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BIRDS Birds share over a hundred distinct anatomical features with ally defined as the most recent common ancestor of "bird-hipped" Dinosaurs and "lizard-hipped" Dinosaurs , and all its descendants. Under the Classification System used by most Palaeontologists working in the area, this makes birds true living dinosaurs.Dingus, L. and Rowe, T. (1997) ''The Mistaken Extinction Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds'' W.H. Freeman & Company ISBN 0-7167-2944-X CRYPTID S Dinosaurs are often the subject of Cryptozoological claims. Sightings are often first reported not by Western scientists but by indigenous peoples, and their existence is considered to be highly doubtful by the scientific community and merely the stuff of Legend . Thus, reports of living dinosaurs can be studied as either Mythology , combined with a Sociological phenomenon, or as possible evidence for further investigation in the field of cryptozoology. However, there is no known fossil evidence of non-avian dinosaurs surviving the Cretaceous Period, and there are strong arguments against the survival of populations of large dinosaurs. However, there is no incontrovertible evidence that any non-avian dinosaurs survived past the K-T Extinction Event .1 With little fossil evidence, save for a few controversial discoveries, supporting the existence of Cenozoic dinosaurs, scientists dismiss the existence of any living non-avian dinosaurs as Myth . Some cryptozoologists claim that living Dinosaurs are zoologically possible, particularly in areas that have been geologically stable for the past sixty million years. Arguing that larger dinosaurs that are cold-blooded ( Ectothermic ) might have a more successful chance thriving in stable, warm, equatorial regions than warm-blooded ( Endothermic ) animals with higher metabolic rates. However, it is not clear that any dinosaurs were ectothermic, and indeed the current scientific consensus is for high metabolic rates.Bakker, R. T. (1972). ''Anatomical and ecological evidence of endothermy in dinosaurs''. Nature 238:81-85.Fisher, P.E., D.A. Russell, M.K. Stoskopf . . . M. Hammer, et al. (2000). ''Cardiovascular evidence for an intermediate or higher metabolic rate in an ornithischian dinosaur''. Science 288(April 21):503-505Wedel, M.J. (2003). ''Vertebral pneumaticity, air sacs, and the physiology of sauropod dinosaurs''. Paleobiology 29(2):243-255 (currently online at findarticles.com )O'Connor, P., and Claessens, L. (2005). ''Basic avian pulmonary design and flow-through ventilation in non-avian theropod dinosaurs'', Nature 436, 253 - 256 Further, areas that are often claimed to have been stable since the Cretaceous have changed considerably in that time. The evidence advanced so far in support of dinosaur survival consists of eyewitness sightings, legends and ancient works of traditional art that supposedly depict dinosaurs. Most reports of alleged surviving dinosaurs come from Africa n rain forests in the Congo , but the Ica Stones of Peru (the authenticity of which is contested), bearing carvings of both humans and dinosaurs, are also occasionally advanced as evidence. The most common sighting reports are of supposed Sauropods in Africa, notably the Mokele-mbembe . However, there are also reports of sightings outside of Africa; in 1999 , an '' Iguanodon ''-like creature was allegedly sighted in Papua , New Guinea . There have also been some reports of unknown, large reptiles, possibly dinosaurs, surviving in the vast rain forests of South America . The Swedish Naturalist Rolf Blomberg described in his book "Rio Amazonas"Blomberg, Rolf. 1966. "Rio Amazonas", Almqvist & Wiksell. his meeting with a very old Brazilian Indian . The man, Alvaro Mesquita, told Blomberg of his earlier meeting with a "prehistoric beast". Mesquita encountered the creature during a nightly hunt at the shore of a swampy lake around the Rio Purús / Rio Juruá -area in the Amazon Basin , Brazil . Mesquita said he suddenly saw two glowing red eyes high above the ground, and tried to get closer. According to the story, when he got close, he saw it was a bipedal reptile. Mesquita described the animal as resembling the herbivore dinosaur '' Camptosaurus ''. He said he tried to shoot at the monster, but missed, and the creature fled into the lake. Blomberg himself was very skeptical about this fantastic dinosaur story. Such reports are problematic, as no physical evidence has been brought forth, and without such evidence it is difficult (if not impossible) to identify the animals in such reports as dinosaurs. Indeed when shown photographs of Rhinoceros , Pygmies have identified it as ''Mokele-mbembe''. CREATIONISM DEBATES See Also: Creationist perspectives on dinosaurs The idea of dinosaurs living today or in the recent past has become an argument for Creationists , especially by those who support Young Earth Creationism . Supporters often feel that by proving the existence of living dinosaurs, they could also disprove Evolution . However, this argument is rejected by biologists, since Evolutionary Synthesis is not incumbent upon the existence or extinction of dinosaurs. REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY
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