Synopsis: "This story will be all about the young life of a male Coelophysis named Cyrus."

Chinle Formation/Arizona

220 million years ago/Somewhere between the Norian and Rhaetian stages of the Late Triassic

Somewhere, on the large and vast supercontinent of Pangea, in a nest of Triassic sand, is a clutch of eggs. In one of them, a tiny little creature is trying to break free from it. Using his snout to push through, he breaks through the outer shell. It is the end of the wet season, and there are already signs of life.

Once the little creature is free from his egg, he is welcomed to the world by a warming shine of sunlight. As for what species he is, this is a baby Coelophysis bauri. His name is, and will be, Cyrus, and he will be the main character of this story, which he's going to lead us throughout.

Right now, all around him, his siblings start to break free of their eggs. He has like about six brothers and five sisters. Just then, a pair of adult Coelophysis, who hear them squeaking, approach the nest. Cyrus notices them and tries to approach them, himself, but tumbles out of the nest, trying to do so.

As he gets back onto his feet, both he and his siblings are at their mercy. Fortunately, these are their parents. The smaller one to the right is their mother, and the larger one to the left is their father. They both lick and then nuzzle Cyrus, welcoming him to the world, themselves, 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 five to six years, he could become a swift and speedy, agile predator like his parents, but the odds on him surviving that long are low.

5 days later...

Cyrus and his siblings have been staying close to the nest, under the watchful eye of their parents. But, however, the parents soon realize that the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract predators from far and wide. So, eventually, they decide that it is time to lead their unruly brood away.

When Cyrus and his family arrive at their destination, the local river, he soon finds that he has been born into a world that is mostly made of large swathes of forests, dry deserts, and open prairies. But there's also scrubland, too. All of this will, forever, be his home. And, some day, all this will be his new territory, too.

Even though it's the end of the wet season, the local river is full. But, it will not remain this lush. And ahead, lies nine months with no rain. But Cyrus and his family are among the one type of reptile that has evolved to thrive in drought. Dinosaurs like Coelophysis, like them, can survive on very little water. Dinosaurs first appeared around 10 million years before, as small predators. But what makes them unique is special hips and ankles that allow them to stand perfectly balanced on two legs, which are kept underneath their bodies like humans. With lightning-fast reactions, they're built to survive.

Cyrus soon finds out that he has been born into a world that was once, and right now, still is, dominated by old-school reptiles. Before the arrival of dinosaurs and small furry mammals, amphibians and reptiles dominated the Triassic. But these ancient creatures have had their day.

For one example of its residents; Metoposaurus bakeri, a primitive, slow-moving amphibian, just about 3 feet long, lives here. And for another, it's only flying resident, Peteinosaurus zambelli, a small flying reptile, called a pterosaur, with a 2 foot wingspan with extra-long fingers to support its delicate wing membranes. It also, unlike most pterosaurs, has a relatively long tail, and a jaw full of needle-sharp teeth for catching and eating its favorite food, something that also plays a part in Cyrus and his family's diet: Insects, such as Dragonflies and Locusts.

Insects, like these, have been on Earth for over 100 million years, and evolved long before the first reptiles. And over 100 million years ago, some took to the air, and became aerial killers. But by the beginning of the Triassic era, these hunters have now become the hunted. And they are a source of prey for Coelophysis and Peteinosaurus.

Since he is able to run and jump well after hatching, and has a jaw full of functioning teeth, Cyrus is ready for his first meal, and so are his siblings. But they're only deduced to insects and small reptiles and amphibians, since they're not yet ready to take on large prey. But even small prey requires skill to catch. They're either liable to fly or run away, or worse still, stand their grounds and fight.

While his siblings are chasing small lizards, Cyrus is trying to catch a dragonfly. He jumps and tries to grab it, but misses it and falls into the shallow part of the river. He surfaces for a breath, and swims back to his parents along the shoreline, sticking very close to it. When he reaches his parents, he walks back onto dry land, dripping wet. His siblings investigate and inspect him before he shakes the water off of himself. It seems that, in addition to being a good runner, he's also an expert swimmer, too. But his hunting skills are still lacking. His siblings are no different. They all still have a lot to learn.

3 months later...

3 months have passed, and Cyrus and his eleven siblings have more than quadrupled in size. Their hunting skills are almost fully perfected. They just need to improve them once more by hunting and bringing down a large prey item with their parents, since they're each and all now just about big enough to do so.

For example, a growing chorus of calls signals the arrival of a huge herd of Placerias hesternus, a giant, herbivorous, hippo-like reptile, just about 12 feet long. They are making their way down from the fern scrubland for their morning drink. They're impressive 1 ton beasts that are not related to dinosaurs, but are a much more ancient type of endangered species of old-school reptile with sharp tusks which are used for digging up roots. But on a predator or two angry males, these tusks can also make lethal weapons.

And nearby, Desmatosuchus spurensis, an armadillo-like reptile, also about 12 feet long, forages for food. Despite its fierce demeanor, it, too, is a docile plant-eater. It uses its snout to nip ferns and root out tubers, as well as to dig for roots and plant bulbs. The armor on its back is protection. Even its underbelly is plated. The spikes on its shoulders are a foot and a half long... for a good reason.

For the swift Coelophysis, like Cyrus and his family, Placerias and Desmatosuchus are prey. Both species are fair game for a whole pack of Coelophysis, but they're too much for just one. But they're also fair game for any other worthy predator. Like two more large reptiles that are predators like Cyrus and his kind, but also give them hard times too.

At 20 feet, Rutiodon carolinensis is one of the largest predators around. Its legs are short, and project outward from its body, which inhibits speed. And then, there's its relative, another ancient crocodile relative and the Triassic's top predator; Postosuchus kirkpatricki, a merciless ambush predator. The largest carnivore on Earth, before Tyrannosaurus rex.

These two large reptiles in particular cause problems for Cyrus' species, every now and then, but Cyrus and his kind are destined to replace them as the new top predator of the Triassic, and what Cyrus and his siblings are about to do with their parents is one way to do so. They target the old and weak in the slow-moving herd, but they all can sense that one member of the herd is in a pretty poor condition. So, that's the one they decide to target, because they're not just gonna run in and try to attack the first one they find, it could be that that creature is bigger than they are, or, more importantly, it's completely healthy and can defend itself. So, once they've now picked out their prey, they're going to attack. And the Placerias is gonna be in dire trouble.

The Placerias herd has stopped to graze on low-lying plants and browse on bushes. As the Coelophysis family wait for the perfect moment, unknown to the rest of the herd, the ill Placerias can sense that something is not right, but, unfortunately, it's too late. The Coelophysis family rushes in, and they all try to inflict as much injury as they can, slashing with their hand claws and biting with their unique serrated teeth using their snake-like necks to strike with their heads, before retreating to safety and repeating the same technique called the "Slash and Dash", a method that other, later, pack-hunting carnivores, like Raptors, such as Velociraptor, would inherit.

After several strikes and attacks, the sickened Placerias, now fully injured and weakened, will not last long. The worried herd knows that their ill herd mate will not last much longer, so, eventually, they are reluctantly forced to abandon him and move on. Instead of risking injury to themselves, after the many of initial attacks they made, Cyrus and his family hold back, and so, all they have to do now, is wait for both time, and the fatal wounds they've made, to finally finish off the herbivorous reptile.

After several hours, eventually, at last, a combination of his sickness, shock and blood loss defeats the weakened Placerias, and it succumbs to its injuries as it is brought to its knees. For Cyrus, this is his first successful hunt. As well as all his siblings'. Now they have all the skills and experience they will need to take care of themselves. But they will still stay with their parents for about eight more months, before then. But for now, at least, they and their parents can enjoy their well-earned meal together. But they'll have to quickly eat and take as much as they can, before the smell of blood attracts other Coelophysis, or worse, the Triassic's two larger predators, Rutiodon and Postosuchus.

1 year later... (Cyrus' First Year)

Cyrus now hunts alone with his siblings. While they have left their parents and are thriving, they have stayed together with each other to form a family pack of their own. As the oldest and biggest of his clan, Cyrus is the leader of his pack; the alpha male. But there is something different about his pack. Two of his siblings, both his youngest brother and sister, are missing.

(A Flashback Occurs)

It appears that his youngest brother was killed by a Postosuchus in a fight over a kill that they have recently made. And that his youngest sister died of starvation during a period of heat and famine, since it is, once again, the end of the wet season and the beginning of the dry season.

(The Flashback Ends)

Cyrus, at first, had six brothers and five sisters. But after what happened before, now, there are only five males and four females. Even though his kind are adapted to thrive and survive in drought, they still require sustenance every now and then. So, he will protect the rest of his younger siblings with his life, since he's got the right instincts, but he will need some help in order to do so. All he and his siblings can do is wait until they come upon more Coelophysis their ages to join, since Coelophysis usually gather in large numbers at this time of year, the middle of the dry season, to form huge packs of ferocity, speed and intelligence. Doing this helps this species of dinosaur in particular win the game of survival. Better known as, the "Triassic Challenge".

For right now, though, he and his remaining siblings had just crossed the huge expanse of red desert that makes up most of their territory and is a huge part of their hunting grounds and are searching for prey in the scrublands at the local river, where only the vegetation around there remains lush. It's also where the Placerias herds often spend their days at. Desmatosuchus often pay regular visits here too, sometimes. There's a lot of residences of Cyrus and his pack's territory, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Further downriver, is one of the Triassic's most bizarre animals. The Cynodont is a missing link between reptiles and mammals. Making it more of a mammal-like reptile. He starts to head back to where he lives. As he runs, his backbone moves from side to side like that of a reptile. But he has hair, or fur, and lives down a burrow, like a mammal.

Deep inside, his mate sleeps on a bed of lichen. The bond between Cynodonts is extraordinarily strong. They pair for life. The two Cynodonts nuzzle before the female lays her head back down. Like all land reptiles, Cynodonts lay eggs. But, after hatching, the young are utterly dependent on their parents. And, they spend their first three months, feeding from special milk glands on the mother's stomach, just like mammals.

Some think of Cynodonts as sort of like stem-mammals, but this is still being debated.

This form of reproduction has evolved to protect their young from the daylight predators outside, like Cyrus and his siblings. By day, even the father sticks close to the safety of the burrow, and carries out domestic chores. He only hunts at night. In the not-too distant future, small furry mammals will evolve from reptiles like these.

But they're not the only ones here. Cyrus's pack is curiously investigating another burrow in the forest which isn't a Cynodont burrow, but that of a Cynodont relative, as Cyrus and his pack are about to find out when the owner of soon pops out of the burrow and bark-like growls at them in an aggressive way, startling them. Traversodont is a mammal-like reptile like Cynodonts, and like them, to improve its chances for survival, it hunts and feeds at night, and sleeps all day in a burrow. Although its fossils were found in South America, it could've lived in North America too, since the continents were fused together at the time. Cyrus and his siblings seem to have disturbed him and, so, wisely decide to leave him alone and head back to the scrublands and river.

They soon spot an Adelobasileus cromptoni, a small furry insectivore, just 4 inches long, the size of a mouse, and, as so, a smaller relative of Cynodonts and Traversodonts, but mostly more mammalian than reptilian, except for the possible theory that they laid eggs too, which is another theory that's still being debated. Like its two larger relatives, it too may've rested in underground burrows for safety, which is not helping now. Cyrus sneaks up quietly from behind, and then, he strikes with his neck, and grabs the little mammal very fast, killing it in an instant, and devouring it whole. But the Adelobasileus wasn't much of a meal, which is why he and his clan still need to keep searching for fresh meat and, also, insects like Dragonflies and Locusts. But, they also still need compadres.

The residents of Cyrus's territory include; the Placerias herd, some Desmatosuchus, a few Rutiodons, a flock of Peteinosaurus, the family of Cynodonts, a couple of Traversodonts, many Adelobaslieus, and only one Postosuchus. And the only Coelophysis that live here are Cyrus's clan, until more Coelophysis show up to join them, that is.

2 hours later...

While Cyrus and his pack are still searching for food, in temperatures of over 40 degrees centigrade, the Placerias and other large reptiles need lots of water. And these ancient reptiles have to spend more time at the river. But the Placerias herd is nervous, they know this is definitely a good place for an ambush.

Approaching the river, from the other side, is the resident Postosuchus. This is a female, about 20 feet long. Right now, she is not hunting. She has recently eaten her fill, and, also, needs to come down to the river to drink. She approaches the river from atop of the waterfall.

6 meters long, heavily-built with an armored back, she needs a huge amount of food and water, and, therefore, has to find a mate and defend a very large territory. Even if it's part of Cyrus's. This is not the same Postosuchus that killed Cyrus's youngest brother, because that happened long before now.

Like Cyrus and his pack, she may intimidate most of the other residents that live here, even Coelophysis like them, but, the only creature on the planet she fears... is another Postosuchus. She then steps back, rears up on her hind legs, and lets out a mighty roar.

3 months later...

It is, now, the middle of the dry season, and months since any rain. Across the drying scrublands, smaller rivers are drying out. In one, a Peteinosaurus risks a cooling bath. It constantly checks for danger. Meanwhile, the Cynodonts lie secure and cool throughout the hottest part of the day, but no animal here is truly safe, as they are about to find out.

Cyrus and his sibling pack have just picked up the scent of their bedding. Soon. they're exploring the entrance. And they're not alone. Three more Coelophysis, around their ages, who are some new friends they've made recently, appear to help them. Sensing danger, the Cynodonts start barking and growling.

Clearly, while they have met Traversodonts and Adelobasileus before, these dinosaurs have not met Cynodonts before. Then, the male Cynodont then pops his front end out of the burrow and growls aggressively at them, scaring the Coelophysis off.

Meanwhile, at the local river, or whatever's left of it, that is, one of the resident Desmatosuchus, a male, is foraging for sustainable plant growth. Only, little does he know, he's come across the trio of resident Rutiodons' stretch of the river. One of the three Rutiodons notices him, and is definitely not pleased to see him trespassing on their turf, and so, decides to confront him. The Desmatosuchus notices the Rutiodon approaching him, and turns to face him.

The Rutiodon threateningly hisses and snarls at him, and bellows a deep-rumbling growl as well. But the Desmatosuchus will not stand for this and, in return, bellows aggressively back at the Rutiodon, forcing the frustrated crocodilian to reluctantly back down.

As he does so, the Desmatosuchus both throws his head up and lets out short loud bellows, about four times, before the Rutiodon is back in the water.

Reptiles like these can survive droughts by effectively hibernating during times of hardship, which is probably why the Rutiodon angrily confronted the Desmatosuchus, because he probably disturbed them. Other reptiles like him, and dinosaurs, like Coelophysis, like Cyrus and his siblings, can't. Cyrus and his clan show up and try to take on the armored reptile himself, but he will not stand for this either, and, plus, has no time for them either, and aggressively swipes his tail and bellows at them, violently repelling them. These sounds, in particular, and the shape of his skull make Desmatosauchus either the pig or wild boar of the Triassic, despite its armadillo-like appearance. So, he is, in a sense, a hybrid of an armadillo and a pig or wild boar. Cyrus's pack will just have to look for a Desmatosuchus that would make a more promising meal.

Nearby, the Placerias search for moist roots beneath the drying ferns. A Postosuchus is approaching close by, but it's not the resident one. This one is another, older, female Postosuchus. And she is the one who killed Cyrus's youngest brother. She has been exiled from her territory and hunting grounds several months ago, and is now intruding on the resident female's. She is, once again, in need of food. But her last attack left her with a tusk wound on her thigh, a severe handicap for such a heavily-built creature. Her body bears lots of scars from her previous years of battle, and this new injury of hers is more serious.

The Placerias herd spots her before she can set an ambush, and they mount an aggressive defense. She knows that she will get no food here, and in such a competitive world, her wound may yet prove fatal.

Evening, and both Cyrus and his brothers, sisters and friends are still trying to find enough sustenance to keep them going. Close by, in the Cynodont burrow, the Cynodonts prepare for a night of hunting. Their young are more-developed now, and are starting to move about the nest. But they are still vulnerable, and it will be another two months before they can do without their parents' protection. The adult male checks the coast is clear. Then, he sets off to find the food his family needs to survive.

However, unknown to him, or his mate, one of their young inquisitively follows him to the end of the burrow. Unfortunately, Cyrus is there, as he slowly sticks his head in. Then, he quickly grabs the pup in his jaws and makes a run for it back to his siblings and friends. Too late, the male Cynodont responds to his squealing pup. But, he still confronts the Coelophysis and, once again, drives them away, but, this time, they don't go far.

Nearby, the resident female Postsuchus is drinking from what's left of a drying river, unaware of the wounded older female, who's invading her territory. But, this withered Triassic landscape cannot support two giant predators in one dry valley. The older female arrives and roars loudly at the resident female, who turns to face her and roars loudly and aggressively back at her. Because of her wound, the older female is too weak to fight. And so, she is driven off by the younger resident female, who also uses precious water (urine) to re-establish the marking of her territory, so that other Postosuchus will be sure to keep out.

Meanwhile, Cyrus and his ever-increasing pack are starting to dig the Cynodonts out. Their situation is becoming desperate... as the dinosaurs will soon expose the nest.

Later, that evening, as the sun sets, the pair have only one choice. It means shattering their unique parental bond, they eat their own young. This denies the dinosaurs their food and gives the Cynodonts the chance of escape. After they finish, under the moonlight, they seize the moment and abandon the hole, and move on, looking for a new place to live.

In the morning, Cyrus and his clan are back, for a "relaxing Sunday brunch". However, for them, it's gonna be a long wait. Because, little do they know, the Cynodonts are gone. Despite that, they can still smell the Cynodonts, and it will take them sometime to realize their work is in vain. But, coming together and working as a group is a survival strategy that will serve their species well in the future.

3 hours later...

The dry season continues. After his wasted effort at the Cynodont hole, Cyrus has found something in the parched river bed. It is a hibernating lungfish, covered or wrapped in a protective skin or sac called a cocoon, which his unique serrated teeth will make short work of. But he is not left alone to eat it for long. He doesn't mind sharing with his siblings, and they know that it's only big enough for one, but it's his friends who are after it. Coelophysis numbers are still on the increase, and this leads to brief confrontations. Because when food is this scarce, it's worth fighting over.

So, Cyrus and another Coelophysis, which isn't one of his siblings, go head-to-head and aggressively screech at each other over the lungfish. "Ooh. Scrappy little critters." He makes his point to the other members of the pack, and returns to eat his catch. But if the rest of the pack doesn't eat soon, next time, it could turn into a deadly fight. But, however, that won't be necessary, because, they might have an opportunity to fix that, since the pressure of numbers also brings other changes in behavior.

Under the merciless sun, a flock of Coelophysis, led by Cyrus and his siblings, has united... for a kill. The wounded old female Postosuchus has lost the use of her back legs. Wounded, sick, and without a home territory of her own, things for her quickly go from bad to worse, as her legs fail her. However, her mighty jaws could still tear a dinosaur apart. Which implies that she's still breathing, and able to rip anything to shreds. So, rather than risk their lives, trying to kill her themselves, Cyrus and his clan hold back, and wait for her to finally die from her sickness and injury. In a matter of 20 seconds, she finally begins to succumb to her injury and sickness, and so, it's a fitting end, as the dinosaurs, the new-and-improved reptiles on the prehistoric block, move in to finish off the old reptile. And for Cyrus, to this as an opportunity to avenge his youngest brother. The great carnivore's strength fails. All the Postosuchus' heavy armor and muscle are no more than an all-you-can-eat buffet of food for the agile little dinosaurs. Their long snouts and nibbling front teeth can reach under her thick scales. They eat her... from the inside, out. Alive.

6 months later...

The dry season has peaked. Scorching the Earth, and, literally, pushing the race for survival into the final heat. but in this extreme drought, dinosaurs, like Cyrus and his pack, have a crucial advantage over other reptiles. When they excrete, they waste very little water. Nowhere is this advantage more obvious than down by the shrunken river, which has shrunken to a trickle. As predicted before, Coelophysis, like Cyrus and his siblings, have gathered in huge numbers, And Cyrus's clan has swelled to a "carnivore convention". And in years of hardship like this, it is the dinosaurs, like them, that win through. But, there is little room for any other reptiles here, and with so many mouths to feed, starvation is a real threat. And with very little sufficient prey, they will soon be forced to swiftly turn on each other. Cannibalism is common. But however, even though other reptiles are still hanging in there, cunning, ruthless, swift, and growing in numbers, these dinosaurs seem to be winning the game of survival, A.K.A, the "Triassic Challenge".

Night reveals that dinosaurs are not the only animals that have managed to cling on. So are mammals, like Adelobasileus, and mammal-like reptiles, like Traversodonts and Cynodonts. Speaking of which, the Cynodonts have survived their brush with death, and dug another burrow, hidden in some dried ferns. Once again, the male is hunting in the darkness. Suddenly, right offscreen, his growls and a strange squealing sound can be heard. As he returns to the new burrow, it is revealed that he has caught the only common prey: a baby Coelophysis.

1 month later...

Then, one night... a miracle happened.

After nine months of drought, at last, the rains have arrived. It is now, finally, the end of the nine-month-long dry season, and a thunderstorm rolls across the parched land, and along with it comes the promise of needed rain. By morning, tons of water surges through the dried gulches and riverbeds, and the land drinks it up like a thirsty animal. The Earth celebrates the arrival of rain with a great surge of new growth. Soon, the thirsty scrublands are soaking. And the local river is, once again, full. Water may come and go, but the struggle for survival never ends.

Inside her burrow, the female Cynodont has laid a fresh new clutch of eggs, one day in the distant future, this survival strategy of investing in their young, having fewer of them and raising them in the safety of a burrow, which has made them winners in the Triassic, will pay off for their mammalian descendants. But as mammals evolve over the next 160 million years, They will only survive as a few small species, clinging on at the edge of a world dominated by dinosaurs. Other mammal-like creatures like them will continue to evolve, until the first true mammal, much smaller than a Cynodont, like Adelobasileus, emerges from its tiny burrow, into a world that will, one day, be overrun by mammals.

Outside, that future is already arriving. Cyrus and his siblings have survived the drought, along with many of their kind. They've become the biggest winners in the Triassic Challenge, because they've put together the complete predator package: speed, ferocity, brains, and plenty of backup. And it's gonna take them way into the future, as they will evolve into theropods like Allosaurus and T-rex. But, they've also been joined by another type of dinosaur, who could also be a possible source of prey for them, and so, they won't be alone.

A huge herd of Plateosaurus trossingensis has been drawn to the swollen river, it's hard to believe that these four-legged beasts are related to Coelophysis, like Cyrus and his siblings, but these are plant-eating dinosaurs, plus, one of the first large plant-eating dinosaurs. They've got a few survival skills up their sleeves too. Skills that will take them and the other early dinosaurs straight out of the Triassic. And will transform them into the greatest prehistoric players of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Their size is the key to their success, as they will evolve into sauropod dinosaurs. And, at four tons, they're either simply or possibly too big to be threatened, as the alpha male rears up on his back legs and bellows loudly and crashes back down onto his front feet, scaring Cyrus and his siblings off, before he and the herd continue crossing the swollen river above the waterfall. It will soon be the beginning of the golden age of the dinosaurs. And it will last for the next 150 million years. This and they are all the shape of things to come.

The age/days of the dinosaurs has dawned.

2 years later... (Cyrus's Third Year)

Another wet season is in full swing, and just like rain, many have come and gone, and even stayed, but in completely different ways. The Placerias herd have returned after their long migration, The Desmatosuchus have also returned, and the Rutiodons have just awoken from their dry season hibernation. And as for the Postosuchus, she's come through another dry season, very well. Meanwhile, all the Adelobasileus, the Traversodonts, and the Cynodonts are also doing well, too. And the dinosaurs, the Plateosaurus and Coelophysis, are thriving well in both seasons.

As for Cyrus, he's now three years old. And his surviving siblings are doing okay, as well. Even though he's a bit bigger than from before, he's still not yet fully grown. But, he is getting closer to sexual maturity. Right now, he and his siblings are hunting in the forest part of their territory. This is where the resident Traversodonts live, but Cyrus and his siblings have set their eyes on a giant Locust. This Locust can usually fly its way out of trouble, but today, it's in for a big surprise.

As Cyrus and his siblings chase after it, it easily outmaneuvers them, but they still move fast enough to keep pace with it. As it temporarily settles down to rest, Cyrus sneaks up quietly behind it, and, then, just as it takes off again, Cyrus quickly leaps into the air, and grabs the Locust in his jaws. He then devours it, in just a matter of seconds.

Coelophysis, like Cyrus and his clan, are built for speed. Their limbs are powered by a large muscle that extends from their thigh bones to their tails. Their ankle bones are designed to keep their feet straight while walking or running. A right-angle hip joint and an open socket positions their legs under their body, so that they stand upright and move fully erect. Their snake-like necks are long and shaped like an S, lifting their heads above their bodies for greater visibility. Their fourth and fifth fingers are short, turning forelimbs once used for locomotion into hands that can manipulate food. With long legs and erect gait, they can run longer and faster than any other reptile alive.

As Cyrus and his clan leave the forest and return to the scrubland and local river, they spot one the resident Rutiodons, basking on the riverbank nearby. Then, it saunters back into the water, and goes under it to cool its body temperature. Soon, Cyrus and his pack leave the area.

1 year later... (Cyrus's Fourth Year)

A year passes, and Cyrus is now four years old. And his siblings are at the ages of 2 and 3. In about the next 3 years, he will have reached sexual maturity, and will soon be old enough to mate, as will his siblings. For right now, it is, once again, the beginning of the dry season, and they have caught the scent of something irresistible. After following it for about like a half an hour now, they come upon the, still-relatively, fresh, but already beginning to rotten, carcass of an old bull Plateosaurus, who had just died a few hours ago from old age. This immense carcass should probably keep them fed for several days or a few weeks, and so, they start to dig in and chow down. They, once again, use their long snouts and nibbling front teeth to reach underneath the thick scales of the massive prosauropod. But, they know that they'll have to quickly eat, and then, take as much as they can before other scavengers, like the resident Postosuchus, show up and want a piece of the action.

Meanwhile, the Postosuchus has already made another kill of her own. She has recently managed to bring down a member of the Placerias herd. So, she won't be much of a problem for the Coelophysis siblings, and the resident Rutiodons have already eaten, after gorging themselves on the dead carcass of an old Desmatosuchus, that also died of old age. So, they, too, won't be much trouble for the Coelophysis siblings, either. Cyrus and his kind might be able to bully smaller carnivores like Cynodonts, or mostly just keep them at bay, but a carcass as big as this soon attracts more formidable competition.

A Peteinosaurus comes down and lands on the carcass and squawks as the Coelophysis siblings. Cyrus's clan hiss, screech and squawk back at the small pterosaur, but he bizarrely doesn't retreat. That's because this animal, in particular, is one of the few creatures that will challenge an adult Coelophysis. One strike from its needle-sharp tooth-filled jaws to the face, could easily cost any of the Coelophysis siblings an eye. Even so, he knows better than to push his luck, because, for one, he is outnumbered by the Coelophysis, and, for another, knows that he can't take them all on by himself. Even more so, it seems that they're not going to back down. Just then, more croaking and squawking is heard. But, the arrival of nine more Peteinosaurus... changes the odds. After all, ten jaws full of needle-sharp teeth are deadlier than one.

The small pterosaurs start to slowly approach their rivals, but as soon as Cyrus and his clan begin to lunge at them, they start to change tactics, they split into two groups of five, and as one group distracts the Coelophysis clan, the other flies up onto the Plateosaurus carcass. This gets the Coelophysis siblings' attention and they approach and hiss and screech at them. And the pterosaurs, in return, screech and squawk back at them. Then, the first group whirls back around as the second one takes to the air, and they all start to fly around the Coelophysis siblings, and, then, start mobbing and pecking at them.

For Cyrus and his siblings, this is now too dangerous. Knowing that they have no other option to win this, they leave. And the Peteinosaurus aggressively squawk loudly at them one last time. Some fights, as tempting as they are, just aren't worth the risk. For now, the small flyers have, temporarily, won. They quickly eat all they can. But, Cyrus and his clan will certainly be back to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Once their flying rivals either leave, or, with full stomachs, become much more easier to attack.

3 years later... (Cyrus's Seventh Year)

It is, once again, the beginning of the wet season, after another nine months without rain. Many of the large reptiles are returning to Cyrus and his clan's territory, and those that have remained there are starting to become active again.

Cyrus is now seven years old. And his siblings are now at the ages of 5 and 6. And as a sign of age, both his and his siblings' body colors are starting to brighten. Sexual maturity is dependent on their size, and, at 9 feet long, Cyrus is well on the way to being just that. But, also, as mentioned before, this is one of the ages where he is both old and big enough to reproduce. So, since it is now that perfect time, it will soon be time to find a mate. So, he, along with his siblings, will have to start a journey across his territory to a female to mate with.

5 hours later...

Cyrus and his clan have spent five hours and have walked many miles across their territory in search of a mate, but they haven't had much luck, yet. It could take several more hours, or maybe either several days, or even weeks, to find a mate, and so, he and his siblings will have to search every corner of their territory, until they find a female Coelophysis that's about Cyrus's age for him to choose as a mate.

1 week later...

It has already been a week. Cyrus and his pack have spent 10 to 15 days, and have walked many miles, searching for a mate, and Cyrus has managed to kill a Traversodont from a recent hunt, as a gift, but their journey, so far, has been unsuccessful. But, Cyrus is definitely not giving up so easily. He, then, uses a different technique. For the first time in his life, he ensues a type of mating call. His calls are high-pitched, and travel several miles across the vast landscape. His challenge is to hopefully attract a wandering female, who is looking for a mate. He may have to call like this for a while. If a female in the area hears them, she will return his calls for him and his siblings to hear, and then, they will follow them to where they come from. Then, at that very moment... another screech that almost sounds just like his can be heard many miles from the opposite side of the scrubland. It appears that a female Coelophysis has heard his calls and she returns them for him and his siblings to follow.

Eventually, he and his clan have followed the calls for about 20 minutes, now, and, at last, they have finally found the female Coelophysis who has heard and returned the mating call, and a potential mate for Cyrus. Now, all he needs to do is impress her, and he's only gonna get one shot at it. There's no guarantee that he'll be successful, but Cyrus is determined.

He approaches the female himself, and prepares to demonstrate his intentions, while his siblings look on. She watches him carefully.

He begins his courtship by first spreading his arms, and slowly sways his neck and hips from side to side. He then twirls around and combines many repeatable tactics into a type of courtship mating dance. He goes on for the next few minutes, before finally stopping.

He stands in his place, and waits for a reaction from her. She walks over to him. She seems interested, and really into his smooth moves. But if she's impressed, she isn't showing it, just yet. So, Cyrus then changes tactics; he lifts his head, facing it towards the sky, and makes a soothing vibrating sound with his throat to show her that he's not an aggressor. The head lifting invites her to come closer to him. And now, she gives him a little encouragement. A synchronized dance creates trust between them. And it seems that everything is all going very well.

Just then, Cyrus remembered something. He quickly collects his gift for her, the dead Traversodont, and places it at her feet, right in front of her. He then backs up a bit, just to give her enough space to consider his gift. She inspects his present as if it is a sign of his strength. It shows that he is a good hunter, and carrying it to her implies that he is a strong male.

And so, at last, she accepts his gift, and begins to feed from it. Cyrus keeps a bit of distance, until she has filled her stomach. Then, he continues from where he left off. She then gently rubs her neck against his. This is her way of showing that she approves Cyrus as a mate. So, it turns out that the courtship was successful. Cyrus finally has a mate. One little nuzzle as one last reminder of his strength, and this is the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. Then, they mate.

When they've finished, Cyrus's siblings approach him and his new mate to offer their congratulations. Then, Cyrus introduces his new mate to each and every single one of them, and she nuzzles each one of them, as well. This is her way of showing them that she approves of them as a trustworthy family pack. Then, they all head off together.

After a long and exhausting journey, Cyrus, his siblings and his new wife return to his nest. Eventually, after being well-fertilized, she will lay up to 5 - 7 eggs that will soon hatch in about 1 or 2 month time, bringing, with it, the promise of a whole new generation of Coelophysis.

3 years later... (Cyrus's Tenth Year)

3 more years have passed, and yet, another wet season has arrived. But there's also something else new to the Triassic world. Deep inside their burrow, the Cynodonts have had another brood of young, following their successful previous one. Right now, their young are feeding from the mother's milk glands, and the male carries out more domestic chores while waiting for nightfall to hunt. But, they're not the only ones to have become parents.

The Placerias nesting grounds are full of new life, as are those of the Desmatosuchus. Peteinosaurus colonize, nest, and raise their young on the margins of cliffs near water. And the only female of the Rutiodons has recently had young of her own, as well. Heck, even the Postosuchus has mated, and laid eggs of her own. One, and only one, of them is expected to hatch any second, the rest have either gone bad and rotted, or have been eaten through by egg thieves or nest raiders. After two months of care and patience, she notices a little bit of movement. Finally, the one remaining egg in her nest hatches. Despite having gone through a pain-saken event of difficulties, she has, at least, brought a valuable new life into the world.

Meanwhile, the Plateosaurus herd has also added new members to itself. The females and their mates have also brought another whole new generation into the world. Their previous young from last season have grown, and test out their new-found strength.

Also, by age 10, Cyrus is now fully grown. As is his mate. His siblings are all, now, at the ages of 8 and 9. Cyrus and his wife have managed to have five offspring. They're each about 10 - 12 months old, and are growing up to be efficient predators just like their parents. Cyrus's younger siblings are now their aunts and uncles, who take care of them, whenever he and his mate go out on a hunt for the food their family needs to survive.

Some day in the future, Cyrus's young will reach adulthood, and, 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. Cyrus and his eldest son look out over the sunset-lit landscape together, one last time, before settling in for the night. Cyrus and his kind dominated the planet, 220 million years ago. The night sky that he and his son just witnessed still remains today.

But, sometime in the future, the Triassic period will come to an end, and the Jurassic period will begin. But the land will still belong to the Dinosaurs. And, in time, they'll be bigger... and better. For the future of our "Prehistoric Planet".

(The End)

Next on Dinosaur Life, we shall follow a male Dilophosaurus named Dylan and document his struggle to survive.

Author's Note:

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

Information from: Walking with Dinosaurs (1999), When Dinosaurs Roamed America (2001), Mammals vs Dinos (2007) and Prehistoric (2009)

Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others