Re: [dinosaur] Non-avian dinosaurs all extinct

[Thomas Richard Holtz <tholtz@umd.edu>]

The form of the argument is incorrect.

It isn't that there is absolutelyÂno possibility whatsoever that sauropods and ceratopsids COULD be present. In principle there is nothing to prevent them.

But that isn't how we determine if something exists or not. To do that, we have to actually have EVIDENCE that it does. And we are utterly lacking in reasonable evidence for extant ceratopsids and sauropods, or indeed such animals anytime in the last 66 million years.

So the time to accept they do exist is when the proponents of the idea put forth some serious evidence, not before.

On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 1:40 AM Poekilopleuron <dinosaurtom2015@seznam.cz> wrote:

Good day!

Recently I saw a discussion about the possibilities of non-avian dinosaurs still living in certain parts of the world (so called cryptids, like mysterious Mokele-mbembe). Of course this is a nonsense, but some people are very adamant in this case. So I would like to ask, what would be your most important arguments for the fact, that there can actually be NO recent sauropods and ceratopsids in Central Africa, etc.? Thank you very much, in advance! Tom

--

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email:Âtholtz@umd.eduÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Phone: 301-405-4084
Principal Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology

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Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
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