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Science: Debunking Dinosaur Myths

An expert on the "terrible lizard" separates fact from fiction

Nothing irks Edwin Colbert more than the widespread notion that dinosaurs were lumbering dimwits too big and clumsy to cope with their environment. "A canard," snaps Colbert. "Dinosaurs were not failures. They were enormously successful. They dominated the planet for 135 million years." By contrast, man is only a few million years old. Declares Colbert: "I doubt if we'll be around as long as the dinosaurs."

At 78, Colbert may be the world's premier authority on the ancient reptiles. He has devoted more than...

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