Synopsis: "This story shall be all about a male Giganotosaurus named Grayson, and discuss his life struggles about becoming the largest predator of South America."

Somewhere between the Huincul and Candeleros Formations/Argentina

95 million years ago/Somewhere between the Cenomanian and Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous

Somewhere along the edge of a Cretaceous forest, bordered by open plains, in a nest made of earth, twigs and leaves, is a clutch of eggs. It is the end of the dry season, and there are already signs of life. Inside one egg, a tiny little creature is trying to break through its shell, escaping his egg chamber. He manages to break free of his egg and hatch right into the world, which he is welcomed to by a warming shine of sunlight. As for what species he is, his body design is about the same as Carson the Carcharodontosaurus, only a bit more bulkier. This is a baby Giganotosaurus carolinii, one of the largest terrestrial carnivores to ever walk the Earth before Tyrannosaurus rex. A giant killer that measured up to 43 feet long and weighs around 7 tons. The biggest of all the carnosaurs. His name shall be Grayson, and he's gonna be the one that'll lead us around his forest and open plain home of 95 million years ago, to tell us, not only his story, but also the story of the dinosaurs that lived in the land that will one day eventually become Argentina in South America. Right now, his brothers and sisters are also beginning to hatch from out of their eggs too. Together, they call out, confusing him. Just then, a huge mated pair of Giganotosaurus hear the squeak of the hatchlings, and approach the nest. They are all at their mercy. Fortunately though, these are their parents. The slightly shorter one to the left is their mother, and the slightly taller one to the right is their father. Grayson stumbles out of the nest to meet them, and is immediately awestruck by their size. His parents welcome him to the world by nuzzling him before doing the same to his siblings. For now, he can rely on his parents' protection, but, within weeks, he will have to learn to stand on his own two feet. In about seven to eight years, he could become a gigantic predator like his parents, but the odds on him surviving that long, right now, are low.

3 days later...

Grayson and his siblings have been staying very close to the nest. But if anything, it is starting to become much less of a safe place to be. Nearby, a pair of predatory Buitreraptor gonzalezorum watch the brood, waiting for their chance. The mother and father Giganotosaurus are 50 times their size, so they will not venture too close while they are present. However, the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract other larger predators. So eventually, the mother and father decides that it is time to lead their unruly brood away.

2 hours later…

Grayson's family has arrived at their new home; an ancient lakeside, with trees and wide-open spaces, that will one day become the forests and plains of Argentina. Here is where all the other species of characters roam and spend most of their days. This is where Grayson and his siblings will likely be relatively safe, until, one day, they'll be old enough to take care of themselves. Right now, they're eager to explore their new home, while their mother and father rest in the shade of the tree nearby.

While two of his siblings are playing tug-of-war with a twig, one of his brothers is drinking from the shoreline of the lake and one of his sisters is trying to catch a lizard to eat, Grayson looks out over the lake at its shoreline. He doesn't know it just yet, but one day, he will rule this huge and expansive area as South America's biggest and deadliest predator. And one of the biggest terrestrial carnivores that has ever walked the planet before Tyrannosaurus rex.

3 weeks later...

The Giganotosaurus family have settled in well to their new home and their new surroundings, and have even built a new nest, where Grayson and his siblings shall be relatively safe.

While their parents out hunting, the youngsters busy and entertain themselves with play-fighting to practice and perfect their hunting skills for when the time comes that they'll be ready to hunt independently for their own survival. Grayson and one of his brothers wrestle with each other and two of his sisters play tug-of-war with a twig while the rest of his siblings are resting in the shade. The moment they hear their mother and father coming back, they immediately break from what they're doing and turn to face them.

When they arrive, it turns out that they have brought down a young Bonaparteichnium tali, a large mid-sized ichnogenus of iguanodont, ornithopod dinosaur. Since it's just a youngster, it won't be too much of a meal for either of them, but it will keep Grayson and his siblings fed for a couple of days as they begin to feed on it, and it could last them all for at least about a whole week.

3 months later...

3 months have passed, and Grayson and his siblings have now more than quadrupled in body size. They are each now about 3 meters long, and also a bit less than three quarters the size of their parents. They are each now reaching the prime of their lives, and to prove that, they will begin their first hunt today. A herd of Bonaparteichnium is grazing and browsing nearby, and the family begin to stalk them from a distance, downwind of them, so they are all unaware of the danger closeby. But no one seems quite willing to make the first move. At least, almost, no one. Being both the eldest and most confident of his siblings, in any of theirs or his mother's or father's stead, Grayson 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, father and siblings all watch him carefully. These creatures are smaller than they are, but they're not easy to take down. Grayson 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, roaring fiercely, and springs into action! Just as the Bonaparteichnium begin to scatter, Grayson manages to get a hold of one by the neck and holds on tight to it with his hand claws. The Bonaparteichnium struggles haplessly to free itself from the jaws of Grayson, but he refuses to let go and then uses his powerfully strong jaws to snap its neck as the herbivore falls on its side dead.

For Grayson, this is his first successful hunt. He places his foot on his kill and roars victoriously.

His parents and siblings are very impressed and they approach him. Grayson's mother and father proudly nuzzle their son to offer their congratulations. This is their way of showing that they approve Grayson as an experienced and skillful hunter. His siblings also congratulate their older brother by nuzzling him too, before they all then begin to feed on the carcass of the Bonaparteichnium. It will be another five more months before Grayson and his siblings will eventually leave their parents for good and be able to live and hunt on their own.

2 years later…. (Grayson's Second Year)

Grayson now hunts alone, with only two of his brothers and two of his sisters for companionship. They have left their parents, and have also parted ways with the rest of their siblings, and are now thriving real well. Right now, they are expanding their home territory, which includes mostly forests and plains. And whilst doing so, since it's been a week since they last fed, they are also currently searching for another meal. There's a wide variety of choices to make in these forests and on these plains. A small group of Jakapil kaniukura, a small, early form of possible basal thyreophoran, grazing on low-lying plants nearby look ideal, but there's a big problem. A huge male Limaysaurus tessonei is working his way through a cycad stand, nearby. The Jakapil feed off the smashed ferns, shrubs, bushes and cycads he leaves behind. This means they're sticking very close to him. Too close for even a pack of small predators to get in between and attack. A mother Buitreraptor attending her nest mound may prove more promising. But the small Giganotosaurus and his siblings are about to find out they are no match for an overprotective mother. The Buitreraptor kicks up dust and snarls, hisses and screeches at them as she attempts to ward them off. Knowing better than to get too close, the pack walks off to find something else that'll prove more promising.

Nearby, a group of Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis offers Grayson and his pack one more chance. They seize the moment and charge straight at them, but the Gasparinisaura scatter the minute they notice them, causing them to fail, and roar in frustration. They have all forgotten that they are ambush predators. They have also ended up on the edge of the forest, and decide to venture on out into the open, in an attempt to expand their territory a bit more.

Nearby, a herd of Andesaurus delgadoi, a type of basal titanosaur, are crashing through the outer forest and out onto the open plains, looking for new plant growth. Not exactly suitable prey for Grayson and his siblings.

Back among the trees, after expanding their territory a bit more, Grayson and his siblings have picked up the scent of something that could help them with their huge appetites, and after about 10 minutes of searching, they finally come upon a dead Rayososaurus agrioensis, being feasted upon by a pack of Ekrixinatosaurus novasi, a 26 foot long Abelisaurid, out in the open, and decide to steal it from them. While the Ekrixinatosaurus are busy feeding, Grayson approaches them with his brothers and sisters and gets their attention with a bellowing roar. The pack is none too pleased to see them and try to heat them off with a warning of hisses and growls, but Grayson will not stand for this and he asserts his dominance, forcing them all away from the carcass with the help of one of his two younger brothers. He then aggressively bellows out a series of growls and roars at the Ekrixinatosaurus as he forces them to back off. He gives out one last mighty roar as a warning to them, before turning his attention to the carcass as his siblings perfect it. The Ekrixinatosaurus are deeply angered and dismayed by this, but, unfortunately, they know that there is nothing they could do about it. So, they decide to come back at a later date to reclaim their share once their larger rivals have had their fill and eventually leave. For now at least, Grayson and his younger brothers and sisters begin to feed upon the carcass of the dead Rayososaurus.

2 years later…. (Grayson's Fourth Year)

2 more years have passed, and nearby, a herd of Bonaparteichnium are feeding on the lush vegetation around the lakeside. Watching them from the forest edge within the trees is Grayson and his brothers and sisters. He is now 4 years old, and has now grown into a young adolescent male, with his younger brothers at the age of 3, and his younger sisters, at the age of 2. They all lock onto their chosen target; an unwary individual that has wandered off from the rest of the herd. As the alpha male of his sibling pack, Grayson will start the hunt off alone, and then give his younger siblings the special signal by his command to join in and help him out with the rest.

Whenever he is on the prowl, Grayson knows not to rush. He knows that his opponents usually take turns posting as lookouts in this vicinity. Fortunately though, none of the lookouts have him just yet, though it's only a matter of time before any of them do. Grayson's target doesn't sense him approaching nearby, and instead focuses on eating the patch of low-lying vegetation that it is currently grazing upon. It's the perfect opportunity for Grayson and his pack to catch their next meal. So, he seizes it and comes bursting out of the trees and rushes straight towards his quarry! By the time the Bonaparteichnium notices him, it's too late. Grayson latches onto its neck with his jaws and teeth and grasps and holds onto and slashes it with his arms and hand claws. Once he gives them the signal, his siblings also come running out of the trees and join the attack. The hapless prey struggles in vain. Once caught, no dinosaur can escape the 8,000 pounds of pressure from the jaws of the Giganotosaurus. His 76 blade-like teeth are like knives slicing into flesh. One of Grayson's sisters clamps her jaws down on the Bonaparteichnium' hip region while the other one bites down on its tail and one of his brothers grabs its left arm with his jaws. The Giganotosaurus siblings use their strength to pin the struggling dinosaur as they wrestle it to the ground, and then Grayson finally makes the killing bow. They have perfected another kill, and begin to feed on the carcass.

By now, the scent of blood has wafted through the forest and across the plains. The hungry Buitreraptors that have just arrived, won't miss this opportunity. And they're not alone, as they are not the only ones that've been attracted here by this plentiful bounty. Bicentenaria argentina, a type of coelurosaur, just about 3 meters long, and Alnashetri cerropoliciensis, a genus of alvarezsaurid; a type of small and feathered, bird-like dinosaur. They, too, have been attracted here by the irresistible opportunity for food. As scavengers, these smaller carnivores never pass up an opportunity to bring themselves to a feast. But even these uninvited visitors respect Grayson and his siblings' position as one of the apex predators of this environment. They know they must wait for them to finish their meal before they start any of theirs. Eventually, the Giganotosaurus siblings have eaten their fill and they abandon the carcass for the smaller scavengers to pick over. Grayson and his siblings will now be able to go for more than a week or so without hunting. Grayson and his siblings have been having a lucky day. Likewise for the Buitreraptors, Bicentenaria and Alnashetri, who can all now devour this bounty together in peace.

1 year later…. (Grayson's Fifth Year)

A year passes, and many of the forests' and plains' permanent residents are going about their usual daily life routines and doing their normal everyday activities. But with one particular individual, it's something a little different this time. Nearby, a familiar face shows up; Grayson. He is now 5 years old, and right now, he is currently patrolling, and even expanding, his pack's territory. He and his brothers and sisters have still been sustaining themselves on small to medium-sized prey animals, such as Bonaparteichnium, Gasparinisaura and Jakapil, and also just about anything else they can catch. But they're still growing up fast, and it won't too long before they're ready to take on larger prey, such as sauropods. For now, though, Grayson continues on his merry way.

No sooner was he out of sight, when, suddenly, a pair of small furry mammals called Cronopio dentiacutus then appear from out of the bushes, looking for food. They are a type of Meridiolestidan mammal that are more closely related to modern-day marsupials and placental mammals than to monotremes, like the Echidna and Platypus of Australia. The other species of non-dinosaurian creatures that lived here in the Candeleros Formation at this time are 3 species of the small notosuchian crocodyliform, Araripesuchus; A. buitreraensis, A. manzanensis and A. patagonicus, a type of basal snake, Najash rionegrina, two different types of rhynchocephalians, Priosphenodon avelasi and Tika giacchinoi, A species of pipimorph frog, Avitabatrachus uliana, a primitive type of genus of lungfish, Ceratodus argentinus, and two species of small primitive turtles, Prochelidella buitreraensis and Elkanemys pritchardi.

3 years later…. (Grayson's Eighth Year)

3 more years have gone by, and a massive herd of both the biggest species of dinosaur and sauropod to ever walk the Earth, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, is on the move. This herd is most likely to be residential to Grayson's territory, even though they are known to move from place to place. Dinosaurs of these sizes are constantly on the move. Having eaten their fill, they head for greener pastures, as well as their breeding grounds, since the mating season is approaching. But today, one of them is likely to get left behind. Trailing them from behind are Grayson and his family pack of brothers and sisters. Grayson is now 8 years old with his two younger brothers at age 7 and his two younger sisters at age 6. They have all grown into adolescent teenagers, and have all reached a certain size where they are ready to hunt and take down large, difficult prey, such as sauropods. They have been tracking the herd of Argentinosaurus for up to about 1 or 2 hours now, and they've already selected their victim; a young female member of the herd. What they'll do is use their knowledge of teamwork and take turns, running into the herd and test it for weaknesses.

Starting in earnest at first, as several hours pass by, time after time after time, Grayson and his sibling pack relentlessly attacked the young female Argentinosaurus, trying to separate her off from the rest of the herd, which they eventually managed to do so. With nothing else they could do to save her, the rest of the herd is reluctantly and mournfully forced to abandon her and move on. But the sauropods will still live on, and a whole new generation of titans will leave their footprints in the mud. After separating the young female from the rest of the herd, the Giganotosaurus siblings then keep on attacking their target, hoping to wear her down from exhaustion and blood loss. If they can bring her down, and make the kill, they won't need to feed again for 2 or 3 months.

Several hours later...

As night falls, after several more hours, exhaustion, shock and blood loss, from the injuries she had sustained in the hunt, have all finally, at last, brought the young female Argentinosaurus onto her side. Grayson and his brothers and sisters have finally claimed their next meal. Although it should be enough to last them for either 2 or 3 months, like always, there's an urgency in their feeding. They know that the smell of blood will soon attract opportunistic scavengers that are just as active at night as they are, and every carnivore wants a share of the kill.

2 years later…. (Grayson's Tenth Year)

2 years have passed, and Grayson, now 10 years old, is seen resting amongst some trees. Nearby, the passing herd of Argentinosaurus, currently being stalked and tracked by his siblings, who are now 8 and 9 years old, are approaching. Grayson wakes up and then notices the herd approaching his location. Grayson is an experienced hunter, but the herd, itself, presents a formidable barrier to predators. But Grayson and his brothers and sisters are not the only ones stalking the herd. This time, they are joined by several of some of their friends. When the time is right to attack, the pack then assembles and fully unites, and the chosen victim is a huge bull Argentinosaurus. They surround the target from all sides, with Grayson and his brothers and sisters at the front end, and let the rest of the herd pass by, as they begin to start attacking the sauropod by biting down on his legs, but this does no harm to him, and thus, minorily wounding the giant, as he still stands firmly strong. Just then, one of them, which is neither Grayson or any of his siblings, gets hit and whacked to the ground by the Argentinosaurus' tail, thus, severely injured in the process. Despite their numbers and their powerful jaws, the Giganotosaurus siblings and their friends can't bring down such a giant. At least, not very quickly. Then, as Grayson clamps down on one of the sauropod's front legs, it rears up, with Grayson still holding on before ultimately being forced to let go, and then crashes back down to the ground as an intimidation display of strength to show the pack that he's had enough of this. Feeling no further combat, the pack finally gives in as Grayson calls off the hunt and orders them to wisely back down, and the bull Argentinosaurus continues forward to catch up with the rest of his herd.

Tearing off pieces of skin and letting the large prey bleed to death, or die from infection, is a strategy more likely to succeed. Giganotosaurus could wait days, even weeks, between meals... but this time, they won't have to. With the attention now focused on the downed pack member that was struck by the Argentinosaurus' tail, displaying the cruelty of life, looks like Grayson and his pack will probably most likely have to resort to cannibalism.

1 year later…. (Grayson's Twelfth Year)

At age 12, Grayson has now grown into a young adult, while his brothers and sisters are at the ages of 10 and 11. And although they are each now 16 meters long, they're still not yet fully grown. Right now, they are currently on the hunt.

At this time of year, in Spring, large herds of herbivores, including Argentinosaurus, Bonaparteichnium, Gasparinisaura and Jakapil gather to feed on the lush new plant growth of these vast open plains along the edge of the forest that create excellent feeding grounds for them. But where there are large numbers of plant eaters…. there are great hunters, or meat eaters. Grayson and his siblings watch from close by, observing the herds and probing for any opportunities. Like most predators, their kind usually ambush their prey. But with so many watching eyes, they know that this is not the right time to attack. They'll wait for nightfall, and the cover of darkness, which will give them an advantage over their prey.

Several hours later…

As darkness falls, some of the herds that had been grazing and browsing out in the open retreat into the forest for shelter. Now, the odds switch in favor of the predators, like Grayson and his siblings, who are resting nearby. Grayson wakes up and slowly and silently gets to his feet. All predatory theropod dinosaurs like them have relatively much larger eyes than their prey, which gives them superb low-light vision, but only somewhat better than that of their prey. Grayson gently nudges his brothers, waking them up. His brothers yawn and get to their feet. Grayson and his brothers then nuzzle their sisters, who also wake up and get to their feet. Soon, they're on the prowl, once again. And like all their cousins and relatives, they're able to move through the forest in near-silence, thanks to cushioned pads on their feet.

They come upon a group of Bonaparteichnium grazing in the forest. They lack armor, but they're half as big as Giganotosaurus, and just as fast. To catch one, in these types of conditions, needs cunning. Each of the sibling hunters carefully moves into position. Then, one of them, Grayson, deliberately makes a noise. The Bonaparteichnium are officially alarmed. They now know that hunters are close, but they don't know exactly where they are out there in the darkness. Time to spring the trap.

Two of Grayson's siblings rush out! They chase the Bonaparteichnium straight to where they want them! The herd panics, and bolts to where Grayson and his other two siblings are waiting…. in ambush. They burst out of hiding and Grayson gets a hold of one by the neck. Then, they all work together to knock over their prey and pin it down so they can make the final killing blow. The rest of the herd continues running for their lives without looking back.

A perfectly executed plan. Now, another meal has been provided for Grayson and his siblings. He grabs it in his jaws by the base of its neck and he and his brothers and sisters take their kill back to their lair, where they can eat it in safety and peace.

5 months later...

5 months have passed, and the dry season has just returned to this region. A season of sauropods has wreaked havoc on the land. For Argentinosaurus, the biggest species of both dinosaur and sauropod the world has ever known... it's time to go. But not all of them have been able to leave the area. This male, around the age of 60, has just recently died of that very reason in particular. Many in the herd are likely to be his offspring. But now, at last, sadly, his long life has now come to an end. The herd has been mournfully forced to abandon him and move on with the next generation.

As hours pass, his immense corpse has now become a magnet for scavengers, like these small Buitreraptors. But biting through a 3 inch thick hide is beyond any of their power. Very frustrating. Just then, to make matters worse, Grayson and his siblings arrive, as they have been drawn here by the scent of the corpse as well. Together, they establish their dominance and the Buitreraptors immediately clear out. Then, they begin to feast on the corpse. With their 8 inch long teeth, tearing through an Argentinosaurus' tough skin is not a problem. With all five of them feeding from all sides, no matter which direction any of the Buitreraptors come from whilst trying to sneak in and steal some meat, they always catch them and drive them off. Grayson's species might be able to bully Buitreraptors, but a carcass as big as this soon attracts more formidable competition.

Thanatosdrakon amaru, a giant pterosaur. One of the few creatures that will challenge an adult Giganotosaurus. One strike from its 5 - 6 foot long beak could easily cost any of the Giganotosaurus siblings an eye. Even so, he knows better than to push his luck since he's alone and outnumbered, and it seems that none of them are going to back down. Just then, more squawking is heard. But the arrival of two more Thanatosdrakon… changes the odds. After all three beaks are deadlier than one.

The pterosaurs start to slowly approach their rivals, but as soon as Grayson and his pack begin to lunge at them, they then change tactics, they split up, with one distracting each of the Giganotosaurus siblings, then one flies up onto the Argentinosaurus carcass. This gets the Giganotosaurus siblings' attention and they approach and then aggressively roar, growl and snarl at him. And the pterosaur, in return, screeches and squawks back at them. Then, they all regroup and start to fly around the Giganotosaurus siblings, and then start mobbing and pecking at them.

For Grayson and his siblings, this is now too dangerous. With no other choice to win this, they abandon the carcass to the pterosaurs, and one aggressively squawks loudly at them one last time. As tempting as they are, some fights just aren't worth the risk. For now, the giant pterosaurs have, temporarily, won. They quickly eat all they can. But, Grayson and his siblings will certainly be back to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Once their flying rivals either leave, or, with full stomachs, make themselves more easier to attack.

6 years later…. (Grayson's Eighteenth Year)

Six more years have passed, and for all the region's dinosaurs, it is a very special time of year; it is the mating season, and there are many signs that love is already in the air. This is the time of year when the forests and plains become very lively. When it's time to mate, each male of every species must do whatever it takes to win the affections of the females.

For Argentinosaurus, crowds of females scrutinize newly arrived males, assessing their strength and suitability. The males then start to display. During this, they rock back on their tails and stand on their hind legs to impress potential mates. Those males with the most impressive displays will attract the most females. But there might be a weak spot in that plan as one male is about to find out. This huge bull, white with dust, has held the center stage for two weeks. He weighs nearly 80 tons. And his display has, so far, intimidated all challengers. But this new arrival… is not deterred. Instead, he continues to glare right into the eyes of his opponent, showing him that he is willing to challenge him to an inevitable duel. With that, the two males circle each other, knowing that there is only one way for dominance to be established. With creatures this size, the forces at work during these confrontations are colossal. Enough to shatter ribs and shake the ground. The males first engage by circling each other, followed by necking, like modern Giraffes, pushing and shoving. That's usually bloodless. The two males rear up, and then, like modern Elephant Seals, they body slam into each other, clashing necks, like modern Giraffes, and then began to wrestle each other. They repeat this several times, circling each other and staring each other down before rearing up and colliding. In one clash, the dominant male pushes his rival back. The new arrival responds by resorting to more primal tactics, biting down on the nape of the dominant male to grab him and break contact.

Lifting up such a huge body is exhausting. It's a battle of endurance. As the conflict intensifies, each fighter tries to wound the other, stabbing with sharp dagger-like spikes on each thumb and raking the skin with their teeth. Eventually, it is the dominant male that seems to be getting pushed back, and, as his younger rival repeatedly stabs at him with his thumb claws, or spikes, and bites at his neck, raking his skin off with his pencil-shaped teeth, the old bull appears to grow weaker. Until, eventually... with one final neck swing from the young bull to the old bull ...the knockout blow. All the females bellow out, either in surprise or to congratulate the new champion. The older male tries to stand back up, but the impact of his 80-ton body hitting the ground proved too much, and he collapses, unable to fight anymore. The old bull's rule is finally over. The young victor takes his turn on the center stage. The price of defeat, for some, is very high.

Elsewhere, since male Bonaparteichnium outnumber females, they must go through a fierce competition to win the affections of a female. They bellow and grunt at each other and even peck one another with their beak-like snouts. The more vicious ones might even lash their competitors with their tails. All the while, the females quietly wait to see which males will be their chosen partners. For one dueling pair, both males still go at it for about a couple more minutes, until, eventually, after one last hard head-butt, in the end, the younger impatient male walks away after being defeated by the more experienced and skillful elder, who bellows in victory.

Meanwhile, Grayson is also prepared for the mating season. At age 18, he has now finally reached sexual maturity. For him and his brothers and sisters, who are now at ages 17 and 16, this season signals the chance for them to create and raise a family of their very own. He proceeds to head off into the wilds of his homeland in search of a mate, leaving his siblings to safely guard and patrol their nest and lair until he gets back. Since he, alone, along with his siblings, dominates such a huge range of 600 square kilometers of territory, he must travel quite some distance, and for quite some time, in order to find a female with whom to mate.

10 days later...

Grayson has spent 10 days searching for a mate, and along the way, he has recently made a kill of a young teenaged Bonaparteichnium a couple days back as a gift for whom if he finds one. Then at the very moment, his efforts are about to finally pay off. He then detects the mating call of a female Giganotosaurus that continues to echo throughout the forests and plains, and has heard them loud and clear. And so, he responds to her calls by returning them to let her know that she has been heard, before picking up his gift for her in his jaws and continuing on his way to her.

Eventually, after following the female's response for about 8 minutes, he finally finds her at last. She is standing on the outskirts of his territory, as she has waited for who she attracted here to arrive. She's about the same age and size as Grayson, and just as powerful. Now, Grayson just has to impress her by showing off his best possible moves to win her over. She seems interested, but he can sense, and knows, that she is wary. So, a little persuasion might have to be necessary. Grayson knows that there's no guarantee that he'll be successful, but he is determined. But he knows that he still needs to be careful. Because he also knows that if she misjudges the approach, it could all be over in a matter of seconds. He must first prove to her that he has what it takes when it comes to producing the next generation. In addition to being a prize from a recent hunt and a gift to appease her, the dead teenaged Bonaparteichnium also suggests that he is a good hunter, and carrying it all the way here has proved that he's a strong male. Then, he begins to perform a type of courtship mating dance. She watches him carefully. He slowly bobs his head up and down and produces a deep romping sound, before bowing down and raising his tail up and swaying from side to side. Then, he raises his head up all the way and also makes a soothing vibrating with his throat. His mesmerizing movement and deep romping calls seem to be eliciting the right response, thus impressing her. And she mirrors his courtship dance. But the ultimate sign of trust is exposing his neck. At last, she shows him that she accepts him as a mate by gently rubbing his face with hers and gently brushing her neck on his. And they both make a type of deep low rumbling sound as they nuzzle each other. They form their relationship, and then, Grayson places his gift for her at her feet and then gives her some space. The female inspects his present for a few seconds and then begins to feed from it, as she has accepted him for who and what he is. Even so, until she finishes eating the teenaged Bonaparteichnium, Grayson still keeps his distance. When she finally does, Grayson and his new mate then head off together.

5 hours later…

After a long, 10-day journey, Grayson and his new wife have returned to his nest and lair. And so, Grayson then introduces his younger brother and sisters to his mate. She greets them each with a gentle nuzzle. This is her way of showing that she approves them, along with Grayson, as a trustworthy family.

Later that evening, Grayson and his new wife begin to mate. And this is the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. They will keep doing this for about the next few weeks, until she is fully well-fertilized. Eventually, in the not too distant future, she will soon lay a large clutch of eggs that, in about 2 months time after that, will hatch into a whole new generation of Giganotosaurus.

1 year later…. (Grayson's Nineteenth Year)

Two months ago, each species of dinosaur laid a foundation for the future. And so, as a result, lots of the eggs that have been laid have hatched. The Argentinosaurus nesting ground is once again teeming with new life; up to thousands more of hatchlings. Without their mothers' protection, they will have to go it alone and immediately fend for themselves, staying completely safe and well-hidden, until they're both big and old enough to join their herd.

The Bonaparteichnium nesting grounds are also full of new life. The young from last year have grown, and test out their newfound strength. But in one nest, its clutch of eggs were not so lucky, except for two. The nest's owner is a Buitreraptor, she has been committed to making sure that her offspring survive, though, unfortunately, all of her eggs, except two, have either been eaten through or stolen to eat by egg thieves. But, after two months of care and patience, she notices a little movement in the only two that have survived. Finally, they hatch. After everything she had been through, the Buitreraptor has managed to bring a pair of valuable new lives into the world.

In Grayson's lair, there are also signs of new life. By age 19, Grayson is now fully grown and weighs 7 tons. His mate is the same as him. and his younger brother and sisters are at the ages of 18 and 17. Against the odds, Grayson and his mate have managed to produce four offspring. They're all about ten weeks old, and can already move around quite well. Grayson's brothers and sisters are now the proud aunts and uncles of his children, and it will be their job to guard and protect them whenever he and his mate are off hunting. Giganotosaurus was one of the undisputed top predators of South America, maybe even "the" top/apex predator of which, and dominated its forests and plains for 95 million years. But by about 93, it eventually became extinct. And the reason for that is simple; Just like with its closest relative, Mapusaurus, when many of the prey animals that it hunted, like Argentinosaurus, disappeared from South America, 93 million years ago, so did it. So, until that happens, for now at least, Grayson and his family will protect and raise their young, and also teach them how to hunt, until they're old enough to hunt with them and, eventually, live by themselves. And also, become one of the most incredible giant predators that has ever existed on our Prehistoric Planet.

(The End)

Next time on Dinosaur Life, we will document the life of a male Tarbosaurus named Patch, and we shall follow him as he grows from hatchling to adult.

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), Chased By Dinosaurs (2002), Dinosaur Planet (2003) and Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia (2007).

Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others