According to a popular and far-flung belief , the mythical griffin – that eagle - faced , fly Panthera leo monster – was inhale by dinosaur fossils discovered by ancient peoples . But new depth psychology suggest this may not have been the case .
Griffins ( sometimes spelled " griffon " or " gryphon " ) are among the oldest have it off mythological creatures . They are a composite creature made up of elements of different animals , which first appeared in Egyptian and Middle Eastern prowess during the fourth millennium BCE . This is long before they became pop in ancient Greek acculturation during the 8th hundred BCE .
The link between dinosaur fossils and the descriptions of griffins first appeared in the late 1980s . At the time , the folklorist Adrienne Mayor published a series of Holy Writ and papers that sought to join classicist and cryptozoologists in reciprocal coaction . Her efforts culminate in the issue of theThe First Fossil Huntersin 2000 , which was a seminal book .
Many of the most democratic instance of fossil inspiring myth are phoney .
Mayor was an influential figure in the discipline of “ geomythology ” , which essentially study oral and compose tradition created by pre - scientific cultures . According to her work on griffins , which started in the seventies , Afro - Eurasian mythology were inspired by fogey ofProtoceratops , a horn dinosaur related toTriceratops , which roamed around what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous period .
Mayor believed that ancient nomad found the dinosaurs bones while prospect for atomic number 79 in Central Asia . As they examined them , these mass may have started to think over about what type of animal could possibly have will them behind . For one thing , the big ( little for a dinosaur at 2 meters [ 6.5 feet ] long ) fauna place upright on four legs , like griffins are show to do , and it had a skull complete with a characteristic pecker and a strangefrill - similar extensionthat , so Mayor argued , could have been thought of as offstage .
As news about theProtoceratopsremains spread sou’west along trade routes , they inspired or at least influence the story and prowess describe gryphon .
For the last 30 years , this explanation has remained the main interpretation of how the griffon came into being , but DrMark Wittonand Richard Hing , paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth , have challenged this idea .
By re - examining the diachronic fogy record , try the distribution and nature ofProtoceratopsremains , studying classical source link griffins to these bones , and also refer historiographer and archaeologists , the pair have reached some alternative views . Their research suggest an line for the griffin that does not require fossils – in fact , none of the fossil - touch argument work at all , they arrogate .
For instance , this idea that nomad prospectors in Central Asia started the story is not likely true , asProtoceratopsappear hundreds of miles out from historic gold sites . To date , no gold has been found alongside the remains of this dinosaur . And even if prospectors did find bones , they would likely have been insufficient to revolutionise such imagination .
It ’s mutual to learn that fossil elephant urge the cyclops , or dinosaurs cheer dragon , but these ideas are just as speculative and debatable as the proposal that dinosaur inspired gryphon .
“ There is an August 15 that dinosaur skeleton in the cupboard are key half - exposed , lying around almost like the remains of recently - deceased beast , ” Dr Witton excuse instatement . “ But in the main mouth , just a fraction of an eroding dinosaur skeleton will be seeable to the naked eye , unnoticed to all except for knifelike - eyed dodo hunters . ”
This , Witton argues , is “ almost sure enough ” how ancient peoples bumble onProtoceratopsin Mongolia .
“ If they wanted to see more , as they ’d require to if they were forming myths about these animate being , they ’d have to extract the fossil from the surrounding careen . That is no small task , even with modern tool , glue , protective wrapping and preparatory technique . It seems more probable thatProtoceratopsremains , by and large , sound unnoticed – if the gold prospector were even there to see them . ”
At the same time , the geographic distribution of griffon art across history does not adjust with the idea that their lore arose from Central Asia before spreading west . There is also no unambiguous reference to thedinosaurin ancient literature . In contrast , the epitome we do have of griffin are clearly indite of cat and fowl features .
“ Everything about griffin origins is coherent with their traditional interpretation as imaginary beasts , just as their appearance is entirely explain by them being chimeras of big cats and raptorial birds . conjure a part for dinosaurs in gryphon lore , especially specie from distant acres likeProtoceratops , not only introduce unnecessary complexity and inconsistencies to their origins , but also relies on reading and proposals that do n’t withstand examination . ”
Despite these limits to the griffin tale , both Witton and Hing stress thatfossilshave been culturally of import throughout human history . There are myriad illustration of them inspiring folklore , but there are many misconceptions too .
“ [ F]ossils have inspired folklore for millennium , although many of the most popular case of fossils inspiring myth are bogus , ” Witton told IFLScience . “ It ’s common to hear that fossil elephants inspired the cyclops , or dinosaur inspired firedrake , but these theme are just as speculative and knotty as the proposal that dinosaur animate griffins . ”
“ If we drill into history , classic texts and archeology , however , we find many excellent connections between fogey and folklore . Fossil bones of of late nonextant species likemammothsand woolly rhinos were once regard as the cadaver of giant , or heroic figures in Grecian or Christian stories , and ancient / historical peoples call for their remains . Fossil mammal have been interpreted as the bones of Chinese Draco and deal in pharmaceutical stock as home curative . Ammonites(coiled shellfish related to squid and octopus ) are consort with snake in many culture and have been used as folk music remedies for various ailment . ”
The commonality between these “ geomyths ” and fogey in folklore is plainly that the latter are relatively easy to find . Dinosaur bones , in contrast , are not .
“ They are difficult to situate , and even more difficult to extract from the rock’n’roll that holds them . This is one of the many problems with the griffon - Protoceratopsconnection ” , Witton excuse to IFLScience .
The study is publish inInterdisciplinary Science Reviews .
