Ok let’s talk about Dragons.

[Lollis]

um, they do exist... do you even watch Game of Thrones?


sheesh.

GoT 'Dragons' are actually Wyverns.

[Araxie]

I believe through biological engineering it could be probable sometime down the line. Whether it will happen? I doubt it. Why would anyone invest millions, potentially billions, in a living monster? For entertainment? I know Jurassic Park is fiction, but there's truth behind the premise. For a weapon? Robots are far better and easier to operate.

Is it possible? Probably.

Will it happen? Probably not.

[LiiLoSNK]

Millions of years ago, a group of brave hobbits traveled the earth to collect the 7 Dragon Balls and used them to wish all dragons out of existence to defeat Smaug.

Take a history class, people.

[Castration]

GoT 'Dragons' are actually Wyverns.

bahahaha, I knew there would be one...

[Captain Douchebag]

bahahaha, I knew there would be one...

There's always one.

[Dhrizzle]

I very much doubt the cool versions with the wings could ever exist. Asian dragons are butt ugly and certainly couldn't fly, but even the more well proportioned western versions probably couldn't. There is just no way a giant beast like that could get enough lift. The best I could see here is some short gliding variant and even theren the question would be why it evolved that way.

I could see them producing some kind of natural flammable substance, nature does weird things, though it would probably be incredibly inefficient and require a very strange diet, so a whole other eco system might be needed to make something like that happen.

The other stuff could be, just like dinosaurs mostly, even though the long neck is rather questionable when it comes to usefullness. I'd imagine they'd end up way shorter if they actually existed because it would prove to be fatal design flaw to have such a long neck when you potentially have to fight with other creatures. Actually the most I could imagine dragons be is some kind of minature lizard creature not much larger than most cats, that is probably where most of the dimensons could still work out.

At the end of the day people do well to rember the death of all giant-fantasy things: The square-cube law.

Giraffes would like a word for you, their necks are immensely powerful and they use their heads like clubs for fighting. Flames could be a by product of gas production that lowers the density of the creature meaning it would need less force to make it airborne - dragons could essentially be dirigible creatures with the wings mostly used for propelling and steering rather than lift.

[Aphrel]

The fact that wings alone exist is remarkable.
But dragons, they are too big.
Mass scales in 3 dimensions, wings only in 2.
IF you want large flying creatures, you either need to make the creatures alot lighter (density wise) or you need a lower gravity environment.

[Unholyground]

Once we can fully in real time simulate genetic changes we will be able to make Dragons.

[Molis]

I like the old RPG class Dragoon. They were pretty cool.

[P for Pancetta]

Lets not talk about my mother in law.

[P for Pancetta]

They don’t exist so there isn’t any evidence but Dragons to my knowledge are always portrayed as lizards which are cold blooded.

They're more like dinosaurs which where most likely warm-blooded.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Giraffes would like a word for you, their necks are immensely powerful and they use their heads like clubs for fighting. Flames could be a by product of gas production that lowers the density of the creature meaning it would need less force to make it airborne - dragons could essentially be dirigible creatures with the wings mostly used for propelling and steering rather than lift.

Gas in itself is too dangerous, a 2 combound mixture that only oxidizes after being mixed from the exit duct would make for a more stable life form imo. Relying on it to support your body would also mean that you'd become weaker when you actually need your body to work the most. As for the neck, maybe I'm just too hung up on the usual way dragons are depicted and how they supposedly fight (more snake like movements in that part), but a long neck in a low ducking pose seems incredibly inefficient, not to mention all the extra weight it adds hinding flight more. Giraffes have a legit evolutionary advantage for their necks due to capitalizing on another food source, I just don't see much use for a dragon and the features usually ascribed to them to have it. Unless they hunt something in tunnels/barrows there'd be no need for a long neck, not to mention that things like horns would be immediately prohibitive for something like that.

I guess these kind of dragons could specialize in hunting giraffes then? Normal predators don't have many chances to reach their necks.

[Razzako]

GoT 'Dragons' are actually Wyverns.

Never realized that but it's technically true at least historically, wyverns are two legged dragons. And yes before someone argues that they're dragons within the GoT universe that's also true.

[ro9ue]

I like the idea that Dragons are an amalgamation of all the features of our evolutionary predators. Things our small mammal ancestors feared like wings, fangs, talons and scales. They've become a psychological archetype that represents chaotic nature and fear across time and culture.

[Hilhen7]

Depending on the dragon they are supposed to have magical properties / abilities so no...

Breath weapon (Fire, Acid, Ice)
Shape shifting
Ability to speak different languages
Ability to cast spells


If we take away magic abilities from dragons, we are really talking about a flying reptile (Pterosaur), in that case yes they did exist...

[Irian]

Depends on what you mean by "dragon".

Do you mean a typical firebreathing reptile with a huge body and wings, larger than a building? If so, then theoretically yes in the future but probably not.

Do you mean a larged winged reptile? Then yeah, dragons already existed. Many dinosaurs probably could've been considered "dragons".

I like the idea that Dragons are an amalgamation of all the features of our evolutionary predators. Things our small mammal ancestors feared like wings, fangs, talons and scales. They've become a psychological archetype that represents chaotic nature and fear across time and culture.

I think that's also exactly why people have grown to love them so much. In our mind they represent basically every dangerous feature of an animal we've ever encountered in the wild, and instinctively grew to respect and fear.

A lot of times the media that does dragons justice the most are the ones that show them in that regard. They're extremely intelligent predators that outmatch us in every way.
I doubt that kind of dragon could have ever existed though, and probably never will.

[voxnor]

In the future: Maybe - literally no way to predict this and all opinion based. Gene manipulation could come close in the far future perhaps.

Past: No. At least not defined as "Flying, fire-breathing lizard" (or mammal.. this thread...sigh). The main reason is the fire - fire is not a biological component. Combustion is not some natural part of evolution. I can't imagine an environment that would give rise to such an evolution - it just doesn't make sense and has no precedent.

[Shadowferal]

Personal favorite:

[Tulune]

Dragons do exist, in a way. Gliding lizards!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_(genus)

[glowzone]

Machicolations!!!

Aaah, someone gets it.