Big Ass Lizards - and where they went.

Macky Rae, my youngest dog, has become fascinated with dinosaurs. But who can blame him? I doubt that there is a single child under the age of nine that is not fascinated with dinosaurs. Lizards are cool. Big-ass lizards are beyond cool - they are awesome! They even fascinate me and I am almost...  Well, let's just say I am way over the age of nine.

Macky has done a lot of reading about dinos, and watches everything he can find on the educational channels regarding them. He has learned that they first appeared during the Triassic period, approximately 230 million years ago (give or take a few days), and were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for 135 million years (give or take a few days), from the beginning of the Jurassic (about 201 million years ago, give or take a few days) until the end of the Cretaceous (66 million years ago, give or take a few days), when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of most dinosaur groups at the close of the Mesozoic Era.

There are several hypotheses (hypothesii?) and theories as to the demise of the dinosaurs, such as environmental and/or climatic changes, passing comets, disease, etc. But the most accepted theory is a meteor impact. Scientists are even looking for the meteor (or its remains) - which amazes me, because I have a hard time finding my reading glasses five minutes after I set them down. In my own living room. I can just imagine looking for something lost 66 million years ago (give or take a few days) - especially on a world-wide scale.

Macky has a problem understanding the reasons for dino extinction. He doesn't understand a lot of science (but neither do most Americans). His knowledge of science comes primarily from TV, the Discovery Channel and other educational programming, but he is doing rather well considering he is only 2 1/2, as well as being a dog.

There is some science he grasp, and some that he doesn't - like why the light comes on when you open the refrigerator. I tried to explain it to him, but then I realized that I don't understand it all myself, so I told him it was the refrigerator gnome. He then asked where the gnome lived. Kids, always with the questions. But I digress.

Macky's main issue with the meteor theory is that it is too complicated, and he may be right. Quite frankly (according to my dog) the theory does not hold water. In February of this year, Russia was hit by a meteor. If you missed that in the news, there are numerous videos on YouTube that are available for viewing. Macky argues that the meteor did not cause the Russians to become extinct, and as far as I know he is right. I don't know for sure, because I personally have not checked to see if the Russians are still there, but I would think that if the did become extinct there would have been something mentioned on the news (and there hasn't been). So if a meteor strike didn't extinct the Russians, why would it cause dinosaurs to become extinct?

But then where did they go?

Macky came up to me the other day and said: "Dad, I know what happen to the dinosaurs. Someone stole them."

William of Ockham,  an English Franciscan friar and scholastic philosopher, stated in the 14th century that among competing hypotheses, the one that makes the fewest assumptions should be selected. In other words: keep it simple. I think Sherlock Holmes also said something along these lines as well. Macky's "hypotheses" is much simpler than the meteor theory, makes fewer assumptions, follows a more reasonable line of logic, and can be easily understood - even by a nine year old child (or small dog).

And it makes sense if you don't over think it. Consider: you get up in the morning, walk outside and your cars is missing. What happened to it? Meteor impact? Environmental and/or climatic changes? Passing comet? Disease? No, someone stole it! And that's what Macky thinks happen to the dinosaurs.

And the next question (logically) is who? Humans (homo sapiens) have only been around less than a million years. Hominids, our ape-like ancestors/relatives, have only been around about 2 1/2 million years. Dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago. So it wasn't us (or our relatives). 

But if it wasn't us, who was it?

"So then, who stole them?" I asked Macky

"Aliens!" he told me.

I should point out now that in addition to dinosaurs, Macky is also fascinated with science fiction, especially Star Trek.

"Aliens?" I asked.

"Yeah, Dad. Aliens. They came in their starships and took them!"

The following is speculation based on information provided to me by Macky Rae, based on his Dinosaur/Alien hypothesis:

66 million years ago (give or take a few days) an alien civilization who had developed space travel and were busy exploring the galaxy came to our solar system, found our planet, and discovered it was full of big-ass lizards.
No doubt the aliens were fascinated by them (but who can blame them?) A few were probably tranquilized and loaded into giant interstellar transports, not unlike the way King Kong was transported from Skull Island to New York. 

So the specimens are eventually placed in a zoo on the homeworld, where thousands (millions) of aliens come to see them. The aliens become fascinated with them (but who can blame them?) Many of them want one of there own, which is understandable.

 I, myself, wouldn't mind a T-Rex chained up in my front yard. It would be a great way to discourage salesmen, bill collectors, and Jehovah Witnesses. Macky Rae wants a triceratops.

So eventually a whole new industry would develop on the homeword: Dino-pets! Soon the demand would increase as aliens, jealous of their neighbors pet, would want them as well. Soon demand would threaten the dinosaur population on Earth. Protective measures would be implemented, perhaps the Earth would be declared a protective game reserve. But pirates would continue to defy the blockade, and soon the "exotic pet" trade would cause the dinosaur population on Earth to disappear.

Not extinct, but poached!

This, of course, would leave a large opening in the ecosystem, which would allow a new, emerging class of vertebrates called mammals to expand and later dominate the planet, eventually resulting in the rise of man (and his best friend, the dog).

Macky Rae believes that when we eventually develop space travel ourselves, and finally meet aliens, we will be able to see the dinosaurs again - in the Galactic Zoological Garden on the alien homeworld. Unless those aliens are extinct. It has been 66 million years (give or take a few days).