The most dramatic prospect must surely be the existence of living species of dinosaur,and the enigmatic animal currently attaracting most ettention with regard to this possibility has already inspired several recent scientific expeditions to the immense Likouala swamplands in the People's Republic of the Congo (formerly the French Congo), where it reputedly dwells.It is known to the pygmies and to western settlers there as the mokele-mbembe.
Eyewitnesses describe it as very large aquatic beast,approximately 9meters(30 feet) in total lenght and reddish-brown in color,with a burly elephant-sized body,relatively short,thick legs,a lenghty tail,a slender elongated neck terminating in a small head,and very characteristic three -toed foootprints.This discreption is irresistibly reminiscent of a sauropod dinosaur,like the famous Apatosaurus (previously called Brontosaurus) and Diplodocus.Indeed,when scientists have shown illustrated animal book to native observe of the mokele-mbembe,who have no palaeontological knowledge, they have unhesitatingly selected (and without ant prompting) picture of sauropods as the closest portrayals of this mystery beast




Do you guys think that dinosaurs still living

I found this about supposed living dinosaurs Isanguard:

Ever since the 19th century when the first dinosaur fossils were identified by scientists, stories and rumours suggested that the extinction of the dinosaurs was not as complete as it seemed, and that at least one species of these great reptiles survived, living in the swamps of central Africa.

The tales told of a creature living in the swamps and rivers. The animal was called, "Jago-Nini" which meant "giant diver." Although the actual creature had never been seen by western eyes, explorers were told that it, "Comes out of the water and devours people." Footprints were examined by western scientists which were, "about the size of a good frying pan in circumference and three claws instead o'five."

Many tribes were familiar with this elusive animal so the creature goes by a variety of different names including "dingonek," "Ol-umaina," and "chipekwe." Dispite great efforts explorers never saw direct evidence of the creatures existence for themselves, only hearing the tales from the natives

An exception was when, in 1932, British cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson was traveling in Africa and came across large hippo-like tracks in a region with no hippos. He was told by the natives that they were made by a creature named the "mgbulu-eM'bembe". Later Sanderson saw something in the water that seemed too large to be a hippo, but disappeared before he could investigate further.

Perhaps the best known reports about this kind of creature came out of the Congo after the turn of the century. Captain Freiheer von Stein zu Lausnitz, a German explorer, heard stories about an animal that was "brownish gray with a smooth skin, its size approximately that of an elephant, at least that of a hippopotamus." The creature had long flexible neck and had a vegetarian diet. The natives called it mok'ele-mbembe.

As more and more of Africa was charted and explored the dinosaur tales faded away. However, in 1980, Dr. Roy Mackal, a biologist at the University of Chicago and James Powell, a herpetologist, decided to go and take another look at the source of the mok'ele-mbembe tales. As with earlier explorers they failed to see the creature themselves. However, they did interview several people who had, and also heard about a creature with a long neck and tail that was killed along Lake Tele in 1959. According to the story, anyone who ate of the creatures meat, died. Witnesses said mok'ele-mbembe was about thirty feet long. Of that, ten was head and neck, the rest body and tail. Mackal and Powell suspected that the creature was a small relative of the Apatosaurus, but gathered no proof. A second expedition the next year added nothing but some strange footprints.

Shortly after Mackal's second expedition a group from California, led by Herman and Kia Regusters, reported seeing and photographing a large creature in the Lake Tele area. While the descriptions matched those heard since von Stein, the photos turned out to be inconclusive.

James Powell, an American explorer visited the area and showed pictures of various known animals to the inhabitants which they correctly identified. When shown a picture of a sauropod dinosaur they identified it as Mokele M'Bembe the large animal living in the nearby swamps and river systems.

Other creatures fitting the description of the Mokele M'Bembe type of animal have been sighted in Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganiyka, Lake Albert and Lake Tele. Both the indigenous African population and the foreign settlers have seen what seems to be some sort of relic from the primeval past. The eyewitnesses have carefully described animals that are nothing like the known animals of Africa, but very similar to dinosaurs known to have lived in the past. Whatever is lurking in the jungles is most likely to be shy and wary of humans and is said to shun any contact with our species, making further proof very difficult to come by.

The idea of a living breathing dinosaurian relic from pre-history surviving and thriving in modern times may seem more than improbable at first sight, but it must be noted that the Congo Basin in Africa has remained largely unchanged and undisturbed both in geography and climate since the days of the dinosaurs. Reports of sightings continue to this day.

A piece of video footage filmed by a Japanese film crew supposedly showing the creature in Lake Tele is disputable as evidence of the animal's existence. The video is indistinct, grainy and could show anything and is possibly just two men in a boat with one of them standing upright in the front of the vessel as is common in Africa. This has been interpreted as a head and neck, but this interpretation of the videotape is purely speculative at best. However, there are two interesting photographs in existence obtained by British explorer Rory Nugent which deserve further study as they show something most unusual in Lake Tele. One may actually show the head of a Mokele M'Bembe.

The Mbembe one, there was a new expedition a few months back to try and find it, the team came back saying that they saw something but were not prepared to say what it was, as it could have been anything

The idea that there is a live dinosaur roaming the swamps of Africa is certainly an interesting one, it would be amazing to see a living species of Dinosaur that somehow escaped extinction.

The problem with it however, as with most claims of cryptids such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, is lack of solid physical evidence. Tribesmen's claims and a few footprints are little to go on, and it's likely that DNA evidence will be required before the general scientific community will believe that the creature exists.

There would also need to be a considerably sizeable population of them to have survived this long, one or two individuals would be impossible.

Incidently, how do you pronounce 'mokele-mbembe' - I've never been quite able to work out how to say it

Actually I did research on them, I would have to scroll back through old school work to find it though. I got an A does that count?

I believe them to exist as well.

http://cryptozoo.monstrous.com/crypto_ency...m#_Toc524971100


Here is some info. Not much.

i wont dismiss this as a flight of fancy, while finding a living dinosaur would be improbable lest not forget the celocanth[sp?] or the Pseudoryx nghetinhensis.

QUOTE (Isanguard @ Mar 21 2003, 12:44 PM)

9meters(30 feet)

30 feet is 10 meters

I've always found this mystery intriquing...I've been a a dinosaur fan since I was a kid and it just blew me away the first time I heard about mokele-mbembe. Awhile back I was looking at some sites about it and read that there is a possibility it's a pygmy elephant, a known species that ihhabits the area. The trunk would kinda explain the long neck, but the fact the natives say that a picutre of a sauropod dinosaur is what they are seeing proves otherwise imo.

I am not sure of how to write down all the pronuciation marks, but I will give it my best try

Moe-kay-lay Em-bem-bay

I hope that helps.

Also, has anyone heard anything about supposed raptor like dinos running around in the Amazon?

Well... look at birds, BEHOLD! It's done, living dinosaurs.

Mock-elly Mek-bembay.

But anyway...

There won't be any place in the world were a species of dinosaur that we would know exists today. Although it's possible that dinosaurs (or at least something very similar) are wandering around somewhere, evolution will have carried on, and they would be remarkably different from anything from the Mesozoic era.

i believe the Apatosaurus was not previously known as Brontosaurus. Apatosaurus was named. they then found remains which they thought was a new species, so called it the Brontosaurus. they then realised the error of their ways, but it was too late. too many people knew the name Brontosaurus and not the correct name Apatosaurus.

the end.

about living dinosaurs, i was watching a program about crypto animals and they talked about mokele-mbembe and they said their are stones that ware like four-thousand years old and they show people running with what appears to be pteradactoyls, i don't where these stones are located i just saw heard it on the history channel

Why would all the other megafauna of Africa be discovered, but this dino-thing remain undiscovered for centuries? Doesn't make sense. It supposedly lives in close proximity to people. I just think the whole idea is silly. Then there's the question of evolution someone else brought up.

Why did they change the name from "Brontosaurus" to "Apatosaurus" anyway?

pilgrim, they discoverd a species and called it "Apatosaurus". then they found other bones which they thought were a different species and so the called it "Brontosaurus", but then they realised their mistake and discarded the name "brontosaurus" because it was infact an "Apatosaurus".

The possibilities of a living Dino today or an evoved species of a Dino are quite possible, having spent some considerable time in the Congo and other places it is not hard to imagine them living without interruption from man, remember the majority of the Congo is still uncharted and has never been visited by man.