Dinosaur Mummy

[Dr. Shane]

A Look at a Dinosaur Mummy

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buried in a remote corner of North Dakota was a remarkably well-preserved dinosaur with fossilized skin, ligaments and tendons. You can even see scales on its side.

I appreciated this comment:

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Ok, so this dinosaur is fossilized or petrified - no problem. It must have been buried in a hurry as a result of some catastrophic event, in order to petrify with its skin and tendons intact, right? But come on, remaining intact for 65 million years - just stop and think a bit how long that really is........ not 6,500 years (longer than the petrified remains at Pompeii), not 65,000 years, not 650,000 years, not 6.5 million years - 65 million years intact, under the ground. Really?? Doesn't anybody have the urge to shout "THE KING HAS NO CLOTHES!!"

Posted by:

dannadroberts 2:05 PM

[Bravus]

Ack, I hate always debunking stuff like a big... debunker, but...

'Petrified' means 'turned to rock'. What's so surprising about a rock lasting a long time?

[Dr. Shane]

I wouldn't say that natural scientists and theistic evolutionists are hiding under a rock. Like Bravus commented, some do believe that since something is petrified it can last for endless eternity. I think we need to be a little more respectful with those we disagree with - especially if we want to have a healthy exchange of ideas with them.

[Dr. Shane]

65 million years is hard to wrap our brains around. According to natural scientists, 65 million years ago all of the continents were all in one hemisphere (east or west). It was the Cretaceous era. The North Atlantic didn't even exist. The Appalachian and Rocky Mountains were foothills. The Grand Canyon didn't even exist. The Tethys Ocean still existed and the Himalayas had yet to rise. For the past 40 million years an ice age has been advancing and retreating glaciers.

This dinosaur mummy was discovered in an area just east of the Rocky Mountains in an area that was completely tore up by an ice age that didn't start for a supposed 25 million years after the dinosaur died. This really raises questions as to how such delicate features could be preserved unharmed for 65 million years? If it is 65 million years old, we can hardly believe we are finding it in the same location where it died. Not only did the entire continent move half way across the world, a mountain range rose just to the west of it, another mountain range a couple thousand miles to the east of it and glaciers completely carved up the area on numerous occasions. And yet the scales on its skin are still preserved.

[Dr. Shane]

Of course a more likely explanation is that this is a dinosaur that lived post-flood and died in some type of volcanic activity. It is hard to believe it died in the flood with such detail being preserved. I am inclined to believe baby dinosaurs were taken on the ark and died off due to dramatic climate changes during the ice age. In that model, the vast majority of dinosaurs died in the flood. Those that died after the flood were far less than the populations prior to the flood. Of course, most that died after he flood wouldn't have been preserved as most animals that die are not preserved.

[Neil D]

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According to natural scientists, 65 million years ago all of the continents were all in one hemisphere (east or west).

"Natural Scientist"? I thought all scientists were natural..Is there an Un-natural scientist? If so, can he be called a scientist or is he something else? "mad" scientist, maybe???

[Dr. Shane]

The term "natural" is used in contrast to "super natural". Natural scientists believe there is a natural explanation for all observed phenomenon and do not take into account the possibility for the super natural.

[Dr. Shane]

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a more likely explanation

When I say "a more likely explanation," I am not trying to imply that is probably the correct explanation or model. I am just saying that when we look at all the evidence, including historic and religious, which is beyond the scope of science, it seems there are other explanations more probable than a petrified mummy being preserved in near perfect condition for 65 million years.

[Amelia]

Some of the comments to the story are great.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/comments?type=story&id=3952832

[Dr. Shane]

The rock the fossil was found in is what they used to date the fossil. That brings into the entire issue of dating rocks and the assumptions used when doing so.