Who exactly was on the ark? The large number of species of animals in existence today is often used to illustrate the supposed impossibility of the ark. However, it would have been sufficient to bring just representative animals from each GENUS in the taxonomic rank, not every species. All of the species for a given genus have the same amount of genetic complexity (just expressed physically in different ways, such as differing coloration or size), and both creationists and evolutionists agree that the variations identified as species can all be derived from a suitable common ancestor. In addition, it was only necessary to bring aboard those animals that lived on land (land mammals, land birds, land reptiles, amphibians).

Dinosaurs would have been part of the cargo, but as with all animals that grow to be large, juvenile representatives would have been taken. In fact, the median-sized animal (half were smaller than this and half larger) was about as big as a small rat, with only 11% being larger than a sheep. We need to get out of our head the idea from children's Bible story books that there were adult giraffes on the ark with their necks sticking out through holes in the roof, and fully grown elephants and hippos wandering around the decks! Adult animals were not only unnecessary, but are typically less flexible in adapting to new situations.

The people on the ark were Noah, his three sons (Ham, Shem, and Japeth), and their four wives (we don't know their names).