Episode 176: Dragons

Ancient civilizations around the world have included imagery of this mythic beast in pieces that have lasted centuries. In each culture, it represents something different - strength, nobility, an enemy to be defeated. But how did such a myth evolve in far flung regions around the world with no connection to one another? Could these ancient monsters be even more ancient than we imagined? And are they hiding out waiting to be discovered to this very day? This week’s episode is - Dragons.

SOURCES

Powerful Komodo Dragons Observed Hunting In The Wild | Raw Nature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaVkZ7BP-i8

A Visual Timeline of the Eons’s, Era’s, & Periods, Cal Poly Natural History Museum: https://natmus.humboldt.edu/exhibits/life-through-time/life-through-time-visual-timeline

Mushhushshu-dragon, Symbol of the God Marduk, 604 - 562 BCE, Detroit Institute for the Arts: https://www.dia.org/art/collection/object/mushhushshu-dragon-symbol-god-marduk-55602

Archaeologists Find Oldest Chinese Dragon Totem, China.Org: https://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Archaeology/147178.htm

Leviathan, Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Leviathan-Middle-Eastern-mythology

Quetzalcoatl, McGill University: https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/q/Quetzalcoatl.htm

Here be dragons: the million-year journey of the Komodo dragon, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/17/here-be-dragons-the-million-year-journey-of-the-komodo-dragon

Pterosaurs in Big Bend, National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/nature/pterosaur.htm

Mesozoic Period, US Department of the Interior: https://www.usgs.gov/youth-and-education-in-science/mesozoic

Coelacanths, Smithsonian Institute: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/coelacanth

Herodotus, Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herodotus-Greek-historian

Aztecs, History: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/aztecs

Dragons in History, Genesis Park: https://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/evidence/historical/dragons/

Cochise County’s Winged Dragon, True West Magazine: https://truewestmagazine.com/article/cochise-countys-winged-dragon/

New 'frozen dragon' pterosaur found hiding in plain sight, National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/cryodrakon-new-frozen-dragon-pterosaur-found-hiding-in-plain-sight

WHEN ANCIENT CREATURES TOOK TO THE AIR DINOSAUR REPLICA IN WORKS, Sun Sentinel: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1985-06-11-8501230357-story.html

Imperial China's Dynasties, National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/imperial-chinas-dynasties/12th-grade/

Liu Bang (256–195 BC) - Founder and Emperor of the Han Dynasty, China Highlights: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/liu-bang.htm

Drakon: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Drakon/FQ2pAK9luwkC?hl=en&gbpv=0

Tolkien's Fantasy World of Monsters & Myth | Clash of the Gods (S1, E9) | Full Episode | History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmshZNHT9NE

The Real Life Sea Dragon, ZoneA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ako_XDx2-U

Dragons: a fantasy made real (Animal Planet version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYY5ksNCjCY

DRAGONS: Myth vs. Legend | Ancient Mysteries (S4, E23) | Full Episode | History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgWbLd8Sguo

wujue 五爵, the Five Ranks of Nobility, ChinaKnowledge.de, http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Terms/wujue.html

9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl: The Plumed Serpent God of the Toltecs and Aztecs, ThoughtCo.:   https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322

Dragons: A Brief History of the Mythical, Fire-Breathing Beasts, LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/25559-dragons.html

What Dragons Look Like Around The World, Grunge: https://www.grunge.com/462238/what-dragons-look-like-around-the-world/

What Does Science Say About Flying and Fire Breathing Dragons? Believe it or Not, Real-Life Flying and Fire-Breathing Dragons Are Possible, ThoughtCo: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-science-behind-flying-and-fire-breathing-dragons-4163130

Seven species that used to be cryptids, Indiana University Bloomington: https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2020/12/12/seven-cryptids-species/

Our expert takes on your burning dragon questions, University of Florida: https://news.ufl.edu/2019/04/the-science-of-dragons/