Bible Question:

Were dinosaurs on the ark? I believe they became extinct due to the flood.

Bible Answer:

God does not tell us in scripture when or how dinosaurs became extinct, but we believe it occurred after the flood. We know that God created dinosaurs because of the many skeletal remains that have been discovered. Those that lived in water and flew in the air would have been created on the fifth day.

And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. (NASB) Genesis 1:22-23

The land animals were created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24-25, 31).

At the time of the flood, God commanded Noah to take two every kind of animal into the ark.

And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive. (NASB) Genesis 6:19-20

Some have objected that Noah could not have done this because the animals would have been too large for the boat. This is not true, however, if Noah had very young, smaller animals. In fact, this makes more sense than large ones. Smaller, younger animals eat less, drink less, sleep more, require less space, and are generally less aggressive. So it is reasonable to assume the dinosaurs were on the ark. God’s purpose was to save all the animals. That would have included the dinosaurs.

So when did the dinosaurs disappear? It appears the best conclusion is that they became extinct after the flood. We believe the water canopy above the earth disappeared in order to provide sufficient water to provide a flood (Gen. 7:11). This was the first time it rained on the earth. With the disappearance of the water canopy, ultraviolet rays could reach men, animals and plants at stronger levels. With the water canopy gone, the warm, humid climate would have been confined to the equator. John C. Whitcomb explains what happened next,

After the flood, reptilian dinosaurs found themselves confined to a comparatively narrow belt near the equator; and thus in most cases became extinct during the subsequent centuries of struggle for existence against the more versatile and adaptable mammals.[1]

Conclusion:

Scripture refers to some large animals such as Leviathan (Job 41). Is it possible some of the “strange” animals we consider to be mythical really existed but are now extinct? When we get to heaven, God will give us the answers to many of our questions.

 

References:

1. John C. Whitcomb. “Dinosaurs and Men.” Winona Lake, IN. Grace Theological Seminary.