skin texture, etc. – based only on their bones? This is based on the assumption that dragons are forms of dinosaurs.
I of course did a little more research. What can I say?
First, archeologists uncover and research the fossilized remains of dinosaurs. But palaeontologists study dinosaurs in general.
In the last thirty years, technology with CT scans have allowed for a deeper study of skulls and other various bones.
Some have even worked at recreating the tissue where it appears to have connected to bone to see if they can reproduce the sound formed by various species.
It’s fascinating to think that there are rare cases in which the impressions of the animal, as it lay on the ground before it decomposed, have preserved impressions in the soil of its skin. That’s crazy to me. There are also a few cases where soft tissue and internal organs have been discovered. One scientist said maybe only five, but they still found them.
A side note . . . I struggle to picture someone deciding to make an entire career out of studying dinosaur poo. But it’s a thing. And, the way my horse-riding daughter talks about that subject, it’s a necessity for understanding the health of pretty much every living being.
And a fun fact: dinosaur feces are called coprolites and they’re studied by palaeobiologists.
Anyway, that’s all for now about dragons. I’m moving on to a dive into some Celtic myths next.
Before I go, I thought I’d make a list of dragon movies and books for fun. I’m going to attach it to its own page though, because I can see the need to add to it over time. You can find it here.
Click the buttons below if you’d like to see some of the articles I found that explains a little more.
The study of poo made me LOL. Not only because of my own health issues do I have to inspect the doo-doo, but I have a senior pug and it’s so important to know how many times a day, consistency, did he strain, color, odor, sometimes when he’s eaten something he shouldn’t have… is it in there yet???
As well as this hilarious (to me at any rate) story I told friends on facebook this week of my 19 year old son on Sunday…
Jayden: “Mom, I feel kinda sick.”
Me: What did you eat today?
Jayden: The usual stuff.
Me:
Me:
Jayden: 8 bowls of Cheerios, 2 cans of chicken soup, pretzels, animal crackers, tortillas, peanuts, tuna from the can…
Me: Did you eat any real food?
Jayden: MoooooOOOOooooM, that is real food! You keep saying that; all food is real food!
Me: Ok, have you eaten anything nutritious, with fiber, the color green, that is flesh from a land animal?
Jayden: I had bologna
Me: Have you pooped today?
Jayden:
Jayden:
Jayden: NO!! I bet that’s it! I’m going to go poop.
20 minutes later
Jayden: Thanks Mom, I feel sooooo much better now!!
Me: *I didn’t sign up for this!*
He’s autistic (gets that from me) and developmentally 12, he hyper focuses on so many other things he forget he needs to go 1 and/or 2 and accidently may not make it.
So, poo does make the world go round, in my life at any rate lol
The way life works, isn’t it? I have a senior cat (16) and dog (13).
Your son sounds like he gives you many adventures. 🙂
I just finished Meave Leakey (yes THAT Leakey) “Sediments of Time” as part of a “secret project”. Paleo anthropology is fascinating. Thanx for the look at the dragonology
Her book seems quite fascinating! Good luck on your project!