Mayor proposes myth-fossil connection in 'The First Fossil Hunters'

In her 1999/2000 book "The First Fossil Hunters," Adrienne Mayor proposed that many ancient myths actually describe paleontological discoveries. Her hypothesis suggests certain mythical creatures might represent prehistoric species encountered by ancient peoples. Given that humans inhabited Greece around 70,000 years ago, there's plenty of time for fossil encounters to influence oral traditions. One challenge she notes: archaeologists typically don't focus on paleontological remains during site surveys, so we may be missing evidence of ancient fossil discoveries right under our feet!