Were dinosaurs excluded from Noah's Ark?

1. Defining the Question

Were dinosaurs excluded from Noah’s Ark? This inquiry involves exploring whether these creatures, known from the fossil record, fit into the biblical account of the great Flood and the preservation of living things as described in Genesis. The following sections survey scriptural references (cited from the Berean Standard Bible), historical contexts, and archaeological considerations to address this question.

2. Scriptural Overview: “All Living Creatures”

Genesis states, “And you are to bring two of every living thing into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive” (Genesis 6:19–20). The plain sense of the passage does not appear to exclude any group of land-dwelling, air-breathing creatures.

In Genesis 7:8–9, the text further clarifies: “The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground came to Noah and entered the ark…” This language, describing “everything that crawls,” strongly implies a comprehensive inclusion of land animals without specifying certain types to be excluded.

3. Terminology and “Dinosaur” in Scripture

The term “dinosaur” does not appear in the biblical text because it is a modern word invented in the mid-19th century. In Hebrew, the Scripture uses various terms, including broader categories like “beasts of the earth” (Genesis 1:24). While the Bible does not name dinosaurs explicitly, many interpret references to “Behemoth” in Job 40:15–24 and “Leviathan” in Job 41 as descriptions of large, powerful creatures—possibly reminiscent of dinosaur-like animals.

4. Creation Timeline and Coexistence

According to the genealogical records of Genesis 5 and 11, a straightforward reading indicates a young Earth timeline of thousands (rather than billions) of years. Within this framework, these large reptiles (dinosaurs) could have coexisted with humanity prior to the Flood.

Certain out-of-place discoveries—such as disputed footprints found in the Paluxy River area in Texas, sometimes claimed to show human and dinosaur tracks potentially overlapping—are used by some to argue for the coexistence of humans and dinosaurs. These finds, though debated within mainstream science, reflect the view that dinosaur-like creatures were contemporaneous with early human civilization and thus would presumably qualify as “land animals” when Noah built the Ark.

5. The Size of the Ark and the “Kind” Concept

Scripture provides measurements for the Ark, describing it in cubits, which translate into a massive three-level structure around 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high (Genesis 6:14–16). This dimensions data indicates ample room for a variety of creatures, especially if the animals were taken onto the Ark in their juvenile stage or only in representative “kinds.”

Biblically, “kind” is generally understood to mean broader groupings than modern species classifications. Thus, Noah would have brought a fundamental ancestral pair (or seven pairs for clean animals) for each “kind,” which could later diversify. In this sense, dinosaurs could be included under land “kinds,” rendering no biblical necessity to exclude them.

6. Post-Flood Extinction Considerations

The question arises: If dinosaurs did board the Ark, why are they no longer alive today? Many attribute this to environmental changes following the Flood. Altered climate, shifts in available habitats, and human activity could have contributed to declining dinosaur populations until eventual extinction.

Additional theories put forth by creation researchers suggest catastrophic post-Flood conditions—such as an Ice Age triggered by volcanic activity—may have caused widespread extinctions. These proposals align with other known extinctions of large animals, commonly called megafauna, recorded in post-Flood times.

7. Archaeological and Paleontological Observations

Modern findings, including the discovery of soft tissues and proteins in dinosaur fossils (for example, in studies of Tyrannosaurus rex bones by Dr. Mary Schweitzer), challenge conventional timelines of tens of millions of years. Some interpret these data as evidence that dinosaurs existed much more recently. While mainstream interpretations of these discoveries differ, they are cited by proponents of a recent creation and global Flood to validate that these creatures lived close enough in time to feasibly be on the Ark.

8. Conclusion

Nothing in the body of Scripture specifically excludes dinosaurs from Noah’s Ark. The principle of bringing “two of every living creature” (Genesis 6:19–20) covers all kinds of land-dwelling animals, large and small. Although Scripture does not mention the word “dinosaur,” the comprehensive language employed in Genesis supports the idea that these creatures were included.

Their post-Flood extinction can be attributed to numerous factors: environmental changes, human encounters, or natural die-offs. Given the biblical mandate and vast Ark dimensions, there is no inherent reason—biblically or logically—to conclude that dinosaurs, as land-dwelling creatures, were excluded from Noah’s Ark.