Why do so many cultures, from ancient Greece to China, share legends of dragons, despite being worlds apart? This new video from TED Ed explores this global mythological mystery, uncovering how geology and paleontology may have helped shape the dragons we know and fear today.

From the fire-breathing Hydra to the majestic Chinese Loong, dragons have haunted our legends and lit up our imaginations for millennia. But could these fearsome creatures be ancient humanity’s way of making sense of fossilized bones, volcanic eruptions, or even natural gas vents?

You’ll hear how fossils of mastodons, calcite crystals, extinct giraffe species, and volcanic fire pits may have inspired everything from jeweled dragon crests to flame-spewing monsters. And you’ll discover how stories of gods, monsters, and meteor strikes have led modern scientists to actual impact sites and fossil-rich dig zones, including China’s legendary “Yellow Dragon Valley.”

Turns out, dragons may not be real, but they’re still helping us learn a lot about the world beneath our feet.