User:NeilEvans/Last Dragon
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[edit] Dragon Biology
[edit] Flight
Dragons' huge size would make it impossible for them to fly were it not for two large internal bladders. These have a combined volume of thirty cubic feet. The bladders fill with hydrogen, which is much lighter than air, to provide buoyancy.
[edit] Fire Breathing
The hydrogen in the bladders doubles as fuel for the fire that dragons are famous for breathing. The hydrogen combines with methane and platinum, as a catalyst, to produce flames. The inside of its mouth appears to be armour-plated and it has a false palate in its throat, similar to a crocodile, to stop backdraft.
Because of the double duty of the flight bladders, the more fire the dragon breathes the shorter the distance it can fly.
[edit] Dragon Species
Four dragon species were invented for the show.
- Prehistoric Dragon - A huge two-legged flying dragon that lived during the Cretaceous period.
- Marine Dragon - A long, slender dragon that swam. This species survived the KT event. It cannot fly.
- Forest Dragon - A long, slender dragon that patrols the bamboo forests of Asia and resembles a traditional Chinese dragon. It cannot fly.
- Mountain Dragon - A large six-limbed dragon that lives in the mountains of Europe and looks like the dragons of European mythology. It is the only vertebrate ever discovered with six limbs (four legs, two wings).
On the evolutionary tree shown during the program, the Desert Dragon is labelled, but it is not discussed.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/RofFire.html A review discussing dragon biology in the film Reign of Fire from the standpoint of real-world science. From Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics.
