Dragons

[123everton]

Saw a picture in the Metro today of a new fossil that had been discovered (Darwinopterous), is it possible that these pterosaurs (if that's what it is) may have lived longer than we know.
I can't help but feel that they have a similarity in appearance to Chinese dragons like the fenghuang(?) phoenix.
Is it possible that these representations of their forms are borne from the fact that the early Chinese lived with these creatures in their environment?

[heathfield]

No chance.

[naomi24]

Perhaps the ancient Chinese found fossils, and dragons were their representation of what they thought these creatures looked like.

[123everton]

Such items would be treasured and would quickly find their way to the local kings, and subsequently the latter emperors.
With that in mind and China's scholastic traditions that idea is doubtful.

[naomi24]

What's your explanation then, Everton?

[jno]

there are a lot of fossils found in China, and have been for centuries, but I'm not sure how well people long ago could have found a pterosaur's skeleton, say, and reconstructed a dragon around it.

Wikipedia suggests crocodiles may have beeen the source, especially if they'd subsequently died out and lingered on in folk memory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragons

[123everton]

I don't have much of an opinion on the subject, just chewing the fat.
Heathfield, the Chinese Shang dynasty is only now coming to light, many of it's practices were incorporated into the foundling empire of the Qin dynasty.
The book of odes (largely fake) relates to the Shang and earlier epochs, this period (about 5000 years ago) is too recent for fossilisation any such creature still around would be viewed as special, the whole carcass including the bones would've been used for traditional medicine.
No?