Young earth creationists believe that the world was created only a few thousand years ago. While many paleontologists argue that carbon dating indicates that life had existed over a million years ago, there is reason to speculate that this is untrue.
If the Earth is merely thousands (and not millions) of years old, what does this mean in regards to the existence of dinosaurs? More specifically, what does this mean in regards to the existence of dinosaurs as it relates to the human species? Could the dinosaurs have lived among us? Some findings suggest this could have been the case.
The term "dinosaur" has only existed since 1842 when it was first coined by English paleontologist Richard Owen, yet their existence had been acknowledged in writing centuries previous to this. Sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, a poem was written about the Scandinavian king, Beowulf.. In the poem, the writer gives a detailed description about a beast that the king had killed in battle. If you look at the description, it accurately describes the appearance of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Since paleontology had only existed since the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier's work on comparative anatomy, how is it possible that the author could so accurately describe a creature he should know nothing about?
The written word is not the only place where dinosaurs are mentioned. Aboriginal legends have been passed from one generation to another by word of mouth. One such legend exists among the Native American tribes about the "thunderbirds". According to the legend, large bird-like creatures flew around and they would bring thunder with them wherever they went. In South Dakota, the Native American groups have pointed to pteranodon fossils located at the base of the Black Hills and referred to them as thunderbirds. Had pteradons flown past the aboriginals centuries ago, or is this a mere coincidence?
One of the most compelling arguments relates to the processes used among the paleontologists. Arguments have been made that because of carbon-dating, paleontologists can accurately estimate when a species lived and when it no longer existed, however this isn't always the case. It was thought that the Coelacanth had been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period. However, when the species resurfaced in 1938, many were baffled. If a species thought to have died out millions of years ago could still exist, how could we be so certain that dinosaurs never lived among us?
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