The Extinction of the Dinosaurs

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the extinction of the dinosaurs and assesses the validity of the arguments put forward by creationists in favor of a biblical explanation for their demise. In particular, the paper discusses whether or not it is plausible to believe that the extinction of the great beasts was occasioned by the flood of the story of Noah's Ark. The paper looks at the biblical time-frame and explores whether or not dinosaurs and humans could possibly have existed contemporaneously. Finally, the paper looks at the plausibility of a great Ark existing and at whether the biblical flood could have ever taken place. The paper concludes that there is just enough evidence available for it to be unwise to dismiss the biblical explanation for the demise of the dinosaurs.

From the Paper:

"For one thing, critics of the Ark thesis state that supporters of its existence - such as John Woodmorappe - fail to consider how some creatures ostensibly not on the life-saving vessel (terrestrial snails, to cite one example) could have survived the relentless deluge. Further, critics charge that animals and other living beings which managed to survive the Flood could not possibly have been cared for adequately in any Ark - no matter how big. For instance, those who favor an evolutionary explanation for the earth's past (which necessarily means dismissing biblical accounts of why some creatures persisted into the modern age while others died out) point to the apparent logical improbability of being able to house, feed and sustain thousands of different species in a cramped, confined area; as far the critics are concerned, the example of modern industrial farming simply does not suffice as an explanation for how such an enormous task could have been undertaken (Morton, para.4-5)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Darwin, Charles. "Chapter XIV: Recapitulation and Conclusion." On the Origin of Species. London, UK: John Murray, 1859. 459-490.
• Morton, Glenn. "Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study." Review of John Woodmorappe's Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study." The TalkOrigins Archive. 23 Jun. 2003. Glenn Morton. 13 Feb. 2007 <http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/woodmorappe-review.html>
• Northwest Creation Network. "Dinosaurs and the Biblical Flood." Northwest Creation Network. N.d. NWCreation: Northwest Creation Network. 13 Feb. 2007 <http://www.nwcreation.net/dinosaurs.html>
• The Young Earth Creation Club. "Evidence that Humans and Dinosaurs Lived at the Same Time." N.d. The Young Earth Creation Club. 13 Feb. 2007 <http://www.creationists.org/mananddinos.html>
• The Young Earth Creation Club. "Job 40:15-24 'Behemoth' description fits that of a dinosaur." N.d. The Young Earth Creation Club. 13 Feb. 2007 <http://www.creationists.org/dinosaurs.html>

More papers on The Extinction of the Dinosaurs:

• Term Paper # 14498 : "Extinction Of The Dinosaurs"
• Research Paper # 55654 : "Lifestyle of the Ichthyosaur"
• Essay # 5525 : "Dinosaur Extinction"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: