Roman Dinosaurs

Sometimes your mind wanders into some strange places.  I was just reading The First Fossil Hunters about Ancient Greek and Roman attempts to explain dinosaur bones they found and, of course, many became the basis of legends.  The griffin, for instance, was based on Protoceratops skulls found in Mongolia.  I was also reading about Trodon and how it might have been the smartest dinosaur that ever lived....until the asteroid hit 65 million years ago.

Of course, there are the dragons legends and people who insist they were living dinosaurs in historical times.  I think that is unlikely, but in 1938, they pulled out a Mesozonic fish that was supposed to be extinct from the Indian Ocean.

Dinosaurs would be harder to hide though!

If they did survive to historical times, you know they would have been in Roman gladiator fights.   If the big one had survived in some numbers, Hannibal would have used them to cross the Alps. 

Then there is the question of raptors in a military capacity like "Jurassic Park".  Problem is they might turn on you.

If Troodon had survived, would it have created a civilization of its own.  Would there have been a Dinosaur version of the Roman Empire or Ancient Greece.

Are these the insane ramblings of someone at 0300?

50/50 chance :-)