dinosaurs and man

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	I am a grad student at Boston University's science journalism 
program, and I am writing an article on why the age of dinosaurs, and 
subsequently the age of humanity, is constantly under fire.  The impetus 
for this article was the 2/25/96 program NBC ran called "Mysterious 
Origins of Man" which claimed, among many other things, that man and 
dinosaurs lived at the same time.  Why is this such a point of 
contention?  When exactly did scientists nail down the exact age of 
dinosaurs?  Why is this so pivotal to the evolution debate?  Any thoughts 
or comments would be greatly appreciated.