I'm not convinced about dinosaurs

[OxfordCommoner]

Recently I've been reading some websites about how the whole dinosaur industry is an elaborate scam. I'm almost believing that dinosaurs are just conjecture and fakery and that the whole thing is a huge money making exercise.

I'm not sure what to think because it sounds a bit bonkers to say you don't believe in dinosaurs, but actually when you read up on it it seems very likely it's true and they never existed.

AIBU? And if so could you convince me they are real?

People also tend to amalgamate other creatures into "dinosaurs", such as Pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and aquatic reptiles such as Plesiosaurs, Mosasaurs, Ichthyosaurs. Filed under; things my 4 year old knows that I didn't. It's quite a big file.

oxford did you get in contact with your CPN?

I spent 3 years staring at the edges of trilobite fossils through a microscope, so I really hope I wasn't paying my uni fees for no reason :-) I can recommend Heavenly Creatures by Tracey Chevalier as a lovely novel based on the true experiences of the first woman in fossils - great descriptions of the findings in Dorset. I'm not sure if any of that is helpful or just more distraction, but would still love to hear that you're OK.

OP, sorry you are unwell.

It's true that many of the famous dinosaur skeletons (including the T Rex in the Natural History Museum) are fake and that much accepted wisdom about dinosaurs is hypothesis presented as fact. That doesn't make it a hoax though. There have been some very complete fossilised skeletons found, like the Gigantasaurus in El Chocon, Argentina (although the skull is still fake, according to Wikipedia). Much of their outward appearance (skin, feathers, etc) and behaviour is conjecture, but based on scientific research. You can't really prove that anything we think we know about dinosaurs is true, unless you have a time machine, but there is vastly more evidence to support the hypotheses, than there is evidence of it being a hoax.

OP, don't forget to tell your CPN. If you're not telling them you know it's an issue. When I get poorly its whenever I stay trying to hide stuff that there is an issue. the longer you leave it the harder it will be to get better

Op i won't laugh, i know what it's like for you to believe things.
I hope you're able to get things sorted xx

UngratefulMoo Do you meant the animatronic T Rex or are you thinking of Dippy in the main hall?

The T Rex is quite obviously a large toy, and Dippy is not a fake, he is a replica which he has to be because of the amount of footfall at the museum.

Perhaps you mean the US NHM which does have a T Rex but again, its not a fake, it is a replica.

I too remember the original thread and, checking on fb see that there is still a "Christians against Dinosaurs (CAD)" page and a "Dinosaurs against Christians who are Against Dinosaurs" page .

ok OP. believe what you want, but remember:

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” ? Neil deGrasse Tyson

Don't want to miss the point of the threa,, but saying that dinosaur bones are too big to be from any current living animal isn't strictly accurate -- blue whales are the largest animal that has ever lived, far bigger than any dinosaur (or other extinct species) Dinosaurs are real though, even though the skeletons you see in museums are casts. The fossilised bones themselves are far too heavy and fragile to display arranged to show the animal standing

tiger you have an excellent point, other than the fact that blue whales don't have legs of course...

I want to go to the Creationist theme park in Kentucky

I've been. There aren't any rides or anything, it's more like a museum than a theme park. I liked the petting zoo. They have a zorse.

Whatwhat - I meant the diplodocus, sorry - been watching too much Jurassic Park! Yes, you are right, perhaps fake was too strong a word - I think it was just trying to make the point that there have been very few complete dinosaur fossils found and as a result much of accepted wisdom is pieced together.

Hi sunshineandsilver. There's no need to be quite so sarky. If you really want us to get into it, the op was saying she was worried that dinosaur skeletons were actually cobbled together from living animals, guesswork and fakery.So under that "theory " the legbones could be from any.one of those sources.
Pp said that dinosaurs were too big to have their bones confused with any other creatures. I was just saying that wasn't the case.
(and anyway, like many cetaceans, blue whales do have vestigial leg bones attached to their pelvis. So there [blows raspberry])

Who gives a toss if they are fake when all is said and done.

They are COOL and they bring enjoyment to lots of people without too many negative effects I can't think of any tbh

People believe in fairies and fairies sell lots of things too.

Hope you feel better soon OP

If dinosaurs are fake, then birds are also imaginary.

tiger wasn't trying to be 'sarky' was trying to be funny.

Clearly an epic fail.

But you've put me right in my place so all's well with the world again.

What on earth is a 'zorse'?
A zebra-horse??

Oxford, how are you doing? Have you had a chance to speak to your CPN? I hope this thread has been of some help to you, what with going off in all sorts of directions…. the joys of MN, eh?

A zorse is just what it sounds like, the product of breeding a zebra and a horse. They also have a zonkey. Guess what that is? Hint - NOT a zebra and a monkey. :)

I was just having an argument on youtube with someone about this lol, But to answer yes i do believe they are real.
The other users said the bones were faked but then how do you explain the prehistoric cousins like crocs, komodos,
Our modern day reptiles descended from their ancestors.
Also including the pre historic birds, fish and mammals