The New York Times today has an interesting article [nytimes.com], with an accompanying multimedia presentation, suggesting that the prevalent cross-cultural legends of dragons among ancient peoples were based on dinosaur bones, whale or oarfish skeletons, or composites of carnivores that preyed on homo sapien‘s tree-dwelling evolutionary ancestors: pythons, big cats and raptors.

Yeah, right. Like I’m supposed to believe it was really a flock of 400 flying leopards that were widely reported in England in 1532. Sheesh. Do I look that gullible?

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[Disclosure: I came across this NYTimes.com article on my own, but then saw it also mentioned on Andrew Sullivan’s blog, which I do regularly read.]