Dragons and unicorns are two of history's most enduring mythical creatures: but did they ever really exist? Dragon-like beings appear in stories from cultures across Europe, China, India and the Americas, and research suggests that people may have been inspired by dinosaur fossils and fossilized plants. Tales of unicorns emerged later, with early descriptions possibly based on the Indian rhinoceros. It is possible that narwhal tusks were also once mistaken for unicorn horns. There is no scientific or archaeological evidence that either dragons or unicorns ever existed - instead these mythical beings likely grew from humanity's attempts to understand and explain the natural world.