Dracorex is a pachycephalosaur from the end of the Cretaceous Period which was identified after the discovery of a spectacular skull. The skull lacks the dome characteristic of this group and instead has spikes and frills reminiscent of a mythical dragon.
Fossil Identified as Pterosaur, 'the Closest Thing We Have to a Living Dragon'
Dragons and Dinosaurs
With their enormous size, reptilian shape and threatening teeth and claws, some dragons might easily be taken for cousins of Tyrannosaurus rex. Living dinosaurs did not inspire the dragon idea--they died out long before people were around to observe them.
Ancient people may have discovered dinosaur fossils and understandably misinterpreted them as the remains of dragons. Chang Qu, a Chinese historian from the 4th century B.C., mislabeled such a fossil in what is now Sichuan Province.
Closest thing to 'real-life dragon' lived in Australia more than 105M years ago, researchers find. An artist's impression of the pterosaur Thapunngaka shawi, Australia's largest known flying reptile.
One of these was an animal called Garjainia. About three metres long, the carnivores walked on four legs and looked like modern-day Komodo dragons. Their remains have been found in South Africa and Russia.
But it looks like a combination of many animals. For the Chinese people, dragons were described visually as a composite of parts from nine animals: the horns of a deer, head of a camel, eyes of the devil, neck of a snake, abdomen of a large cockle, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle, paws of a tiger and ears of an ox.
The wyvern is a creature of legend, and a cousin to the dragon. Wyverns are winged, serpent-like creatures. Unlike dragons, wyverns have only two legs, a barbed tail, and cannot breathe fire. Wyverns are smaller than dragons.
No. Neither did pterosaurs. Dinosaur fossils just don't turn up in the same rock layers as human remains. Although some creationists claim that medieval dragons were really ruling reptiles of the Mesozoic that survived into modern times, this notion enjoys no support from any credible scientist.
Children may confuse a "dragon" as a type of dinosaur. Dragons exist only in stories and myths. However, dinosaurs were once real creatures. Discuss the difference between extinct and mythical animals.
Pterosaurs. Of all the creatures that ever lived, pterosaurs probably most closely resemble the dragons of European legend. Reptilian and featherless, pterosaurs flew on wings of hide that were supported by a single long and boney finger.
The T-rex would beat a Komodo dragon in a fight using its massive size advantage and powerful bite. Although unlikely, the Komodo dragon might attempt an ambush attack if it absolutely had to fight the monstrous dinosaur. It would probably not succeed in doing much damage, though.
A dragon. The T-Rex could easily be overpowered. The dragon could breathe fire, attack from the sky, or simply grab the T-Rex and carry it away.
The pterosaur bones discovered at Dinosaur Cove in Victoria, Australia. A piece of pelvis bone was found to have come from a pterosaur with a wingspan exceeding two meters (6.5 ft). Some pterosaurs had wingspans of more than 10 meters (33 ft).
When it sees a dragon, the ichneumon covers itself with mud, and closing its nostrils with its tail, attacks and kills the dragon. The ichneumon was also considered by some to be the enemy of the crocodile and the asp, and attack them in the same way.
In fact, behirs hate dragons so much, that if they so much as even sense a dragon lives near it, it'll hunt it down and try to kill it.
Dracotaur – Half-man, half-dragon.
The “dragon” evolved into the creature of nine resemblances: Head of a camel, horns of a deer, eyes of a demon, ears of a bull, neck of a snake, belly of a clam, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle, and paws of a tiger.
Possibly the oldest dragon myth recorded, the Mušḫuššu dates back to 2100 BCE. “Mušḫuššu” in the language translates to “furious snake.” The Mesopotamians described these creatures as scaly animals with the hind-legs of an eagle, the forelimbs of a lion, a thin, long body, a horned head and a snake-like tongue.
Hybrid dragons are dragons that have two or more elements. Some hybrid dragons have opposite elements; those dragons can be more difficult to breed.
In fact, birds are commonly thought to be the only animals around today that are direct descendants of dinosaurs. So next time you visit a farm, take a moment to think about it. All those squawking chickens are actually the closest living relatives of the most incredible predator the world has ever known!
Fossils from a flying “Dragon of Death” have been discovered in Argentina, new research revealed. Scientists unearthed partial remains of a colossal pterosaur, called Thanatosdrakon amaru, that's new to science, according to research published in the journal Cretaceous Research.