By Pastor Matthew Koterba
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Scott City, Kansas

If dinosaurs lived at the same time as humans, what happened? The simple answer is the Fall. Like many other animals, extinction occurred due to climate change, hunting and habitat loss as a result of the Fall.

While humans can be blamed for climate change due to sin, God is the chief cause of climate change. The global flood is the single greatest changing event in history. Scripture confirms it was a worldwide event (Gen. 7:19). Therefore, many dinosaurs died in the flood.

But not all dinosaurs died in the flood. At least two of every kind of creature was preserved in the ark. (Gen. 7:15). All the animals on the ark would have been young and the average size was probably a sheep. In terms of space, estimates suggest that all the animals took up less than half of the space on the ark.

After departing the ark, hunting began. Noah’s great-grandson, Nimrod, made a name for himself as a “mighty hunter.” (Gen. 10:9). What a name you would have if you brought own a T-rex. Hunting also explains “dragon legends.” Also, imagine how many mouths a brontosaurus would feed.

Feeding mouths would be one reason for habitat loss as well. The fossil record suggests that dinosaurs lived in marshes and swamps. In many places, marshes and swamps have been drained for farmland. Another reason for habitat loss would be the weather. The flood caused the ice age.

While the Lord cared for dinosaurs through so much, he values humans more. If dinosaurs still walked the earth, they would eat and destroy much. But you are more valuable than sheep (Mt. 12:12) or dinosaurs.

All creation waits in the corruption of sin and death for your salvation. (Romans 8:20-21).