The scientific link between griffin mythology and dinosaur fossils It was proposed 30 years ago in a series of books and articles by Adrienne Mayor, a folklorist. This series of articles and books began in 1989 with the article on Cryptozoology “Paleocryptozoology: a call for collaboration between classicists and cryptozoologists“and it was also proposed in the 2000 book”The first fossil hunters“. The idea would then become a staple of documentaries, books and museum exhibits.
The theory suggests that a horned dinosaur from the Cretaceous, Protoceratopswas discovered by nomads searching for gold in Central Asia. The stories of Protoceratops They then traveled southwest along trade routes to inspire and influence tap stories and artwork.
Griffins are some of the oldest mythological creatures written about.; The first griffins appeared in art created by the Egyptians and in Middle Eastern art during the fourth millennium BC, before becoming increasingly popular in ancient Greece during the 8th century BC.
Features of dinosaurs and griffins
He Protoceratops It was a small dinosaur, about 2 m long, which lived in Mongolia and northern China during the Cretaceous period (75-71 million years ago). They belonged to the same family of horned dinosaurs as the Triceratopsalthough the Protoceratops lacks facial horns. Protoceratops He also walked on 4 legs, he had a beak-shaped jaw and would have had a large frill on its head which could have been interpreted as wings, like those that griffins had.
In the article of Interdisciplinary Science Reviewsauthors Dr. Mark Witton and Richard Hing, palaeontologists at the University of Portsmouth, re-evaluated the historical fossil record, the nature and distribution of fossils of Protoceratops and the classical sources that linked griffins with this species of dinosaurs. They also consulted with historians and archaeologists to Understanding the non-fossil-based view of the origins of the tap.
During this study, they found that none of the arguments supporting the link between Protoceratops and taps stood up to scrutiny. The idea that a Protoceratops could have been discovered by gold prospectors is unlikely, since fossils of Protoceratops They are located hundreds of kilometers away from ancient gold deposits. Similarly, the Geographical spread of tap art throughout history does not align with the scenario of the griffin tradition beginning in the fossils of Central Asia and then spreading westward through trade routes.
He Protoceratops it just looks like a faucet because both have four limbs and beaks. There are no details in the art of the griffins that suggest that reference is made to the fossils of Protoceratopsbut clearly, the griffins were composed of features of cats and birds.
“Unnecessary complexity”
Dr Witton added: “Everything about the origins of the griffins is consistent with their traditional interpretation as imaginary beastsin the same way that their appearance is explained entirely because they are chimeras of large cats and birds of prey.
Invoke a role for dinosaurs in griffin lore, especially species from distant lands such as Protoceratopsnot only introduces complexity and unnecessary inconsistencies in its originsbut is also based on interpretations and proposals that do not withstand scrutiny.”
Sources and references of the news:‘Did the horned dinosaur Protoceratops inspire the griffin?’ Interdisciplinary Science Reviews. 2024.
