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Dinosaurs were big and mighty creatures that ruled over the earth for millions of years. They were long gone before humans even came into existence, but some scientists say they might be back!
There has been a good deal of discussion about the possibility of dinosaurs returning in recent years. While many people had learned in school that they went extinct around 66 million years ago, several people have tried to prove otherwise.
The debate about the possibility of dinosaurs returning continues today. Scientists continue to disagree on whether it could happen because there is no evidence to support it yet.
This article will look at some of the predictions for their return and take a closer look at the debate over whether or not dinosaurs will make a comeback.
Popular Predictions for the Return of the Dinosaurs
The following are some of the most popular predictions about how dinosaurs could return:
Prediction based on climate change
The world's climate is constantly changing. Some scientists have suggested that dinosaurs could return due to global warming that would cause their habitats to be just right for them again.
This prediction is based on the fact that many people living today can remember how much things have changed regarding weather patterns in just their lives.
Sixty-six million years ago, climate change was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs. Scientists are unsure whether climate change could have this type of impact today because there is no way to know yet what the long-term effects of global warming will be.
Whether climate change will bring back Dinos or not, you can still have one for yourself from Gage Beasley's Dinosaur Plush Toys.
Gage Beasley’s Dinosaur Collection
Prediction based on innovation
The Adam Smith Institute based in Britain recently released a report predicting how life will look in 2050. This report predicts that biological engineers will have learned how to clone dinosaurs by then.
The plan would be to recreate dinosaurs through the back-breaking of flightless birds. Some researchers believe that some bird species are modern-day dinosaurs but have different appearances.
However, the institute does not specify whether the dinosaurs will be alive or if they will be used to make new Jurassic Park movies.
Only time will tell whether or not the research and recreation of the dinosaurs by this institute will become a reality.
Another interesting prediction based on innovation is based on cloning living animals to reverse-engineer their DNA and recreate dinosaurs. However, this is already happening with the cloning of a wooly mammoth.
DNA based predictions
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Some researchers have been able to find collagen and blood vessels in fossils known as dinosaur bones.
They have analyzed this information to determine what type of atmosphere the dinosaurs lived in, including the air quality and whether or not there were any predators around.
But they have not been able to find the DNA of dinosaurs at this time.
The scientists involved in this study believe they may find some dinosaur DNA one day.
They predict that finding the DNA would give them information about enhancing current species on earth, such as endangered ones or those that look like dinosaurs but are unrelated.
With the scientific discovery, they might figure out how to recreate dinosaurs in years to come.
Another concept is based on DNA-filled mosquito fossils preserved in amber for over a million years. This concept has given scientists hope of finding dinosaur DNA.
The concept is based on the theory that dinosaurs might still be alive in some undiscovered place on earth.
Amber is a tree sap that has hardened over millions of years to create a semi-precious stone.
Evolution Predictions
Evolution has been a hot topic lately. Some people have suggested that dinosaurs never went extinct and instead evolved into modern-day animals that look similar, such as birds.
They believe this is the reason why no one has been able to find any evidence of them after they died.
Evolution theory has been used in the past to provide explanations for how species evolved, but it is a controversial topic.
Researchers who hold this belief do not have evidence to prove that dinosaurs are alive today. They believe that scientists need to expand their research outside of fossils to find any living beings related to dinosaurs or anything else they can learn about them.
Some researchers who back the evolution prediction also back the climate change prediction. They believe that anything with DNA will adapt to any environment, including global warming.
Predictions based on Science Fiction
Photo: Huang Yingone via Unsplash
If you've ever watched the Jurassic Park movies, you probably know that the dinosaurs in these films have been brought back to life through science not seen before.
In the movie, scientists can bring back dinosaurs through DNA found in the blood preserved in an ancient mosquito trapped in amber for millions of years.
This film is based on the concepts of DNA being brought back to life and how it can recreate extinct species.
The earliest Jurassic Park movie came out over 25 years ago, so there is no question about whether or not it is possible to recreate dinosaurs with the methods given in the movie.
However, this film generated interest in cloning and reviving extinct species. Scientists have started researching these possibilities, but they have not been able to recreate anything that has come close to what is seen in the films.
Final Word
Imagine a world where dinos ruled the earth again. Scientists predict that this might become a reality one day based on their research, but they haven't created anything related to them yet.
The different predictions for what might happen if we were to bring the dinosaurs back range from having them live alongside humans and animals to become extinct again.
Until researchers can create actual evidence of resurrecting species that have been dead for millions of years, it will be difficult to know how these creatures will react.
Cheers!
~GB
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