Is there a connection between dragons and dinosaurs?

Today, we know from fossils that dinosaurs were once real, living creatures. Dragons aren’t real, but people have always told stories about amazing creatures with magical powers.

Perhaps the discovery of dinosaur bones long ago fueled these stories. In ancient times, people in Asia and Europe dug up dinosaur fossils and believed they were dragon bones.

Consider the similarities and differences
between dinosaurs and dragons.

Long Necks
This is the real thighbone of a Barosaurus, a long-neck dinosaur that grew to 60 feet long. What do you think dragon necks might look like? Long, skinny necks lifted hungry dinosaur mouths to treetops for food. Fossils tell us some of the necks on dinosaurs grew to 28 feet long. To show how big the long-necks were, artists often draw them next to tall trees or big predators. Can you imagine a dragon with legs like a Barosaurus? Most of the largest dinosaurs moved slowly. Do you think dragons would move fast or slow?

Barosaurus femur ~54 inches

Wings
There were many real flying reptiles that lived with dinosaurs, such as Quetzocoatlus (kwet-zo-kwat-alus) and Pteranodon. Did you know Quetzocoatlus had a wingspan longer than a school bus?  And pterosaurs might have had feathers on their bodies. We imagine that dragons looked like flying reptiles.

Bucky the T-rex claw

Claws
Dinosaurs used their claws to dig, defendthemselves or catch food. We imagine dragons could use their claws in the same ways.Dinosaur claws came in all shapes and sizes. Meat eaters had long, sharp claws. Plant eaters had toe bones that were hoof-like.

Spikes and Horns
Some dinosaurs had spikes on their tails or horns on their heads.Would a dragon have spikes, too? Can you name any animals that have spikes or horns that are living today?

Paleo artists recreate how dinosaurs looked based on fossil evidence.

Paleontologists often find only small clues from an animal — a single toe, a tooth or a claw. Then, they use these clues to draw the dinosaur.

Because there are no dragon fossils, artists must imagine how dragons might look.

“Most fossil-cleaners are good artists,” says famous paleontologist Dr. Robert T. Bakker. “We clean off the rock slowly. As we do, we make sketches of the bone. A sketch will help us imagine where the bone is and how to chip the rock off so we don’t break anything accidentally.”

Robert Bakker’s work has changed how people think about dinosaurs.

Dr. Bakker believes dinosaurs were warm-blooded, fast, intelligent creatures. Before his research, many people thought dinosaurs were slow, cold-blooded animals. Bakker creates illustrations to explain to others what he is thinking about dinosaurs.

Did you know…?
The character Dr. Robert Burke in the movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park was based on Bakker.

Dracorex hogwartsia is a new type of dinosaur
that looks like a dragon with spiky horns,
bumps and a long muzzle.

Draco = dragon          rex = king          hogwartsia = Hogwarts

This new type of dinosaur is from the Bone Head family or pachycephalosaurs. They’re best known for butting each other with their thick skulls.

“Dracorex helps us understand how fossils of mysterious, extinct animals may have inspired ancient people around the world to believe that dragons and other fabulous creatures once lived.” - Adrienne Mayor, classical folklorist and author

We named this dragon-like dinosaur Dracorex hogwartsia in honor of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels. In the books, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry is a magical place of learning — just like our museum.

“The naming of ‘Dracorex hogwartsia’ is easily the most unexpected honour to come my way since the publication of the Harry Potter books! I am absolutely thrilled to think that Hogwarts has made a small (claw?) mark upon the fascinating world of dinosaurs.” - J.K. Rowling, author

Do you imagine dragons as fire-breathing beasts?

If you lived in China, you’d think dragons were beautiful and kind! In China, dragons stand for power, luck, strength, wisdom and success. Chinese families decorate their clothes and buildings with dragons and wear dragon jewelry.

Long ago, dragons were so special that only the Chinese Emperor could wear them on his clothing.  Later, others were allowed to wear dragons with four claws or less on their clothing, but only the Emperor, his family, and imperial officials the Emperor deemed worthy wore five-clawed dragons.