Dinosaurs and Their Environs

[Amado Narvaez <anarvaez@umd5.umd.edu>]

How much of a myth is the popular dinosaur/volcano association? Nine out 
of ten lay people probably think that every dinosaur had a volcano in his 
backyard, which leads to nine out of ten children including a volcano in 
every dinosaur crayon drawing they make. (My guess is that the original 
"One Million Years B.C." is responsible for this misconception. May also 
explain why so many people think that dinosaurs and cave people were 
contemporaries, or that Apatosaurus and Tyrannosaurus were.)

Would I be correct in telling my students that just as most people rarely 
see a volcano eruption, neither did most dinosaurs? Granted, one of the 
extinction theories involves unusual volcanic activity. Just ask the 
citizens of Pompeii. But by and large, would 9 out of 10 Triceratops ever 
have seen a volcano?

----- Amado Narvaez
      anarvaez@umd5.umd.edu