Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part I The Questions Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Did God Create T. rex? Were carnivorous animals in the Garden of Eden?Were carnivorous animals in the Garden of Eden? Did God create organisms with a lifespan?Did God create organisms with a lifespan? Is predation a necessary evil in our world today?Is predation a necessary evil in our world today?

Did God Create the Gigantic Sauropods? Diplodocus Why don’t we have living dinosaurs?

What Has Been Found? Are the skeletons in the museum just imaginary?Are the skeletons in the museum just imaginary? Are dinosaurs amalgamations?Are dinosaurs amalgamations? Did the dinosaurs really live?Did the dinosaurs really live? Have researchers found whole skeletons?Have researchers found whole skeletons? How much can scientists know from broken bits and pieces?How much can scientists know from broken bits and pieces?

Part I: Summary The Christian community has many questions about the origin and existence of dinosaurs. While some may think these questions are foolish, there is a lack of knowledge among Christians that needs to be addressed. This series is a rather meager attempt to address those questions, while providing information that will be beneficial to those who are more knowledgeable on this topic.

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part II The Data Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Dinosaur Database BONES SKULLS SKULLS S KIN IMPRESSIONS TRACKS & DUNG TRACKS & DUNG EGGS & BABIES EGGS & BABIES DEATH ASSEMBLAGES

Data: Bones Fragments & StructureFragments & Structure –Skeletal Fragments –Muscle Attachment Scars –Size Comparisons DNA?DNA?

Data: Bone Fragments Jumbled bone bedsJumbled bone beds Isolated skeletal featuresIsolated skeletal features –Ankle bone –Hip structure Muscle attachment Muscle attachmentscars –Tendons

Data: Skeletons Chasmosaurus Nearly Complete Skeletons –Muscle Attachment Scars –Size Comparisons

Data: Wide Variety within Families Zuniceratops Triceratops

Data: Large & Small Hadrosaur Deinonychus Hadrosaur Deinonychus Height ~to a giraffe ~to a German shepard Height ~to a giraffe ~to a German shepard

Interpretation: Males vs Females? Length of chevrons at base of tail Interpretation: Stegosaurus male? Length of chevrons at base of tail Interpretation: Rhabdodon female?

Data: Structural Comparisons Researchers compare femursResearchers compare femurs –From left (not to scale): –Probactrosaurus –Chasmosaurus Cervical vertebral featuresCervical vertebral features –Psittacosaurus –Camarasaurus

DATA: SKULLS Tarbosaurus bataar Zuniceratops Lobes of the Brain –Internal cast of the brain case: sight (optic), hearing (otic) & sense of smell (olfactory) Teeth –Structure suggests diet

Data: Skulls Allosaurus skull Muscle Attachment Scars on Jaws

Data: Skin Impressions CorythosaurusCorythosaurus Skin impression (mold)Skin impression (mold) –Associated skeleton Dinosaur embryoDinosaur embryo –Associated bone fragments –Skin impression? –Precipitate? Animation and color adjustment by E Kennedy with permission from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, which is not responsible for any interpretation of its exhibits on this web site

Data: Dinosaur Tracks Tracks made by dinosaursTracks made by dinosaurs Tracks found in water-laid depositsTracks found in water-laid deposits Human tracks not found with dinosaur tracksHuman tracks not found with dinosaur tracks

Data: Dung Rock does not match associated sedimentRock does not match associated sediment Petrified woody tissue & burrowsPetrified woody tissue & burrows Dung beetle burrows?Dung beetle burrows?

Data: Montana: Hadrosaur Baby & Egg Maiasaura Arrows indicate large eggshell fragments

Data: Death Assemblages Coelophysis Preservation state Entombing sediments

Part II: Summary The data base for dinosaurs includes: 1.Skeletons to bone fragments from which structural information can be surmised. 2.Skin impressions provide information about appearance. 3.Tracks and possible dung indicate the animals really lived and moved over the earth. 4.Eggs and possible nests suggest breeding activities, and… 5.Death assemblages found worldwide occur in water-laid deposits.

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part III The Death Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

What Happened to the Dinosaurs? Psittacosaurus

Demise of Dinosaurs Volcanism => Climate Change?Volcanism => Climate Change? –Loss of link in food chain expected but not documented Asteroid Impact?Asteroid Impact? –Most dinosaurs already dead before K/T event Evolved into Birds?Evolved into Birds? –Lack of evidence & mechanism Destroyed by Water?Destroyed by Water? –Dinosaur remains found in water-laid deposits worldwide

Data: T. rex Large muscle attachment scars on jaws and armsLarge muscle attachment scars on jaws and arms Enlarged optic & olfactory lobes, serrated teethEnlarged optic & olfactory lobes, serrated teeth 14 nearly complete skeletons14 nearly complete skeletons JuvenilesJuveniles

Data: Hadrosaur Maiasaura Self-sharpening and nipping teethSelf-sharpening and nipping teeth JuvenilesJuveniles EggsEggs Nests?Nests?

Distribution of death Dinosaurs suddenly appear on four continents in the upper Triassic! Dinosaurs go extinct in the upper Cretaceous!

Sedimentary Deposits Flood deposits in CanadaFlood deposits in Canada Lake, river, flood plain, coastal, lowland deposits in the United StatesLake, river, flood plain, coastal, lowland deposits in the United States River deposits in South AmericaRiver deposits in South America Debris flow deposits in MongoliaDebris flow deposits in Mongolia Flood deposits in ChinaFlood deposits in China Marsh, island, delta, coastal deposits in EuropeMarsh, island, delta, coastal deposits in Europe

Part III: Summary The destruction and preservation of dinosaurs in water-laid deposits worldwide has provided an extensive database for study.

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part IV The Biblical Questions + Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Does the Bible Talk About Dinosaurs?

Job 41:8,15, 29, 31 If you lay a hand on him [leviathan], you will remember the struggle…. His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together…. A club seems to him like a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance…. He makes the depths churn… and stirs up the sea…. NIV

Job 40:15, 17, 21 Look at the behemoth… which feeds on grass like an ox. His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. Under the lotus plant he lies, hidden among the reeds of the marsh. NIV

Were Humans & Dinosaurs Living Together?

What Are Some of The Questions Christians have about Dinosaurs?

Weren’t Dinosaurs too Big for the Ark? One Christian author says: Soon after the flood the race began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. There was a class of very large animals which perished at the flood. God knew that the strength of man would decrease, and these mammoth animals could not be controlled by feeble man. EGW: 4A SG 121

Weren’t Dinosaurs too Big for the Ark? As we have seen, ½ the families of dinosaurs were smaller than an adult giraffe. So there is no reason to think that they might not be on the Ark. Perhaps the author is talking about the large mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, etc. that went extinct during the Flood. The extinction of large animals seems to be a consistent trend in the fossil record.

Were Dinosaurs Amalgamations? One Christian author says: Every species of animals which God had created was preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. EGW: 1SP 78

Were Dinosaurs Amalgamations? This author specifies that amalgamated species were considered “confused species.” There is nothing confusing about dinosaurs. Their bone structure is distinctive, their skeletal features are distinctive and when the data is studied, dinosaurs are a clearly defined group of animals.

Part IV: Summary What does the Bible say about dinosaurs? –Job 40 (large herbivore, probably low to the ground, probably not a dinosaur) –Job 41 (marine creature, not a dinosaur) What are some of the other questions about dinosaurs? –4A SG 121 (large animals, not just dinosaurs) –1 SP 78 (amalgamated, probably not dinosaurs)

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part V The Nests Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Problematic Issues I: Dinosaur Eggs Are the dinosaur egg sites really nests?Are the dinosaur egg sites really nests? Are there multiple levels of dinosaur nests and eggs?Are there multiple levels of dinosaur nests and eggs? Are these sites pre-Flood, Flood or post-Flood deposits?Are these sites pre-Flood, Flood or post-Flood deposits?

Data: Oviraptor Eggs Mongolia Possible Overbank Deposition Some Nests Promising

Data: Maiasaur Eggs “Nest in Camp” Montana Eggs & fragments indicate transport Sediments indicate no nest here

Data: Troodon? Eggs Egg Mountain Two layers found here Limited documentation

Possible Nest Six eggs encased in plaster Note: “Rim” Carbonate rock

Data: Eggs in Patagonia Multiple levels of eggs Fragment orientations & distributions Cross-bedded sandstones

Data: Sauropod Eggs Lerida Egg Site Sediments indicate transported eggs

Data: Dinosaur Eggs Aix-en-Provence Crushed eggs with internal shell fragments Photographed by Elaine Kennedy near Montagne Sainte-Victoire, France

Data: Dinosaur Eggs South Korea Sediments suggest transported eggs Multiple levels

Part V: Summary In the literature, authors cite single and multiple eggs as “nests.” Regions estimated to have hundreds of eggs are considered nesting grounds. Little work has assessed the nature of the sediments in which the eggs were deposited. Consequently, there is little evidence for dinosaur nesting behavior.

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part VI The Links Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Problematic Issues II: Dinosaur-Bird Links Why do scientists think birds evolved from dinosaurs?Why do scientists think birds evolved from dinosaurs? Is Archaeopteryx the link between dinosaurs and birds?Is Archaeopteryx the link between dinosaurs and birds?

Data: Dinosaur-Bird Link Dromaeosaurids Proposed “sister” group

Dinosaurs => Birds? Database for Discussion Hip structureHip structure –Bone structure Respiratory structuresRespiratory structures –Nasal passages –Lungs/Diaphragm Finger orderFinger order ArchaeopteryxArchaeopteryx Feathered dinosaursFeathered dinosaurs

Data: Hip Structure Stratigraphic level Coelophysis Dromaeosaurs Aves Upper Triassic: CoelophysisUpper Triassic: Coelophysis Upper Jurassic: ArchaeopteryxUpper Jurassic: Archaeopteryx Upper Jurassic: ConfuciusornisUpper Jurassic: Confuciusornis Lower Cretaceous: UtahraptorLower Cretaceous: Utahraptor Upper Cretaceous: Other DromaeosaursUpper Cretaceous: Other Dromaeosaurs

Dinosaur Respiratory structures Nasal passages lack turbinatesNasal passages lack turbinates Possible evidence of diaphragm-like structurePossible evidence of diaphragm-like structure Bird nasal passages have turbinatesBird nasal passages have turbinates No diaphragm/flow through lungNo diaphragm/flow through lung

Finger Structure Fingers in a bird’s wing form in the embryo as fingers 2, 3 & 4. Fingers of the dinosaurs have been identified as fingers 1, 2 & 3.

Archaeopteryx lithographica Data: Archaeopteryx lithographica 20+ features shared with reptiles 20+ features shared with birds 5 features unique to Archaeopteryx sp.

Part VI: Summary The evolution of dinosaurs into birds is a popular theory. The postulated evolutionary evidence for links between dinosaurs and birds has been disputed by a number of credible researchers in paleontology and biology.

Taming the T-rex …And other dinosaurs CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY: Part VII The Feathered Dinosaurs Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D. Geoscience Research Institute

Problematic Issues II: dinosaur-bird links Are the “feathers” on dinosaurs real?Are the “feathers” on dinosaurs real? Is the existence of feathers on any reptile problematic for Christians?Is the existence of feathers on any reptile problematic for Christians? Are feathered dinosaurs links?Are feathered dinosaurs links?

Data: Young Sinosauropteryx prima Yixian Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China Compsonathid – like skeleton Ruffled dark ridge above the spine shows what may have been feathers

Data: Confuciusornis sanctus Yixian Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China This bird lacks teeth Note forelimbs & feathers Birds abundant in same formation & “time” as feathered dinosaurs Can feathered dinosaurs be “the links” when birds were already present? Feathers

Data: Caudipteryx zoui Yixian Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China Feather plume on tail & wings Feathers & down may have covered entire body Only a few hooked teeth in the front of its upper jaw

Data: Protarchaeopteryx robusta Yixian Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China Archaeopteryx lithographica had asymmetrical feathers P. robusta did not fly –Symmetrical feathers Feathers

Microraptor gui Jiufotang Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China Data: Microraptor gui Jiufotang Formation, lower Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China Fracture pattern around skeletonFracture pattern around skeleton –Key features isolated Carbonized feathersCarbonized feathers –No carbonized flesh Slurry? between bones & feathersSlurry? between bones & feathers –Patching? Best specimens purchasedBest specimens purchased

Part VII: Summary The validity of the feathers on dinosaurs is still debated; however, if the feathers are real, their presence on dinosaurs does not establish a link between dinosaurs and birds because true birds are found in lower layers with no ancestral evidence in the layers below.

Conclusions Dinosaurs lived on earth, probably created by God as unique organisms, “normal” existence Eggs and babies are genuine –Nests are not yet clearly established –Transport of eggs is widespread Feathered dinosaurs are considered links by some scientists –Feathers disputed –Links disputed

Psalm 8:3,4,6-9 3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, 4What is man that You are mindful of him,…. ? 6 You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: 7All flocks and herds, and the beasts of the fields, 8The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,…. 9O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! NIV