There is something missing from our world. The amazing animals that time has left behind. But what if we can bring them back? What if extinction didn't have to be forever? We're going back in time on a safari with a difference, as wild life adventurer Nigel Marven plunges into prehistory to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction. His plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.
This time Nigel plans to travel back to rescue a strange coastal reptile that lived at the start of the Age of Dinosaurs.
Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary. Welcome to Prehistoric Park!
Chapter 38- Triassic Oddity
Prehistoric Park can proudly boast a wide collection of creatures from the Mesozoic era ranging from tiny marsupials to giant sauropods like Diplodocus. However Nigel feels that a certain period is underrepresented at the park…
Nigel's office stood over a tropical, oxygen rich forest home to one of the small microraptor tearing apart an even smaller lizard on the wooden railing that stopped a possibly clumsy person from plummeting below. When Nigel walked past the microraptor it squawked and glided down into its exhibit below. Nigel eagerly waved the camera over to a board where he had a large map of a landmass. The map boasted a large caption reading: Triassic Earth, 210mya.
"At Prehistoric Park we have many dinosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods," Nigel explained "We don't though have any from the Triassic period though. In the Triassic period dinosaurs first appeared although they never grew to the size of their descendants in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The Triassic world was even different with all the continents joined together forming the giant landmass of Pangea and even the atmosphere contained less oxygen; 8% below today's atmosphere. I plan to rescue a truly bizarre reptile that lived in Triassic Italy…"
The walkie-talkie lying on his desk started to fizzle and whir as someone was trying to contact him. One of the microraptors that were still in his office shrieked and arched its back to enable the feathered raptor to lift its tail high in the air. Two great red spots formed by pigments on the dinosaur's tail formed two demonic eyes after years of evolution to scare a predator. The inanimate walkie-talkie however proved to be unable to be scared away and the microraptor soon ran off.
"We should be getting some headsets so the walkie-talkies stop scaring the animals," Nigel laughed picking up the walkie-talkie.
"Nigel," it was his deputy Chiyo "Come quickly to Hell's Creek Cronus is acting up again."
Cronus is one of the park's resident Tyrannosaurs. Packed full of hormones he has been acting out his frustration whenever the opportunity arises.
Nigel could hear the ear splitting roar of two battling Tyrannosaurs from quite a distance away. It was so loud a quick glance in the Triceratops and Torosaurus enclosure showed the ceratopsian frills turning bright red in colour to deter the unseen carnivore; their tail quills slightly on end in fear. He saw a wave of mist when he arrived at the exhibit. His shy deputy ran up to him.
"Cronus is fighting again with Jane," she groaned panting red in face from running "Apparently over a carcass."
There are many fossils indicating that Tyrannosaurids like T Rex lived in packs. Unlike with raptors or modern day hunting dogs or lions they were more of a marriage of convenience…
The origin of the mist became apparent quickly. Robert Muldoon had a large hosepipe which he had poked through gaps in the fence which was shooting a stream of icy, cool water at the two giant feathered monsters. Cronus had his head sideways and was grasping the end of Jane's snout but she gave a quick jerk and he lost his grip. Both Tyrannosaurs had thin lines of red blood dripping down their face. Cronus started to roar in anger at Jane causing both Nigel and Chiyo to cover their ears. Muldoon however sprayed a jet of water at Cronus which hit him square in the face. He turned around to challenge the writhing hose before getting another face full of water before he could roar.
"Nigel this can't go on!" Muldoon cried.
"Wait," Chiyo said quite shyly "No, never mind."
"No go on Chiyo," Nigel urged her on. Even a bad idea could help solve the problem of Cronus.
"Wolves sometimes accept new wolves into the pack if they are young. Both Jane and Cronus are young Tyrannosaurs. If we put them in gradually with Terrance and Matilda the two bigger and older ones might but these two in order. We can then put the Terrance and Matilda's chicks with their sibling."
Both Muldoon and Nigel nodded. It was a stretch but it could work. Meanwhile Nigel had to tell Bob about the new park resident. Bob had constructed a coastal exhibit on Isla Sorna with a large sandy beach that turned rocky with giant tide pools in the centre which stretched into the sea. A Plexiglas tank wall in the sea allowed natural current to flood into the exhibit.
"So what are you brining me today?" Bob asked.
"One of the weirdest animals to ever live from the Triassic," Nigel explained showing him a photo a skeleton. It looked like a lizard but with a 3 metre long neck and a two metre long tail. "This is Tanystropheus conspicuus. This strange creature lived on the coast of Triassic Italy and Switzerland 215 million years ago. They could have used their necks in one of two ways and I want to see which theory is correct."
Tanystropheus was found in Triassic Italy and Switzerland. Pangea's layout meant that Switzerland and North-East Italy lay on the giant Paleo-Tethys Ocean. For a brief period of time the strange Tanystropheus hunted fish across the coasts.
A crunch signalled that they had stepped from one of Prehistoric Park's portals to Triassic Italy. A dark blue ocean, the only ocean in the world for millions of years, gently lapped the orange sands of the beach. Ironically the cool ocean before them would be one of the reasons for the downfall of the strange Tanystropheus and fellow sea monsters; gradual erosion broke apart Pangea disrupting the fragile coastline. A tiny brown pterosaur, most likely Eudimorphodon, flew over the water and skimmed the surface. Nigel stepped out from under the Triassic tree that the portal had opened under and stared out to sea. The sand crunched under his feet with audible cracks. Nearby was a rocky outcrop made of grey rock which was shorter at one end allowing a thin stream of water to slop over.
"Judging by the way the Tanystropheus' shoulders were placed its neck must have been quite stiff. How did it hunt easily?" Chiyo asked. Its teeth shape must have indicated that the Tanystropheus was a fish hunter but with a stiff neck it would make it much harder to catch an agile fish.
"There are two theories. One is that they stood on the side of tidal pools and dipped their head in when the tide was out; they had massive muscles at the back to act as a counterweight for the long neck. A different theory is that when swimming the long neck let them sneak up on squid and fish shoals. Both could be plausible!"
With the close proximity of the tide pool they decided to check the pool for signs of Tanystropheus first. Inside the pool there was no sign of life bar the few pyramid like limpets and the shimmering crimson red anemone which was nestled in a crevice where the water refused to leave when the tide receded. Immediately the two started looking for signs of the long necked oddity. It did not take long. Nigel noticed a few claw scratches located in the grooves of the rock.
"Nigel over here!" Chiyo yelled.
In the sand nearby to the tidal pool were a set of prints deeply embedded in the orange particles. It resembled the print of a five toed lizard except each toe was widely spaced out to create a large surface area to stop the owner of the prints from sinking in the sand.
"Tanystropheus had five toes," Nigel explained kneeling down to get a closer look "I think you've found the tracks of a Tanystropheus."
Suddenly there was a deep rumble that slowly escalated in pitch. Instead of coming from the beach it came from the small forest; shielding the owner of the sound from prying eyes. It was a dinosaur…
The Triassic period saw the first dinosaurs ranging from the Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus in Argentina to Ceolophysis in New Mexico. Of course Western Europe also saw plenty of early dinosaurs including carnivores…
The sound was a clear rumble and not a roar which put both of them at ease. Curiosity though took hold of them. Whatever was making the noise was the earliest dinosaur that they had ever encountered. The shade immediately swept over them as the Triassic trees blocked the beams of the almost alien sun. However they soon gave way to a wave of green horsetails and ferns which made up a lush clearing full of life. Most of the plants went up to their hips but they took no notice. Instead they looked at the six metre long dinosaurs in front of them. They resembled a sauropod but stood like a hadrosaur with longer hindlegs than forelegs. A few of them even were rearing onto their hindlegs to browse the nearby trees. Each dinosaur was light green with a black line riding down from the back of the skull, down the spine and to the tip of the tail.
"Are they an early sauropod?" Chiyo asked. Their physiology and how late dinosaurs like Parasaurolophus lived ruled out them being a sort of proto-hadrosaur.
"Indeed they are! A sauropodomorpha, (a.k.a prosauropod), called Plateosaurus gracilis. These guys and other prosauropods will evolve into giants ranging from Brachiosaurus to Paralititan."
Nigel managed to get up close to one female. She gave a low grumble but the smaller eccentric mammal made her uninterested in him, evident by how she continued to take huge chunks out of a horsetail. Her jaws made a slicing and mashing motion as she ate. Chiyo though had to pull Nigel back who wanted to try and pat the prosauropod.
"I remember them. They can move their jaws better to break down tough vegetation so they don't have to eat gastroliths," Chiyo said still pulling on Nigel.
He snapped out of his Plateosaurus induced daze and decided to follow her back to the coast to find a Tanystropheus or two. However they stopped dead in their tracks. In some dirt nearby a tree that they had hid behind when first looking at the prosauropods was a three toed foot of a therapod…
Predatory dinosaurs lived alongside the newly evolved herbivores to exploit the new food source. However there are other carnivores about other than therapod dinosaurs…
A Komodo Dragon sized reptile was sitting on the end of the tidal pool. It was still low tide and the reptile was still too early for it to be refilled. It resembled a crocodile except lacking the famous armoured scutes that covered a formidable crocodile; this new creature being covered in black and silver scales that would be found on the bottom of a crocodilian. Its head was less pointed compared to a crocodile and instead of the blunt crushing teeth of a crocodile it had smaller more pointed ones like a garial. Between each toe of the crocodile creature was a thin line of skin so this creature could swim better.
"With the paddle like feet and those sharp needle teeth I would guess that creature is a fish eater," Chiyo commented. The creature turned around and let out a low belly hiss like a crocodile.
"You're right because this guy is a Nothosaurus raabi. They were like Triassic sea lions, at home in the sea and the land. Research one a species in China has showed an inventive hunting technique. Using those paddles they churned up the sea bed and anything that got swept up they nabbed it with those needle teeth."
The Nothosaurus let out another low hiss as Nigel stepped closer to the Triassic sea monster. It swept its tail around trying to knock Nigel off-guard allowing the reptile to make an escape.
Nigel isn't just going to wrestle a Nothosaurus for the sake of it, (despite past experiences). Larger dinosaurs on the land and ichthyosaurs in the sea outcompeted the Nothosaurus.
Nigel jumped onto the crocodile like creature. Under his hands the Nothosaurus had very cool scales on the silver underbelly. Strong muscles from swimming in the sea against strong ocean currents had made the Nothosaurus strong allowing it to put up a strong fight against the new irritation.
"You are just so beautiful!" Nigel cried trying to keep his fingers away from the needle teeth which were edging closer and closer "Big sea monsters like Plesiosaurus will outcompete you and they will be here in the next few million years. You're quite thin though. Oof!"
One paddled leg had managed to swipe Nigel in the stomach. Chiyo saw this as a sign to open the sea portal. A bright swirling light erupted onto the beach right in front of Nigel. Relieved he let go of the Nothosaurus who darted through the portal and into an assured meal at Prehistoric Park.
"The Tethys Ocean being formed must be changing sea currents," Chiyo said lifting a winded Nigel up "It must be causing the fish to move to new areas."
"Any Tanystropheus here must be starving then!" Nigel replied.
Back in the park Head Keeper Bob and Head Vet Suzanne are starting an arduous task of guest proofing the park under the tutelage of cynical mathematician Ian Malcolm.
"Does Nigel often bring back unexpected animals?" Malcolm asked. It seemed to be addressed to both Bob and Suzanne although he was specifically looked at the vet. Suzanne gave a weird look.
"Yeah but Dr Harding can easily do a check-up and our Deputy Keepers can quickly make a good exhibit for them. Well it's exciting that we now have a Nothosaurus," Suzanne replied.
There was a bang and a great mass issued from the gun that Bob was holding. It was a net gun and the target was quickly caught in the mass. It started to coo loudly, even when Suzanne gently unearthed the writhing bird from the folds of the net. Each of Prehistoric Park's Passenger Pigeons had a little tag on their leg to make tracking easier.
"I still don't know why we have to do this!" Bob complained placing the pigeon in a box "When they had full roam of the island they were fine."
Passenger Pigeons were famed for travelling huge distances. To accommodate this it was deemed best to let them have full reign over Isla Nublar and Sorna.
"The guests," Malcolm responded "They'll try and annoy or catch or feed your pigeons. Even if you put up signs telling them not to well chaos theory comes into play. Long story short your two aviaries for them on Nublar and Sorna will reduce that risk."
Bob nodded in agreement. Ludlow's workers led by the constant annoyance of Nick Grilsby had already provided apt evidence for Malcolm's chaos theory model for the park. Two more Passenger Pigeons landed nearby and started cooing.
"Oi Bob you got some birds yet?" someone chuckled. Nick had come to pester Bob again. It seemed after his encounter with a Parasaurolophus and opening the holding pens on Nigel's previous adventure hadn't taught him to leave the animals alone.
"I'll show you chaos theory in action," Malcolm said coolly "You wouldn't expect me to do this."
He shook the branch that the pigeons were resting on. They instantly flew over Nick's head. He looked displeased as two white streaks now were on his shirt.
"I'm gonna thumb ya you mothf…" Nick started.
A giant roar just echoed around the small wooded area. It was a Tyrannosaurs' roar. Scared Nick ran away but Ian, Bob and Suzanne knew that the roar indicated that Cronus and Jane had met Terrance and Matilda. Suzanne gave the captured pigeon to a nearby keeper so they could go see the Tyrannosaurs. Another roar indicated that they were not happy. Muldoon nodded in acknowledgement of them arriving as he cradled a hosepipe in his hands. Cronus and Jane stood at one end while their larger counterparts stood facing them. Cronus roared and went to snap at Terrance but stopped halfway when Matilda gave a terrifying bellow which could have shattered mountains. Jane and Cronus flinched before backing off with thunderous steps. The younger Tyrannosaurs stood nearby but more respectful of what seemed to be the dominant pack members.
"My Christ," Muldoon gasped "Chiyo's plan worked. We might even be able to reintroduce the chicks in a few months." He cheekily pulled out his hip flask and took a huge swig.
"Don't count your chickens yet Robert this 'pack' might not last the night," Suzanne replied staring icily at the drinking Muldoon.
"Is it a good idea to create a pack of T Rex?" Ian asked staring at Cronus who was grumbling at Matilda.
Meanwhile back in Triassic Italy Nigel and Chiyo may have found the odd Tanystropheus.
The tide had come in and out replenishing the tidal pool for any hopeful reptiles. Before anything arrived though Nigel had checked to see how full it was; only a few silver darts of swimming fish occupied the pool. Not nearly enough to feed a Tanystropheus. Thick black thunderclouds roared above threatening to rain thick water droplets down on the ground below.
"I'm scared that a flash flood could come from that storm," Chiyo said staring deeply at the storm clouds. Throughout the fossil records dinosaurs like Plateosaurus have been perfectly preserved by flash floods and Chiyo didn't fancy her and Nigel adding to that record.
Nigel however saw another opportunity. A second Nothosaurus had just ambled out the ocean. Each foot was covered by the white foam of the tide. He quickly ran and jumped on the reptile before it realised what had hit it. Chiyo ran after and opened the portal sending the writhing monster through before it could struggle too much.
"Nigel…" Chiyo whispered "Look at the pool!"
A six metre long lizard like creature was standing on the tidal pool rock. Half of it consisted of a long neck dipped in the tidal pool eagerly looking for food. The long necked lizard was leaf green in colour with brown speckles covering the back as if someone had sprayed it with chocolate. Except for the tail; the tail was black. The back end of the lizard like animal was thicker as if it was musclier there.
"Tanystropheus conspicuous!" Nigel whispered in excitement "Look its leaning back, using those thick muscles as a counterweight. The poor thing must be starving!"
Time to enact his plan. Although they wouldn't evolve for millions of years to come he pulled out a mackerel from his backpack to attract the Tanystropheus. The long necked lizard pulled its head out of the tidal pool and hissed at him. When Nigel got closer and extended his hand it ran from him and straight into the sea.
Out of all times Nigel chose not to bring a boat this was one of them. It seems he will have to return to the park empty handed, (excluding two Nothosaurs of cause).
The impromptu Nothsaurus exhibit was well built as always. It was built in the same sense as the Tanystropheus exhibit with it extending from the beach and joining onto a tank in the sea. There was a small rocky outcrop where one of the Nothosaurus was sunbathing.
"When are you going back out?" Bob asked staring out at the Nothosaurus.
"Now. Although be ready for a land exhibit; I've seen a herd of Plateosaurus that might need saving."
Bob shook his head. "Ever the hero!"
Armed with a kayak Nigel plans to rescue a Tanystropheus one way or another!
They threw the kayak on the now lumpy sand. Rain from the storm thundered down on the beach like if heaven itself wanted to purge the beach from the face of the planet. Both Nigel and Chiyo got worried; faintly through the trees they could see water rising from a burst riverbank. They managed to get to the forest and fight their way through the ever rising water which was at their ankles. Chiyo had insisted that they bring the kayak along, just in case…
"Look!" Nigel yelled.
A raging torrent had trapped the Plateosaurus who were roaring in fear. It was saddening to watch such great, docile dinosaurs in so much fear and anxiety. Some of that did not come from the flood though. A small pack of five metre long therapods that were one and a half metres high were wading through the water trying to take chunks from the prosauropod herd. They had a red semi-circular crest on their nose and had orange scales. The therapods also had primitive black proto-feathers than ran across the back, stomach and arms with large dagger shaped feathers ranging between half a metre and a metre in length erupting from their tails. Instead of biting they were swiping at the Plateosaurus with their muscular arms.
"Liliensternus liliensterni! A primitive coelophysid that hunted using its strong arms over a weak bite!" Nigel yelled over the roar of the flood "If we don't do something fast they will drown with the Plateosaurus!"
The water now closing in on their hips forced them into the kayak. Grabbing a branch they started to paddle in front of the trapped herd. Nigel opened the portal to the land holding pens offering the Plateosaurus a second route which they eagerly took. Not wanting to lose their meal and drown to boot the Liliensternus pack followed. When all were safely through they managed to paddle to shallower waters so they could get on the beach. Another Tanystropheus was feeding from the tidal pool.
"That must be a female one," Nigel panted from the strenuous paddling "Let's catch this one before going for the other one."
Chiyo crept up to her and opened the portal. Trapped the Tanystropheus had no choice but into the portal. Chiyo returned to pick up the kayak with Nigel; rain soaked sand squelching under her feet. Immediately they were at sea with horrid rain drops smashing into the black surface. Something darted below and Nigel decided to take a look. Not wanting to potentially have a bite taken from him he dived under the water with a waterproof stun baton; a quick electric shock possibly deterring a predator.
"Chiyo I can see three Nothosaurs!" he exclaimed through his mask's intercom. They swam gracefully through the water like a modern day sea lion; bending their reptilian bodies in tune with the current. When they weren't performing they swam shaking their shoulders and hips left and right like a crocodile.
"Whoah!" he cried as they quickly surrounded him. Transfixed by their swimming he didn't notice how close they had come. Taking the initiative he opened the portal sending the three of them through. Now all that was left was the Tanystropheus. He found a group of feathery crinoids which stretched like great lumps of kelp from the sandy sea bed towards the promising heights where the sun managed to penetrate. He saw though a small reptilian head sticking out from among the feathers of the crinoids. It was amazing! It was the Tanystropheus from earlier!
"Chiyo the Tanystropheus is using crinoids as a cover to hunt!"
Stretching its neck out as it grabbed hold of a crinoid the Tanystropeus managed to perfectly hide among the crinoids; waiting for an unexpected fish or squid. Just then it suddenly started to swim up towards the warmth of the sun so Nigel opened the portal sending it through. What caused it to move suddenly?"
"Nigel there's something in there with you!" Chiyo cried. He saw a black shape behind him and he quickly got back on the kayak just as a pair of jaws tried to clamp down on his legs. Quickly they went through the portal that Chiyo had just opened; it was unlikely that a flimsy wooden kayak could withstand the jaws of an unknown monster. They were met by the warmth of Isla Sorna's sun but they quickly jumped off the kayak and onto the side of the aquatic holding pen.
"Nigel those Tanystropheus are amazing!" Bob exclaimed "You're lucky. Muldoon quite likes the Lilien… What's that?"
Whatever had followed Nigel and Chiyo had just burst from the portal. It was a giant ichthyosaur at least ten metres long. It lacked however a dorsal fin like later ichthyosaurs and was more of a hulking monster than a graceful swimmer. It could swim at speed though as with one flick of its giant tail fluke it darted forward towards where the kayak was. Inevitably Nigel's fears were right as the ichthyosaur destroyed the kayak with one bite of its formidable jaws snapping it into splinters like a matchstick. Franticly crew members opened a free holding tank and threw in chum attracting the great jawed reptile. As soon as the fluked tail passed through the holding tank door it was closed trapping the ichthyosaur.
"Cymbospondylus germanicus! It's one of the largest ichthyosaurs known but the Shastasurus is larger," Nigel explained awestruck "She must have attacked the kayak seeing it as a threat; their teeth were designed to eat ammonites and squid."
"She's massive!" Chiyo gasped.
"Cymbospondylus was. Some species come from Nevada and it was alleged that the silver miners who discovered one in a mine used the massive vertebrae as plates although I doubt we'll be doing that with this one!"
After sorting out the new giant Cymbospondylus Prehistoric Park can settle down with some unusual new specimens.
They had fitted a bench where Hammond was sitting in content watching the new Tanystropheus. The male had his long neck dipped in one of the tidal pools created by Bob. Occasionally his head would rise back up with a struggling fish in his jaws. The new female was deep in the exhibit's depths hiding among the undersea forest of kelp and crinoids. In the distance the roar of the Liliensternus pack could be heard piercing the night. Although top predator in the Triassic period much larger dinosaurs live on Isla Sorna.
"Nigel I've been thinking of your request," Hammond said out of the blue "I think the sauropod from Argentina would really dazzle the guests…"
Next time Nigel goes to Argentina 93 million years ago to rescue possibly the largest dinosaur ever.
A giant herd of sauropods is seen walking towards a tiny Nigel.
As well as the carnivores that hunted them.
A therapod larger than Tyrannosaurus chases after the jeep.
And the park's gamble at a Tyrannosaurus pack has a result.
Cronus and Terrance stare at each other.
All next time on Prehistoric Park on April 12th
Rescued this chapter:
5 Nothosaurus raabi 2 male, 3 female
2 Tanystropheus conspicuus 1 male, 1 female
20 Plateosaurus gracilis 11 female, 9 male
5 Liliensternus liliensterni 3 male, 2 female
1 Cymbospondylus germanicus 1 female