Extreme Reptilia

[Perseus]

Ok well, what my title really means is dragons, but I do not want to sound goofy.
But what this thread is about whether they did exist.
Yes, I am aware that there was a flying reptilia in the dinasour age(correct me if Im wrong).
But I got into this discussion with this girl about mythology because she was telling me how her parents are over protective and how she cant read certain books, watch certain movies, and learn about mythology. But any way.. she was telling me that in Romania, they found two flying reptiles, that they refer to as "dragons", but she said they could breathe fire, but I think that is a load of bullshit on a bun. Please discuss and/or explain if they actually can.
Yes, I know this thread will be lost in a dream of mirrors, lost in a paradox.

[Sugaree]

Unless any other certain evidence is found, it is possible. There were many flying creatures in pre-historic times, but we can't really know if dragons were real. You usually hear about them in fairy tales right? Most fairy tales seem to take place in the Middle Ages. If so, then dragons must have existed for a few million years and then suddenly died out.

Dragons breathing fire is also another popular myth. I don't think it's true. Sure, it may have had a short fuse with temper, but I don't think it could breathe fire. We can't be for certain, it's still a myth. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Perseus]

Well, she explained to me how they could do it, but I just think it isn't possible..

[Mzor203]

An explanation for how dragons could breathe fire: Flammable gases are created in every creature's intestines when we digest food. Thus, humans can light our farts on fire. A dragon that could breathe fire would most likely use the same principle.. just transport the gas it creates through digestion up to the mouth, ignite it in some way (Scraping a special tooth against another to create a spark in the same wa flint and steel does?) And viola, fire. There are flaws, but that would be the basic principle.

Do I think any species would be able to devolop something like this? No. And I surely believe they would have survived past the middle ages. If they were hunted so much during the middle ages, why are there no surviving skeletons?

So, no, there were doubtfully any creatures of this variety. It would take such a complex organism and such a complex course of evolution that the possibility is incredibly slim. Whatever 'evidence' people have found is not enough to change that.

[Perseus]

Well.. there was flying reptilia like dragons.. but they didn't breathe fire..
Hmm.. we need an expert of reptilia in here..

[Mzor203]

There were flying reptiles, falling under the categories of pterosaurs. So what exactly is the question? Yes, these reptiles exist. They didn't breathe fire. Probably the legends of dragons came from people iin the middle ages finding skeletons of pterosaurs, and coming up with an explanation for what they were.

So what exactly is the debate?

[Oblivion]

I find it extremely hard to believe.
Why is there no evidence? No fossils? No skins? No pelts? No bones? No teeth? How can any being that must weigh over a ton [literally] simply fly like a bird? If humans had wings, we sure couldn't fly. The only reason birds can, is because their bones are hollow and they are extremely light.
Only fairy tales and weak accounts of people seeing animals that they were uninformed about can confirm the existence, which is hardly proof.

I suppose you could look at dinosaurs as dragons, but it's not really the same.

[Perseus]

I dont even know anymore..
Basically if it was possible for a large flying reptile to breathe fire, well actually if anything could breathe fire.
But they did find skeletons of a large reptilia.

[Mzor203]

See my above post. Technically it is 'possible'. The chance that it has happened is next to nil. Maybe someday scientists will be able to breed something to he effect of a dragon, but pretty much you can say that, even though it is physically possibly, there have been no dragons or any animal that can breathe fire thus far in history. (I think it is relatively safe to say).

[INFERNO]

I dont even know anymore..
Basically if it was possible for a large flying reptile to breathe fire, well actually if anything could breathe fire.
But they did find skeletons of a large reptilia.

This was a fairly interesting thread, however, I don't think fire-breathing reptiles would have existed. Naturally, we can hypothesize some possible ways it could have happened but they don't seem plausible.

But, if they did exist, why is there no physical evidence, not even a skeleton? Yes they did find skeletons of large ancient reptiles but I don't see what point you're trying to make. It could be possible for dragons to exist, however, the chances are extremely close to zero.

They also had flying reptiles (i.e. pterodactyls) but they didn't breathe fire. That may be the closest you'll get to an ancient, extinct, flying reptile.

[Halibut]

im a full believer of dragons..like gosh i dont think the whole thing is that impossible to believe! and i heard about the dragons in romania too!