A scholarly article once suggested that the griffin, a mythical creature with the head of a raptor, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle, was inspired by ancient prospectors stumbling upon a dinosaur fossil in Central Asia. However, paleontologist Mark Witton from the University of Portsmouth, along with his colleague, have debunked this theory over 30 years later in an Interdisciplinary Science Reviews article.
The theory that the griffin was created by ancient prospectors searching for gold was popularized by folklorist Adrienne Mayor in a 1989 Cryptozoology paper and gained traction after the publication of her book “The First Fossil Hunters.” While the theory aimed to combine art history, folklore, archeology, and paleontology, it was based on faulty assumptions and took huge leaps of logic.
For instance, there is no evidence of Protoceratops fossils being found near gold deposits, as the legend suggests. Additionally, there is no record of fossils resembling Protoceratops being discovered in ancient times. The connection between Central Asian griffin legends and their origins in Egyptian and Middle Eastern art 6,000 years ago is also unclear.
Witton and Hing conducted a systematic examination of the evidence supporting the theory, including historical fossil records and the locations of Protoceratops fossils. They found that none of the premises, let alone the entire chain of logic connecting them, could withstand scrutiny. The idea that an ancient nomad could stumble upon an intact Protoceratops fossil was deemed unrealistic, given the difficulty of finding and extracting fossils even today.
Furthermore, the authors emphasized that while fossils have been culturally significant throughout history and have inspired folklore, it is crucial to differentiate between folklore based on factual evidence and speculative connections based on intuition. Despite debunking the theory, the authors acknowledged the influence of fossils on human culture and mythology.
In conclusion, the theory that ancient prospectors discovered dinosaur fossils and inspired the mythical griffin has been debunked by paleontologists. While fossils have played a significant role in inspiring folklore, it is essential to rely on factual evidence rather than speculative connections.
