Synopsis: "In this story, we shall follow a male Dilophosaurus named Dylan and document his struggle to survive."

"Somewhere"/Pennsylvania

200 million years ago/Somewhere between the Sinemurian and Pliensbachian stages of the Early Jurassic.

Somewhere near the edge of an Early Jurassic forest, in a nest made of plants, sticks and earth, is a clutch of eggs. In one of them, there are already signs of life. It then hatches, revealing a tiny little creature with a bizarrely-shaped skull. As for what species he is, this is a baby Dilophosaurus wetherilli. His name will be Dylan, and he'll lead us throughout this wonderful new world of his, as we document his struggle to right now, he is welcomed to the world by a warming shine of sunlight, as he is the first of his clutch to hatch. All around him, his brothers and sisters start to break free from their eggs, and they all start calling out for help, confusing Dylan. Just then, a huge adult Dilophosaurus hears them squealing, and approaches the nest. Fortunately for them, this is their mother. Normally, she would have a mate with her, which would be their father, to help take care of them, but, several months ago, her mate was killed by another, rival, male Dilophosaurus in a brute fight. So, now she's all there is to take care of them.

She welcomes Dylan to the world by nuzzling him, before doing the same to his siblings. For now, he can rely on his mother's protection, but within weeks, he will have to learn to stand on his own two feet. In about six years time, he could become a relatively large predator like his mother, but the odds on him surviving that long, right now, are low.

5 days later...

The mother Dilophosaurus has gone out in search of another meal for her family. She's been searching through the forest for about a whole minute, but hasn't found anything that might prove promising. So, she exits the forest and heads out into the scrublands and onto open plains, in hopes of finding something that might be worth eating. The scrublands make up of half her hunting grounds, while the forests and open plains make up of the rest. She then spots a group of Scutellosaurus lawleri It will take skill to catch one, but, throughout her life, she has done this numerous times, and she instinctively knows how to do it.

She starts to stalk them quietly, and selects her target; the one who has an injured leg. She continues silently stalking them, until she feels that she is close enough. Then, she breaks her cover and attacks! She chases them for about 20 seconds before separating her target from the rest and grabbing it in her jaws. Because of her relatively weak bite force, she shakes it to death like a wrag-doll, killing it. She then lets out a mighty, high-pitched roar.

Meanwhile, back at the nest, Dylan and his siblings wait anxiously but patiently for their mother, and busy themselves with play-fighting and wrestling, and practicing their hunting skills, preparing for when time in their lives comes when they'll be old enough to join their mother in a hunt. As soon as they hear their mother approaching, they stop what they're doing, and rush straight to her. When she arrives she places the dead Scutellosaurus right in front of her young, and Dylan and his siblings start to chow down. For now, this'll last them all day, and perhaps two more days, until they need food again.

1 week later...

Dylan and his siblings have been staying close to the nest for safety, but, if anything, it's becoming much less of a safe place to be. Nearby, a group of flesh-eaters is on the prowl. This is Syntarsus kayentakatae. (A possible junior synonym of Coelophysis kayentakatae.) At 10 feet, from head to tail, they're about the same size as the forerunners from the Triassic. But these guys aren't also chasing bugs and hunting mammals, they're mostly stalking dinosaurs. And the mother Dilophosaurus sees this as an opportunity for another meal for her family. She'll follow them until they come upon a potential victim, and then scare them off to take over the hunt. So, she heads off after them, and Dylan and his siblings stay hidden in the underbrush.

The Syntarsus pack has picked up the scent and sounds of something and are on the move. Nearby feeding, is the large prosauropod dinosaur, Anchisaurus polyzelus. Anchisaurus is a plant-eater. Although it walks on all fours, it spends most of its time on its hind legs, browsing in the trees. A claw on both of its thumbs... is its only protection. The Syntarsus close in on the Anchisaurus from behind, and then screech at him to get his attention. He reacts by aggressively growling and bellowing at them, and then stands on his hind legs to make himself more intimidating. Just then, one of the Syntarsus leaps and lunges at the Anchisaurus, but is struck and possibly killed by one of his thumb claws.

The remaining Syntarsus then start to chase the Anchisaurus and his family, and then separate and corner him. But then, just as they prepare for the kill, the mother Dilophosaurus comes and scares them off and takes over the hunt. She roars at the Anchisaurus, who bellows and growls back at her. She then pounces and grabs the sauropodomorph's neck with her teeth and slashes him with her hand claws. She forces the Anchisaurus down and kills him. She has perfected yet another meal for her brood. So, she grabs it by in front of the shoulders and drags it back to her nest.

Dylan and his siblings wait patiently back at the nest, and still busy themselves with play-fighting and practicing their hunting skills. Soon enough, their mother returns with the dead Anchisaurus, and she places it right in front of them. She knows that a meal comes way too soon when there's a bunch of hungry mouths to feed. Dylan and his siblings start to feed on the carcass and gorge themselves. But there's no time to relax, when a stranger is sneaking around. A rival male Dilophosaurus arrives, hoping to steal the corpse. But the mother will not tolerate his presence and confronts him. After a brief, but fierce battle, the mother manages to drive the intruder off, allowing her and her young to feed in peace. However, the carcass of Anchisaurus is too large for one sitting. The dinosaurs will eat their fill. Then, they'll be back in action.

3 days later...

Dylan and his siblings have still been staying very close to the nest, but it is still becoming much less of a safe place to be. A pair of predatory Syntarsus watch the brood, waiting for their chance. The mother Dilophosaurus is 20 times their weight, so they will not venture too close while she is present. However, the smell of all these hatchlings will soon attract other predators from far and wide. So eventually, the mother decides that it is time to lead her unruly brood away.

The mother Dilophosaurus has no other option, she must do what she can to find her offspring a safe new place to live. They have abandoned their nest, and are on the move. Dylan is now about to find himself and his place in a new part of this great big world.

Several hours have gone by, and Dylan and his family have found a new place to live, which seems relatively safe. As they begin to settle in, Dylan takes one last look at the ginormous area surrounding his new home. Even though he doesn't know it now, someday in the future, all of this will one day belong to him. And also be ruled by him, as well.

6 months later...

Six months have passed, and Dylan and his siblings have grown to about less than half the size of their mother, but it will still be a few more months before they will be able to fend for themselves. But even still, at this size, they are all now just about old enough, and big enough, to begin hunting with their mother, and they're not even yet in the prime of their lives. So, they go off on a hunt together.

They begin to silently stalk a group of Scutellosaurus. Their attention is focused on eating ferns and shrubs. But no one seems willing to make the first move, even the mother. Or, at least, almost no one. In his mother's and siblings' stead, being as both the eldest and most confident of which, Dylan dares to take on the challenge of the hunt today.

He begins to move slowly towards them trying to be as quiet as he possibly can, with the exception of the sounds of his footsteps and hissing of his breath. His mother and siblings watch him carefully. These creatures are small, but they're not easy to take down. Dylan will likely fail, unless he finds their weak point and quickly overpowers one.

He gets as close as he possibly can, still unnoticed, then, once he feels that he is within striking distance, he breaks cover and springs into action! The Scutellosaurus scatter, and Dylan, being a fast and fleet-footed predator, chases them for about 20 seconds, before choosing his target, and puts on an incredible burst of speed and quickly grabs it by its weak point, having already found it. Because of his relatively weak bite force, instead of crushing it, he shakes it to death with tremendous force, killing it in an instant, before dropping it to the ground at his feet. For Dylan, this is his first successful hunt. He lets out a mighty victorious roar.

His mother and siblings are very impressed, as he then picks up his kill and walks over to them with it. And they approach him as well. Dylan places his catch at his mother's feet, before she proudly nuzzles her son to offer her congratulations. This is her way of showing that she approves Dylan as an experienced and skillful hunter. His siblings also congratulate their older brother by nuzzling him too, which is their way of showing that they approve Dylan as both a future alpha and sibling pack leader. This also happens to be Dylan's first successful "solo" hunt. Tomorrow, he will learn how to be a successful pack hunter, hunting with his mother and siblings.

Dylan and his family are stalking an injured male Scelidosaurus harrisonii. Normally, under normal circumstances, Dilophosaurus wouldn't have that much of a chance of bringing down this armored dinosaur ancestor, even in a pack, but the fact that its' leg is injured has changed the whole battle plan, they'll attack him, as long as they can reach one of his vulnerable areas, which are all underneath his armor; the undersides of his legs, the underside of his neck, his underbelly, and even underneath the base of his tail.

Sensing danger, the Scelidosaurus turns to face where his attackers are coming from. Knowing that he is onto them, the Dilophosaurus family reveal themselves from the brush and move in for the battle. The relatively small armored herbivore turns broadside to his enemies, and begins to swing his tail, aggressively. So, Dylan and his family still need to be wary, because even an injured Scelidosaurus can still inflict injury to any of them, however minor or major.

They begin to surround him from all sides, and so the herbivore is outnumbered, though still not completely helpless. The mother Dilophosaurus makes the first move, and makes a mock lunge, catching the Scelidosaurus off-guard, giving one of her young the chance to inflict the same type of injury he has on the other leg, slashing his middle hand claw across the right hind leg. The Scelidosaurus bellows in pain and is now injured on both back legs, disabling him from using his main weapon, which is his armored tail.

Another one of Dylan's siblings, one of his sisters, goes for the underbelly, reaching down with her claws, she inflicts a very deep gash wound on it, which causes the herbivore to bellow in pain more. At this point, the Dilophosauruses have the advantage. The Scelidosaurus is losing bad, and to make matters worse, Dylan finds the one spot on him that can finish the job, the underside of the neck. Waiting for the right moment, he fixes his eyes on it, then, when the moment is right, he strikes and grabs the plant-eater by the neck. But, to avoid injuring himself, instead of biting straight down, since the herbivore's neck's top side is armored, he moves his lower jaw side-to-side to cause slashing wounds on its neck's underside. Then, after that, Dylan lets go and backs off with the others to wait a combination of shock and bloodloss to finish the armored plant-eater. Eventually, the Scelidosaurus falls onto its side and finally dies from its injuries. This is now Dylan's first successful group hunt, as well as his siblings' and also each of their first successful hunt. The family roars victoriously, and now can enjoy a well-hard-earned meal together, which will be one of the last they'll have together, since it will still be another few more months before Dylan and his siblings will be able to live on their own. Some will live alone, while others will live with each other for survival.

2 years later... (Dylan's Second Year)

Dylan now lives and hunts alone with five of his siblings. Three of his brothers and only two of his sisters. And, along with them, he both owns and rules such a large and wide swath of territory made up of mostly forest and scrubland. At the age of 2, Dylan is now an adolescent, while his brothers and sisters are just becoming adolescents themselves at the ages of 11 - 12 months old to just at the age of 1. As one sign of age, their pairs of head crests are starting to become larger, although Dylan's and his brothers' head crests will be a bit larger than those of his sisters. This is an example of sexual dimorphism in dinosaurs. The head crests of Dilophosaurus are mostly used for thermoregulation, species recognition, and, in males, display to intimidate rivals and attract mates. But, new theories about this extraordinary feature are being made almost every day, to further our understanding of this particular theropod.

Anyway, Dylan and his two sisters are out hunting, while their three brothers are back at home guarding their nesting area from intruders and trespassers. They soon spot a herd of Scelidosaurus, nearby. They probe for any vulnerable, whether any young, sick or old, members of the herd, but in the end, they choose not to these armored ancestors of all armored dinosaurs. They all know that dealing with even one of these creatures is a handful, so they decide to hunt something else. But soon, their luck changes when they catch the scent of a kill nearby, so they follow their noses to it, resorting to scavenging mode.

They soon come upon a trio of Syntarsus feeding on a dead Scelidosaurus carcass. Knowing that they've got nothing on them, Dylan and his siblings burst out of the bushes and scare them off by hissing and roaring aggressively at them. Both species of theropods may be a hunter, but they're also a scavenger, and very opportunistic. Ironically, Dilophosaurus and Syntarsus are family. They're both Abelisaurids. But, you'd never know it. They, then, drag the carcass back to their nesting area, where they'll be able to feed in peace with their brothers.

3 hours later...

Dylan and his siblings have gorged themselves on the Scelidosaurus carcass, which is now stripped to the bone, and they are now resting after feeding on it. But, that means that this may attract smaller creatures... like this small Dorygnathus banthensis, a small pterosaur, who is looking for food.

While they wait to seize the next opportunity of a meal, leftovers from their previous one feed other creatures. In this case, the Dorygnathus pleads Dylan to let it eat the little bits of food stuck in his teeth, which, of course, he accepts as a free mouth-cleaning. As, again, a pterosaur, a bizarre flying cousin to the dinosaur, Dorygnathus normally prefers insects and fish, but it's also possible that this little guy will take advantage of a free meal when he finds it. In this case, extra treats in the jaws of a giant.

In fact, this is a perfect example of symbiosis, or a symbiotic relationship, where two species get something out of the deal; the Dorygnathus gets a meal, and Dylan the Dilophosaurus gets a good mouth-cleaning. And so, now, Dylan has made a new friend.

3 years later... (Dylan's Fifth Year)

At age 5, Dylan is now a teenager, while his siblings are still adolescents, at the ages of 3 to 4. And as another sign of age, the colors of his head crests are brightening, sexual maturity is dependent on his size, and at 6 meters long, Dylan is well on the way to being just that. But it will still be another four more years before he'll be ready to mate and raise a family. Right now, though, he's off hunting alone, while his siblings are back at the nest, waiting for him to return with a meal. He is stalking a nearby group of Scutellosaurus. He homes in on his usual target, the one that has wandered off from the rest of the group.

Whenever on the prowl, whether alone or with his siblings, Dylan never rushes. His opponents usually post lookouts in this vicinity. Fortunately though, Dylan is not stupid, he knows well that if he is spotted, the lookout will alert the others by shrieking as loudly as it can. Fortunately for Dylan, the lookout hasn't noticed him yet, though it's only a matter of time before he does. Dylan's target does sense the danger nearby, and, instead, focuses on eating the ferns it's munching on. It's a perfect opportunity for Dylan to catch his next meal. So, he seizes his chance.

Dylan bursts from out of the bushes nearby, and, quick as lightning, grabs his target and shakes it to death, while the rest of the group scatters. He drops it to the ground, and nudges it a little to make sure it's dead. Once he knows it is, he picks it up, and heads back to his nest. When he arrives back home, he places his catch on the ground and begins to feed on it, while his siblings look on.

The Next Day...

Dylan and his siblings are walking to a river to drink, where many other dinosaurs are drinking at too. After they quench their thirst, Dylan then decides to do something else remarkable about Dilophosaurus. Peering through the water, he fixes his eyes on what he sees in it, and then makes a rapid motion, grabbing something from the water, which turns out to be a fish, before swallowing it down.

Some experts believe that, because of the shape of its muzzle, and the notch at the end of it, making it look a bit like a crocodile snout, Dilophosaurus may have also caught and eaten fish.

One of Dylan's brothers spots another fish, then stands still and waits for the right moment, before, eventually, striking at his victim, grabbing it in his jaws and then swallowing it down.

4 years later... (Dylan's Ninth Year)

Dylan is now 9 years old, while his siblings are at the ages of 7 and 8, and he has now reached the moment in his life where he is now ready to start a family of his own, since the mating season has arrived for his kind and all the other dinosaurs that live here too.

A couple of Anchiosaurus, a male and a female, have just got together, and so have a couple of Scutellosaurus. When it's time to mate, the male Scutellosaurus tries to attract females by showing off its bright body colors. For Dylan and his siblings, this season in particular signals a long and lonely journey in search of a mate. Since he and his pack, alone, dominate such a huge swath of territory, he and his siblings must travel quite some distance to find a female for him to mate with.

Nearby, a pair of male Scelidosaurus are fighting over a potential female close by. Since male Scelidosaurus outnumber females, during the mating season, the males must go through a fierce competition in order to win the affections of a female. They bellow and growl at each other, and even push each other around. The more vicious ones might even lash their competitors with their tails, which is exactly what the younger male does to the older male. But even that doesn't make him back down so easily. All the while, the female quietly and patiently waits for the winner, to see who will be her , the older male summons all his remaining strength, and shoves his rival into submission. In the end, the young impatient male walks away after being defeated by the more experienced and skillful elder. The older male has triumphed and victoriously wins the right to mate, since his fighting prowess certainly seems to have impressed the female. Before he mates with her, he lets out a bellow of victory.

3 days later...

It has already been about 3 days, and Dylan and his siblings have walked many miles, searching through the forest and scrublands for a mate. They make a quick pit stop at the river so that Dylan can quench his thirst.

Nearby, a flock of Dorygnathus, which includes Dylan's old friend, is resting. They have briefly halted their migrational flight to quench their thirst, too. Once they've had their fill, they resume their long journey. Dylan's old friend approaches him to bid him farewell, until they meet again some day. When breeding season approaches, he and his flock know, by instinct, that it is time to leave. Where they're heading towards are their breeding grounds and nesting sites on the eastern coastlines where they were born. Dylan and his siblings watch them go before they do the same as they resume their quest for a mate for Dylan.

1 week later...

It has now been a week. Dylan and his siblings have spent many days searching for a mate, but his quest, so far, is a failure. But in case all that changes soon, Dylan has something that'll hopefully help win him a mate; a Scutellosaurus. A prize from a recent hunt. Not only will it be just to satisfy both his and his siblings' hunger, it will also be a gift for his new mate. If he'll ever find one that is. But then at that moment... a strange sounding call can be heard for up to 4 miles away. He and his siblings detect the mating call of a female Dilophosaurus on the opposite side of the forest, and responds by returning it to let her know that she has been heard. The mating call is music to his ears. After searching hundreds of kilometers of forest and scrubland with his siblings, he has, now, found a mate. So, they will follow the mating call in the direction it's coming from, until they find the female Dilophosaurus.

After following her mating call for about an hour now, Dylan and his younger siblings have finally reached their destination and have finally found the female Dilophosaurus. She's about the same age as Dylan, and almost as large, but he knows that winning her over won't be easy, despite how determined he is. What he needs to do is to convince her that he is the one that she wants as a mate, and that he definitely has the right genes that the next generation would rightfully inherit. So now, all he has to do is try his very best to impress her, and he'll only get one shot at it. She watches him carefully, and his siblings watch from a short distance. Dylan begins his courtship mating dance by dipping his head in a type of form of submission, showing off his beautifully colored head crests. Then, he pulls himself up to his full height, using his tail to brace against the ground for support and points his head towards the sky and spreads his arms wide open, before twirling around and combining other repeatable tactics to his courtship dance. He goes on for a few more minutes before finally stopping and stands in his place.

She approaches him cautiously, but curiously. They display their interest by sniffing each other and gently rubbing their faces against one another's. She definitely seems interested, but a little more persuasion might be necessary. Just then, Dylan remembers something. He quickly collects his gift for her, and places it at her feet. In addition to it being a gift for her, the dead Scutellosaurus also suggests that he is a good hunter, and carrying it here for many miles has proved that he is a strong male. And the fact that he is the eldest of his siblings also indicates that he is a strong leader. But if she is impressed, she isn't showing it just yet.

Now, it's time for Dylan to show some more of his eligibility. He lifts his head, and makes a soothing, vibrating sound with his throat, to calmly assure her that he's not an aggressor. The head-lifting invites her to come closer to him. Then, she gives him a little encouragement. She synchronizes every head lift and lower he does with hers, and it all creates trust between them. Then, she brushes her neck against his, which implies that the courtship was successful, and now, Dylan has won a mate. She accepts his gift, and begins to feed from it. Dylan gives her a bit of space, until she's eaten her fill. One nuzzle as one last reminder of his strength and intentions, and this is just the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. Dylan's siblings approach him and his new wife to offer their congratulations. And he introduces his new mate to his three younger brothers and two younger sisters, and she nuzzles each and every single one of them. This is her way of showing that she approves them, and Dylan, as a trustworthy family.

After a long journey, Dylan and his siblings, along with his new wife, return to their nest. And they begin to settle in for the evening. In about two years time, Dylan and his wife will mate successfully and, once well-fertilized, after that, she will soon lay up to 9 to 10 eggs, which, with great nurturing care and love, will hatch into a whole new generation of Dilophosaurus.

2 years later... (Dylan's Eleventh Year)

By age 11, Dylan is now fully grown, and measures about 7 meters in length. But before we get to him, there is a sign that the forest and scrublands are full of new life. The Scelidosaurus and Scutellosaurus nesting grounds are full of hatchings, and the rocky coastline cliffs where the Dorygnathuses colonize and nest are no different. The herds of Anchisaurus have also managed to raise a whole new generation, while the young from last year have grown a bit, and test out their new-found strength. In one nest, belonging to a female Syntarsus, many of the eggs didn't make it. Most have gone bad or more likely instead have ended up as food for egg thieves. Out of the dozen eggs she laid, only three survived. Then, she notices a little movement in one of them. Finally, it hatches, revealing the first of her three surviving young. After losing several eggs for about two months, she has, at last, brought at least one valuable new life into the world.

In Dylan's part of the forest, there are also signs of new life. Against all the odds, Dylan and his wife have managed to produce only three offspring. His brothers and sisters are now his young's proud aunts and uncles, and it's their job to look after them while he and his mate are off hunting. Eventually, Dylan knows that it has been several weeks since they've eaten, and many since they've hatched, and so he and his mate must do the best they can, and head off for a hunt, his siblings watch over their young and make sure that each of them are accounted for.

Dylan and his mate are on the prowl, and decide to go for a different, but hard, picking for a change. They soon come across an Anchisaurus. Just like his mother, Dylan has encountered this species of dinosaur before, and knows how to take on one of these creatures. And with his mate by his side, it should be even easier. They soon roar to get its attention, and it responds by growling and bellowing back at them, before striking with both of his thumb claws.

They jump back to avoid the swipes, and then launch an attack on the sauropodomorph with Dylan attacking from the front and his wife attacking from behind. Dylan grabs and bites its neck, and slashes it with his hand claws, while his mate grabs its backside and slashes it with her hand claws too. Together, they manage to bring down the herbivore and kill it. Together, they roar in victory and then nuzzle each other. Dylan picks up their kill by in front of the shoulders and drags it back to their nest.

When he and his mate return, their young are excited that they now have fresh meat to gorge on with their family. Even though it's too large for one sitting, this kill will keep the family well-fed for about 2 or 3 days.

Some day in the future, Dylan's young will reach adulthood, and will soon be able to take care of themselves and survive on their own. For right now, that is, he and his family still give them all the loving and caring support and protection they need, until then. All these different species of dinosaurs may look similar now, but in the future, they'll go their separate ways.

Scutellosaurus and Scelidosaurus will evolve into armored dinosaurs, like Stegosaurs, Ankylosaurs and Ceratopsians.

Anchisaurus, and its relatives like Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis, from further south, will evolve into sauropods, the biggest land animals of all time. Their leaf-shaped teeth are well-suited for plucking vegetation. Their necks are long for reaching into trees, and the claws on their foot is ideal for digging or pulling down branches, in addition for defense against predators.

Syntarsus and Dilophosaurus will evolve into theropods, like Allosaurus and T-rex. Their jaws are designed to absorb the stress of struggling prey. Their wishbones, only found in birds, help make their arms more flexible. And their three-toed feet allow for faster running than the plant-eaters.

Even though his species, which ruled the earth, 200 million years ago, is a formidable predator, Dilophosaurus is still a primitive dinosaur. In the future, carnivores will have 2 to 3 fingers, instead of 4. Their heads will grow larger, their bodies, more massive, and the crests will disappear. Dylan and his kind may be top dog for now, but when predators get bigger, so do their prey. And when the time comes, their descendants will then have nowhere to go… but up. It's the shape of things to come for the creatures that live in this time of the Prehistoric Planet.

(The End)

Next time on Dinosaur Life, we will talk about a male Carnotaurus named Ace and how he makes it in the world.

Author's Note:

"To discover the science behind the stories, go now to the Dinosaur Life show page."

Information from: When Dinosaurs Roamed America (2001) and Prehistoric (2009)

Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others