Fantastic! I was just discussing this exact point the other day! You have heard that scientists believe that the birds are the descendents of the dinosaurs??? Well, what if the dragons were the step in between? Sort of the missing link, you might say. So, maybe they were in the lore handed down from early man.

I believe it has to do with each culture's encounters reptiles and amphibians and the mythical qualities we often give to ordinary creatures. (bad luck and black cats for example) In Europe, especialy during the Roman empire and later, during the Christian crusades, europeans likely had encounters in North Africa with nile crocodiles. In some dipictions of kings and knights battling dragons from Europe around the crusades, some of the dragons look very much like crocodiles with wings and demonic tails breathing fire. Sometimes, they are given more aquatic tendancies and breath water. The Chinese river dragons in my mind are possibly tales of giant river salamanders. The body appearance, outside of the characterized lion-like head to me seems to be similar to that of a salamander. The long body and short, far apart front and back legs along with the aquatic tendancies associated with these oriental dragons. As for American dragons, in South America we have the winged serpents, in appearance, close to that of an oriental dragon, the long body and feline head. But this time it is more likely that of a constrictor like the boa or anaconda with parts taken from native big cats like the jaguar. In modern China, the use of "dragon bones" as medicine is still used and we know these are actualy that of extinct animals, not just that of dinosaurs, but that of ice age mammals as well. Which probably shows some degree of connection to dragons with fossils as well (in my mind) as living species such as crocodilians, snakes and salamanders. {the above is my view and probably not that of others}

I agree with the reptilian similarities. Different cultures however, seem to view Dragons in different ways. Coming from a Western European culture, I was surprised that the Chinese viewed dragons as beneficial creatures who brought Rain and Luck to the earth. Not like the European view of Malevolent Creatures who preferred to roast and eat Pretty Girls, when they could get them.