Because of the rising and falling of geological strata and the alluviation of rivers, most dinosaur skeletons exist only in fragments; very few are complete. But it is easy to imagine that the ancient Chinese were no less astonished by finding a "dragon skeleton" than their scientifically enlightened descendants are today when finding a dinosaur fossil. And they were sure to have drawn on all of their experience in making hypotheses about them.
由於千萬年來的地質升降作用及河川沖積，恐龍的化石大部分零散殘缺，少部分大體完整，但可以想見的是，當先民無意中發現一具龐然骨架時，其心中驚駭的程度必不遜於科學昌明的今人，並會試圖以經驗所及的知識穿鑿附會，予以解釋。