Shortly after the animals were placed on their temporal homes, the rest of the crew, including Nigel, Wade, Clarkson, James and Hammond, returned to the 21st century. In particular, Clarkson car was dragging James Citroen Mehari, which didn't seem in good shape. « Lads! You all right? » Bob asked concerned. « Yeah. Everything's good. We had a bit of an accident with the Allosaurus, must had confused the cars for prey. » Nigel explained.
« Anybody hurt? » Dr. Suzanne asked concerned, having just arrived to check on any injured after the Allosaurus attack. « Surprisingly, James has come out of it unharmed. » Hammond responded. « Yeah, I don't think I have any major injuries. The car, on the other hand…. » James added, as he looked at his Mehari.
Clarkson: The Allosaurus didn't have much time munching on James Citroen Mehari, but in that short while, it looked like it came out of a scrapyard.
James: « So here you can see, (he points at the underside of the car) he punctured the floor with its thumb claw, ripped a pretty big hole, shattered the chassis and almost tore off the engine. Then what he did (he pointed at the back of the car) he tried to grapple with me, he used its hindlegs to kinda crush the back of the car, and of course (he pointed at the right door) he bit the right side of the car, and I think one tooth got embedded on the roof post. »
« That car isn't going anywhere for a while. It's going to need a fix right now. » Bob noted. « Yeah, the Top Gear base here should be able to repair it. But it's going to take a while. » James noted. « Well, you lads could help a bit with the construction of the new enclosure for our new guests. You could also help with some of our animals, in fact, could you come with me for a sec? » Bob asked.
Xxxxxxx
While James car is being repaired, Bob has decided to show the group what was going on with the Placerias female.
« To be honest, that female is worrying me. » Bob explained. « Yeah, aren't the Placerias, like, really social animals? » Hammond asked confused. « Yeah, but her? She's just laying in the shade, away from everybody. » Bob responded.
« I think I know what this is. I've seen hippos doing this before. She's getting broody. We need an ultrasound scan. » Nigel proposed. « Ultrasound? Do Placerias even lay eggs? » Hammond asked. « Very likely. They're not mammals, they're mammal-like reptiles. That being said, there could be a possibility that they lay a single egg, and that they may breast feed them. Recent studies shows that animals first started to evolve milk glands around the carboniferous. » Nigel explained.
« Our first pregnant prehistoric animal! Now isn't that something! » Wade exclaimed. « Sorry, second pregnant animal. Someone else already laid their eggs. » Bob explained. « Second? » Hammond asked confused. « Then who's the first? » James asked.
Xxxxxxx
In the small mammal house, it's only two inhabitants, the Kataigidodon venetus pair, have been busy.
By using a tiny wired camera, Dr. Suzanne has been able to inspect the burrow where the Kataigidodon pair had settle in their tiny enclosure. There, she found the two resting beside 8 eggs.
Suzanne: « It's extraordinary that this pair has already gave us our first new generation. It also gives us an insight on how primitive cynodonts used to reproduce, really. It may seems strange, a mammal laying eggs, but the reality is, there are some mammals that still do it to this day. Mammals like platypus and echidna, they are among some of the last egg laying mammals in the world, but back in the day, all primitive mammals laid eggs. If I'm not mistaken, these tiny cynodonts can still produce milk, but once the eggs hatch, we may need to aid in raising the young and making sure they grow strong and healthy. »
Xxxxxxx
A few days have passed since Nigel first expedition in the Jurassic.
The various animals have been placed in their new homes.
And, most importantly for the expedition, James car has been fixed, surprisingly easily.
The Dryosaurus massive herd was placed in the Jurassic Savannah, a large savannah environment with enough trees for shade, and open space to run. They were in the Ornithopod section of the park.
The Allosaurus jimmadseni and Marshosaurus bicentesimus were placed in two separate large plains, akin to the one where they would had roamed back in the Jurassic. They were in the large theropod section of the park.
In another plain, part of the small theropod section of the park, the Stokesosaurus clevelandi pair was placed.
Meanwhile, the two Paramacellodus oweni were placed in a sandy terrarium in the Reptile House of the park.
Now, as all the animals were all placed in their new homes, Nigel, Wade, Clarkson, James and Hammond departed once more in the Jurassic.
James: « It was surprisingly easy to fix the Mehari. If anything, the engine seems to have gotten even smoother, almost as if it had gained…15% more cylinder. But that's the thing about off road cars, they just get better. »
Once the group had crossed the portal, they found themselves in the middle of a herd of dinosaurs. It was mostly composed by Dryosaurus, five of them to be precise. But among them were two giants.
They were huge, being eight meters long. They had a double row of kite-shaped plates rising vertically along the rounded back and the two pairs of long spikes extending horizontally near the end of the tail.
The long and narrow heads were small in proportion to the body, ending in a beak and with cheeks. They were browsing on low vegetation. This interpretation is supported by the absence of front teeth and their likely replacement by a horny beak or rhamphotheca. The beak was turtle-like.
The hind feet each had three short toes, while each fore foot had five toes; only the inner two toes had a blunt hoof. All four limbs were supported by pads behind the toes. The fore limbs were much shorter than the stocky hind limbs, which resulted in an unusual posture. The tails were held well clear of the ground, while the heads were positioned relatively low down, no higher than 1 m above the ground. They had 22 separate plates and flat spines on the back, 60 cm wide and 60 cm tall.
They were mostly yellow, with a dark yellow back, stripes and spots, light brown belly, with pink-red plates with dark turquoise outlines. The spikes on the tail were dark orange on the tip and the base, while the rest was light orange.
Nigel: « Now we're TRULY seeing the giants of the Jurassic. These two right there, they are Stegosaurus stenops, herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils have been found in the western United States and in Portugal, with well over 80 individual animals. Stegosaurus would have lived alongside Allosaurus, and might had been one of its prey. They were large, heavily built, herbivorous quadrupeds with rounded backs, short fore limbs, long hind limbs, and tails held high in the air. Due to their distinctive combination of broad, upright plates and tail tipped with spikes, Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable kinds of dinosaurs. The function of this array of plates and spikes has been the subject of much speculation among scientists. Today, it is generally agreed that their spiked tails were most likely used for defense against predators, while their plates may have been used primarily for display, and secondarily for thermoregulatory functions. Stegosaurus had a relatively low brain-to-body mass ratio. It had a short neck and a small head, meaning it most likely ate low-lying bushes and shrubs. Stegosaurus remains were first identified during the "Bone Wars" by Othniel Charles Marsh at Dinosaur Ridge National Landmark. The first known skeletons were fragmentary and the bones were scattered, and it would be many years before the true appearance of these animals, including their posture and plate arrangement, became well understood. Despite its popularity in books and film, mounted skeletons of Stegosaurus did not become a staple of major natural history museums until the mid-20th century, and many museums have had to assemble composite displays from several different specimens due to a lack of complete skeletons. Stegosaurus is one of the better-known dinosaurs, and has been featured in film, postal stamps, and many other types of media. It is simply a must for Prehistoric Park, but we must be careful, they might be aggressive animals. »
The two Stegosaurus looked at the three cars, first aggressively, then curiously.
« All right, I think they're getting a tad bit too curious for our tastes. » James commented. None the less, the two animals intentions seemed benign. For the most part, they inspected the cars and even gave small bites and nudges, trying to figure out what they were.
Clarkson: A pair of large dinosaurs interacting physically with a car is normally a bad sign. Not that this is much of an issue for a man that is driving a Ford.
« No need to worry, I'll handle it! » Clarkson said on the radio. He then rolled down the window, and looked at one of the Stegosaurus in the face.
« Hello, Stegosaurus. I shall name you Tesco. » Clarkson said to the animal, which didn't seem too bothered. « I can also see that you're trying to block us, but if I could draw your attention to the first page of my passport here, » he said, as he showed the passport to the Stegosaurus, « "Her Britannic majesty", that's the queen, "requests and requires in the name of her majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer," that's me, "to pass freely without let or hinges." »
A short silence followed, before the Stegosaurus lost interests in the cars, and moved on to the feeding grounds.
« Did we just get away with that? » Wade asked confused on the radio. « Yeah I just hit it with the passport thing. » Clarkson responded. « Very good, yes. » James commented. « Honestly works every time. Never fails in America though. » was Clarkson response.
Clarkson: « I also told them I was travelling with Mrs. May, the British prime minister….and they believed me. »
Not too far from the dinosaur herd was a small pond, which was soon encircled by thirsty Dryosaurus. As the cars parked nearby, the humans noticed a lack of fear from the Dryosaurus.
« They must not consider us a danger. I mean, they obviously never saw humans before. » Wade noted. He then noticed something resting on the bank of the small pond.
It was a crocodile, 2 meters long. It had an elongated and platyrostral head. It was dark green in colour. This individual seemed to have a limb missing.
Wade: At the end of the Triassic, phytosaurs begun to be replaced by crocodiles as we know them today. This one is a Eutretauranosuchus delfsi, and at 2 meters long, it's an average sized croc. It's missing limbs are the prize for survival in a world dominated by dinosaurs. This aquatic predator deploys the same ambush strategies as phytosaurs, and the power of that strike is rooted in the tail.
Wade: « The tail is half the body length, on this 6.6 ft. animal like this, you've got a 3.3 ft. long tail of solid muscles that works in the same way as a fish, and it's all about propulsion. Anything it comes within range, it just launches itself. A tremendous burst of speed they've got. »
The animal didn't seem too active, having probably just eat a Dryosaurus, or any other animal. A perfect opportunity to be captured by the humans.
Wade quietly sneaked upon the resting reptile, before jumping on its back, spooking the Dryosaurus and easily subduing the animal. Soon, Nigel arrived with duct tape in order to restrain the animal's jaws. « Not as impressive as a dinosaur, but just as worthy of saving. » Nigel commented.
« Speaking of dinosaurs…. » Hammond commented, catching the attention of both Nigel and Wade. An Ornitholestes was perching on Hammond's Campagnola, noncaring of the humans. « Think it's the same that you tried to capture? » James asked. « Don't really know. Still, a valuable animal to save as well. Anyone has any meat? » Nigel asked.
« There you go. » Clarkson responded, handing some meat to Nigel, who begun to lure the Ornitholestes in a cage. Once the animal was close enough, Nigel tossed the meat inside of the cage, which the Ornitholestes darted for. Then, as the carnivore was consuming its meal, Nigel immediately closed the door, with the Ornitholestes trapped inside.
« Well so far things have been going well. » Clarkson commented. But what the group didn't know was that they were being watched. Behind the cover of some cycads, a huge predator was stalking the dinosaur herd.
It was even larger than the Allosaurus, being almost 11 meters long. It had an elongated, narrow snout, with a kink in its profile just above the large nostrils. The maxilla was tall and bore at least eleven rather long teeth. The upper arm was robust; the lower arm robust but short. It was orange with a white underside and distinctive vertical black stripes.
Before it could reach striking distance, however, his movement caught the attention of the humans, who turned towards his direction. « Oh….cock. » James cursed. « That right there, is a Torvosaurus tanneri, a carnivorous megalosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Colorado, Portugal, Germany, and possibly England, Spain, Tanzania, and Uruguay. In 1979 the type species Torvosaurus tanneri was named: it is a large, heavily built, bipedal carnivore, among the largest carnivores of its time. I don't think he saw us. It's probably focusing on the herbivores. » Nigel explained.
« Well it's obviously not a good idea to stand around and wait. Let's move to the cars, slowly. » Wade proposed. As the group slowly but steadily got on the cars, the massive predator darted forward, aiming at the Stegosaurus. The Dryosaurus herd begun to scraper at the sight of the massive predator, while the Stegosaurus held their ground.
Despite the best efforts of the Torvosaurus, it failed to get into striking distance of the two herbivores. Realizing that the powerful spikes of the Stegosaurus were too formidable weapons, the carnivore wiredrew. Not before, however, noticing the cars moving, whilst some of the crew activated the portal, before jumping on board. Confusing them for easier prey, it begun to chase them at top speed.
« Oh Christ! » Hammond exclaimed as he saw the carnivore charging at them. As the cars crossed the portal, followed by the Dryosaurus herd, so did the powerful hunter.
Xxxxxxx
Back in the 21st century, Bob was greeted by the sight of more Dryosaurus and the four cars, Hammond one being the slowest. Suddenly, however, the massive Torvosaurus crossed the portal and closed in on Hammond's Campagnola, biting it in the front, where the engine was. Unlike the Allosaurus, it had a far stronger bite, nearly cracking the Campagnola's engine and lifting the car, attempting to expose the underbelly.
« Hammond! Hang on! » Bob exclaimed, as he tried to get the attention of the Torvosaurus. Poking it with a long pole, the beast was lured in a large, temporal enclosure. The Dryosaurus herd was also lured in a temporal enclosure.
With the Torvosaurus and the second Dryosaurus herd held secured, Bob, Nigel, Wade, Clarkson and James, together with Dr. Suzanne, hurried extremely worried towards Hammond. « Hammond! » Clarkson exclaimed worried, slightly pale. « I'm okay! I'm okay! » Hammond reassured the group, as he came out of the car unscathed. The Campagnola, on the other hand, had seen better days.
« Christ, that was a close one! » Wade exclaimed. « Again, I'm fine, there's no need to worry. » Hammond responded. « No need to worry? Have you seen what he did to your car? » Suzanne asked incredulous. « Well it's not all bad, right? » Hammond responded. « Does it even start? » Clarkson asked incredulous. Almost as to prove it, Hammond turned the keys, only to the engine to make some weak noises, and a piece inside the engine felt down.
« I think you just threw a rod. » James noted. « It's all fixable. I can fix this. » Hammond responded. « I mean, James car was fixable, so I guess with some hopes and dreams…. » Bob commented. He then turned towards Nigel. « Gotta say, this trip to the Jurassic, it has been pretty risky so far. » he commented. « Yeah, but then again, we're talking about some of the largest dinosaurs to have ever lived. » Nigel explained.
« So what do we have here? » Bob asked. « Well, we have another herd of Dryosaurus, a small theropod, Ornitholestes hermanni, a medium sized crocodile, Eutretauranosuchus delfsi, and that massive beast, Torvosaurus tanneri. » Nigel explained. « Well, unless we consider the Torvosaurus, these animals are far easier to relocate. » Bob commented.
Xxxxxxx
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please comment so I can learn your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions, so stay tuned. Also remember to like and follow. See you on the next chapter.