The Curious Case of the Vanishing Dinosaurs: A Young Earth Creationist Conundrum

As someone who has spent years examining young earth creationist (YEC) claims, I’m continually fascinated by the logical gymnastics required to maintain their worldview. One area that never fails to catch my interest is their explanation for what happened to the dinosaurs after Noah’s Flood. Recently, I came across a video featuring Dr. Dan Biddle of Genesis Apologetics discussing this very topic, which prompted me to revisit this curious case of the vanishing dinosaurs.

For those interested in the whole story, I encourage you to check out the full video here:

Now, let’s unpack the key points and examine why the YEC explanation for dinosaur extinction raises more questions than it answers.

The Great Dinosaur Departure

According to Answers in Genesis (AiG), a prominent YEC organization, approximately 85 different “kinds” of dinosaurs were preserved on Noah’s Ark. These dinosaurs then departed the ark around 4,350 years ago into a post-flood world. Dr. Biddle explains that most of these dinosaurs went extinct very quickly due to a combination of factors:

1. Hunger: The post-flood world lacked sufficient resources.
2. Hunting: Humans actively hunted dinosaurs.
3. Habitat changes: The climate and food systems were drastically different.
4. Genetic entropy: Their genomes were decaying over time.

At first glance, these explanations might seem plausible. However, upon closer examination, several issues become apparent.

The Puzzle of Persistence

Interestingly, Dr. Biddle suggests that some dinosaur kinds, particularly theropods and ornithopods, may have persisted much longer than others. He cites “plenty of sightings and legends and rumors and myths” about these dinosaur types lasting through medieval times before tapering off quickly.

This claim presents a paradox. If certain dinosaur kinds could survive for thousands of years in the post-flood world, it challenges the notion that the new environment was inherently hostile to their survival. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of human hunting and the impact of genetic entropy if these populations could persist for so long.

The Missing Evidence Enigma

Perhaps the most glaring issue with the YEC explanation for dinosaur extinction is the complete lack of physical evidence for their existence in the recent past. As someone who read a large amount of archaeology and paleontology literature, this absence is particularly striking. Consider the following:

1. No preserved remains: Unlike other extinct megafauna like mammoths and mastodons, we have not found a single verifiable dinosaur remain in recent sediments or archaeological sites.
2. Lack of cultural artifacts: Human cultures throughout history have used animal parts for tools, art, and trophies. Yet we find no evidence of dinosaur bones, teeth, or other parts being utilized by ancient peoples.
3. Absence in the fossil record: While we have abundant fossils of other post-flood animals in recent geological layers, dinosaurs are conspicuously absent.

This lack of evidence is especially problematic when we consider that YECs compress the entire Stone Age and development of early human cultures into a very short time frame after the flood. If dinosaurs were present during this period, we should expect to find some trace of their interaction with humans.

The DNA Dilemma

One prediction that I believe YECs should be making, but aren’t, is the potential for finding intact dinosaur DNA. Given their timeline, dinosaur remains should be no older than about 4,300 years. We’ve successfully sequenced DNA from remains much older than this (in the conventional timeline), including Ice Age mammals that YECs would also consider post-flood.

If dinosaurs truly existed alongside humans in the recent past, as some YECs suggest, we should be able to extract and sequence their entire genomes. The fact that we haven’t, and that YECs aren’t predicting we will, is telling.

Reflections on the Disappearing Dinosaurs

As I examine the YEC explanation for dinosaur extinction, I’m struck by how it inadvertently creates more problems than it solves. The mental contortions required to maintain this view in the face of overwhelming contrary evidence are truly remarkable.

This case study in dinosaur disappearance serves as a prime example of how commitment to a particular ideological framework can lead to increasingly complex and unsupported explanations. It also highlights the importance of critically examining claims and being willing to follow the evidence where it leads, even if it challenges our preconceptions.

Ultimately, the curious case of the vanishing dinosaurs reminds us of the rich complexity of Earth’s history and the ongoing quest to understand our planet’s past. While YEC explanations may offer simple answers, they often fall short when confronted with the full breadth of scientific evidence available to us today.