Abstract
Our exposure to an abundance of Noah's Ark illustrations and toys leads people to imagine the Ark filled with lions, tigers, giraffes, and more. But be careful. Beneath these drawings is a faulty assumption that the creatures on Noah's Ark looked like the ones we see today. From early childhood most of us have been familiar with some version of Noah and the Ark. Nursery mobiles and church wallpapers typically display adorable and cuddly elephants, giraffes, and lions along with a cute little boat. Children's storybooks often add pandas, anteaters, or other exotic animals from around the world, which expand our vision of the Ark's wonders. It's usually not until later in life that we begin to carefully read the details of the Genesis account of the Flood and discover just how big the Ark really was. But the thrill of discovery doesn't end there. As we learn more about animal classifications from biology class, our simplistic mental picture of the Ark gets shaken up even more.