Thinking back to the popular children\’s animated series “The Flintstones,” we recall that people lived with dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were used in much the same way we use animals today for work and as pets. In many cases, they replaced modern appliances.

The idea that humans and dinosaurs could have existed simultaneously has fascinated many authors. And many are convinced of this possibility. After all, there is no way that similar creatures could be hiding in an unexplored corner of the jungles of Africa or South America.Newspapers occasionally report the discovery of fresh footprints that look like dinosaur tracks or glimpses of animals that match the description. However, none of these claims have been proven, and no one has even found a fresh dinosaur carcass.

The problem is that many people cannot conceive of the vast period of time that separates us from the extinction of dinosaurs. Certainly, some animals, such as sharks and crocodiles, have survived much as they did then. However, something similar is to be expected from dinosaurs.

Nope. Certainly, from the fossil record, dinosaurs do not look alike. Of course, not all species became extinct. But the species that survived must have adapted to very different conditions. And that also means a somewhat different appearance than that shown in the fossil record.

For example, as the oxygen content of the atmosphere decreased, they were forced to shrink in size. Changes in temperatures created the need for protection from both heat and cold. As large herbivores became extinct, carnivores shifted to a different diet and hunting techniques changed.

Simply put, several species of dinosaurs have indeed survived to modern times, but their forms have changed considerably. Today we know them as birds. And in fact, that is not as great a change as it may seem at first glance.Today we know that many dinosaur species had so-called primitive feathers. This served as thermal protection and also helped them to change direction. Velociraptor, for example, already somewhat resembled its present-day descendant, the fowl. Next time you eat chicken, remember that you are basically eating dinosaur meat. Enjoy.

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