Re: [asa] dinos

> Not that I believe in fire-breathing dragons, but since some animals produce
> methane (as discussed in the cow thread) is it possible that a species could
> produce enough methane to allow for this, assuming they had a way of
> sparking the gas? One good belch and a small spark maybe?

I don't know of any animal producing sparks. Some fish produce a
pretty good electric field, but in the water where it's difficult to
start a fire. Air is too poor a conductor to make electric field
generation very useful as a sensory or predatory method.

Arguing in favor of a more figurative understanding is the occasional
OT image of God more or less breathing fire (II Sam 22:9, Ps 18:8, Is.
30:27).

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.