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Asked by 994hemb33 to Jonathan, Kellie, Kevin, Melissa, Stephanie on 27 Apr 2016.
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Melissa Wilson Sayres answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Evolution is not predictable. That’s part of what makes it so exciting and wonderful. But, what can evolve is partially limited by species that are already living, on the environment in which they live (or can live), the population size in which new mutations can occur, and on the frequency of new mutations.
I cannot absolutely discount anything, but given the small population sizes of most reptiles (relative to say, the large population sizes of bacteria or viruses), and their long generation times, if dragons were to evolve, it would be a long time from now, and humans might have to go extinct first to give them a chance!
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Kevin Baker answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Melissa is right, evolution is not predictable nor is it pointed in any set direction. However, if you think of dragons as fire-breathing reptiles, I do not think they will exist in the future.
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Stephanie Moon answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Maybe! I wonder if there’s a way for something to evolve to breathe fire… we have plenty of examples in nature of animals that glow and emit light… and check this beetle out! It can create something a lot like dragon fire- just not in it’s breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgqF-ND2XcY
I also found this website that has some ways that a real dragon could exist:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/smaug-breathes-fire-like-a-bloated-bombardier-beetle-with-flinted-teeth/ -
Kellie Jaremko answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Science can give us clues to the future but it can’t predict it. I think animals like lizards and birds may slowly continue to change. One day they look more like the kinds of dragons we think of but I don’t think breathing fire is a likely step in evolution at this point.
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Jonathan Jackson answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Like everyone else here, it’s difficult to predict how evolution will continue to shape the creatures in the world around us. That process is even more difficult to predict given the huge impact that humans have on nearly all creatures in the world.
Fire breathing may not be possible for a very long time, if ever, but maybe large reptiles (or something reptilian) might fly someday!
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