h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One credible origin I have heard for the Chinese version of the dragon myth has to do with the abundance of dinosaur fossils in the Gobi desert. Sauropod remains are common in the Gobi, and often only the spine is still articulated. To anyone coming across this, it would look like the remains of a gigantic, sinuous snake-like creature with stone for bones. The skulls of sauropods are rather loosely attached and often disarticulate and are lost long before fossilisation. However, theropod skulls are somewhat common in the Gobi and could certainly have inspired the fearsome heads of Chinese dragons.

Of course, all this is pure speculation, and I suspect I'd be absolutely delicious with an avocado-tomatillo salsa.

This idea also struck me many years ago when I visited a travelling collection of Dinosaur bones in Cardiff museum. Remember that dinosaur bones were first recognised for what they were in Britain, so there's no shortage in these parts.

However, I suspect that British dragon ideas have come from the continent - in particular the Romans may have had a major influence.

Another mythical beast, the gryphon (or griffin, if you prefer), is also said to have sprung from dinosaur bones. Apparently the bones of the protoceratops look something like a creature with the head and forelegs of an eagle and the rear of something else. As these were found in the Middle East, where the legends sprang up, and as lions used to be common around there, they decided that the rear half was a lion. Or that's what I read in the BBC Wildlife magazine some years ago.