Alright, back to work!
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As Tai and Alice continue to argue, the shapes in the water continue to move closer to the unaware recruit. As far as they are concerned, a rather dumb animal is offering itself as lunch to these aquatic giants.
Unfortunately for them, Tai isn't inclined to stay in one place.
"Are too!" he yells, jumping toward Alice to emphasize his point.
Before the argument can escalate, though, a loud splashing sound fills the air. Turning toward it, the group finds themselves face a large group of salamanders, albeit ones the size of crocodiles.
Unfortunately for the salamanders, they aren't very fast on land. The group is able to outpace them simply by walking.
"Um, what are those?" asks Michelle, perplexed at the hungry hoard of amphibians.
"They're Slaugenhopia," remarks Nigel, "the only known temnospondylid from this formation."
"Ok... well, they certainly are odd."
Indeed, these beasts are odd. Unfortunately, their kind is on the way out. Slaugenhopia is only known from the early Permian. Soon, it will be replaced by other, more advanced temnospondylids.
Which makes it a perfect candidate for rescue.
Taking advantage of the amphibians' ponderous speed, the group sets up the time portal. As they finish, the amphibians burst forward, apparently trying to avoid a long chase. As soon as the amphibians near it, it activates, send all of them to the present.
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Back at the park, Suzanne is busy examining the Edmontosaurus. A few weeks ago, she saw several of them displaying toward eachother, with the males occasionally fighting. She believes this may have been for mates. Now, she's trying to see if she's right.
Before her, two Edmontosaurus are gathering sticks and leaves, which they pile into a mound on the ground. Occasionally, they stop to feed for a moment, but soon resume their construction duties.
"If I'm right, that might be a nesting mound. Of course, females build nests well before the lay eggs, so the only way to be sure is if we use an ultrasound to determine examine the female. Still, this is an exciting discovery."
It seems that the park may soon have another success in its breeding program.
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Meanwhile, back in Permian Texas, Nigel and his team are back to searching for Eosyodon. So far, though, they have no luck. And already, they're experiencing problems.
The open plains do little to protect them from the sun. It is just as hot in Texas now as it will be in 275 million years, and with little shade available, the group is slowly cooking in their own clothes.
"Please tell me there's some shade up ahead," asks Vera.
Before any can reply to her, though, Nigel comes to a halt. Curious as to why their leader has stopped, the younger recruits circle around, and are surprised by what they see.
Before them is a large lizard-like creature. The animal has no real defining traits, other than that it has a tiny head compared to its body.
"What's that?" asks Lucas.
"I'm not sure," remarks Tristan, who is having trouble examining the large reptile.
To further complicate matters, the animal promptly walks off, disappearing behind a hill. The group is quick to follow.
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AN: Read and Review.
