Ever wondered why God allowed the dinosaurs to die after He helped them thrive for so long? Then read on…
It’s an interesting question because God made a major investment in creating dinosaurs in the first place. Large herbivores like the sauropods (think Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, or the Titanosaurs which are the largest animals ever at 136 tonnes and more than 30m long) need huge amounts of food to survive. So why would He invest so much in them only to cause their extinction later?
Answer – so the planet (including humans) could thrive.
When you need tons of food you have to travel widely to get enough. As the sauropods moved from region to region and foraged for food they went to the loo far from where they harvested it – a huge body means it can take days or weeks to digest food. This was essential to disperse vital nutrients through the earth’s ecosystems allowing life to flourish.
And God needed our planet to be just as it was 65 million years ago ready for the next stage in His plan.
Mass extinction!
Yes, really.
At this time all sorts of events combined to make the planet hostile for large creatures (and some others). A meteorite impact and volcanic eruptions which caused large scale climate change contributed and there was huge devastation. But if the dinosaurs hadn’t been wiped out we humans wouldn’t be here today…
When the dinosaurs had gone they left space (or ecological niches) that small, shrew-like mammals could occupy. These mammals had survived mass extinction because they were able to hide in smaller nooks and crannies while the planet was being ravaged. And they needed a lot less food to survive when it was likely in short supply.
So the mammals moved into the neighbourhood, took over the dinosaurs’ old living space and were able to get enough food thanks to the dinosaurs’ building up the ecosystems prior to mass extinction. God had set the path towards humanity.
It constantly stuns me how God created a world so ingeniously. What a designer! Have you seen any fantastical creations in nature? Do share below.