Why does a cryptozoologist always count the differences between the chinese dragon & the european species?

Question

why does a cryptozoologist always count the differences between the chinese dragon & the european species?

if you think this is a silly question, you must not answer it.

Answer 1

When Cryptozoologists start investigating the possiblilty that a creature exists they usually only have legends to work with. It helps to compare and contrast legends that talk about the same type of creature yet come from different areas of the world so that Cryptozoologists can figure out if they are looking at the possibility of two different species having existed or just one species having caused different reactions.

Answer 2

Most cryptozoologist realize that the basis for dragon legends if probably from ancients finding dinosaur bones.  There were trade routes between the two ancient civilizations which likely spawned similarities between the two legends.

Answer 3

Most cryptozoologists don't really take dragons very seriously. But, just like in more accepted veins of natural science, there are "splitters" and "lumpers" in cryptozoology. A lumper is someone who tends to group species (in this case, unknown species) into fewer groups. I think Heuvelmans would be a lumper. Splitters tend to ennumerate possible species, as Loren Coleman does.

Since cryptozoologists generally have only anecdotal evidence to work with, the difference between lumpers and splitters is mostly personal preference. Without material evidence, there's no basis for making any taxonomic decisions at all. In the case of dragons, most of what a cryptozoologist would have to work with is myths and standardized representations. Since the traditions for representing dragons in Asia and in Europe are very different, someone who was trying to imagine what real dragons might look like based on these representations is likely going to come to the conclusion that they are two different kinds of animal being represented.

You're question isn't silly, but dragons are a stretch even for cryptozoologists.

Answer 4

Did i miss something, or did you just type in that cursed word "dragon?" I thought human machines were special?