Synopsis: "In this story, it'll follow the young life of a male Pyroraptor named Razor, as he battles for survival in a land of giants."

Argiles et Grès à Reptiles, Sânpetru and Liburnia Formations/Southern Europe

80 million years ago/Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous

Somewhere in a large clearing of a lush and tropical Cretaceous forest, in a nest made of earth and leaves, is a clutch of eggs. It is now the middle of the wet season, and, already, there are signs of life. Inside one of them, A tiny creature is trying to break free from a dark void-like area, which is actually his egg chamber. He uses the tip of his muzzle to break through the outer shell, and eventually he manages to escape his egg chamber and stumble into the world, which he is welcomed to by a warming shine of sunlight. As for what species he is, this is a baby Pyroraptor olympius. His name shall be Razor, and he will be the one who will lead us throughout his world of 80 million years ago, in the land that will one day become Europe, to tell us his success story.

Right now, he is also welcomed to the world by his mother, who nuzzles him. She had been sleeping right next to the nest, waiting and expecting for any of the eggs to hatch, staying behind to protect them and the nest while her mate and the rest of her family pack are off hunting, and was woken up by the sound of Razor's hatching. Just then, all around him, Razor's brothers and sisters are beginning to hatch from their eggs, and afterwards, their mother nuzzles each of them as well.

Then at that moment, her pack returns from the hunt, led by her mate, Razor's father, who is carrying the 40-pound carcass of a juvenile Massaliasuchus affuvelensis. He drops the carcass into the nest, and the hatchlings begin to devour it. But, Razor quickly eats as much as he can before eventually filling his stomach and then stumbling out of the nest to meet the rest of his family. He is intrigued by his father and then being nuzzled by him, before all his parents' younger siblings, his aunt and uncles, do the same. 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 three to four years, he could become an agile and fleet-footed predator like his parents, but the odds on him surviving that long, right now, are low.

4 days later….

Razor 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 Variraptor mechanorum watch the brood, waiting for their chance. The mother and father Pyroraptor and their younger siblings are all about 2 times their size and weight. So they will not venture too close while they are present. However, the adults know that the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract other larger predators. So, eventually, the parents and the rest of the pack decide that it is time to lead their unruly brood away.

Razor is soon about to find out that has been born into a world ruled by giants. 80 million years ago, most of the continent of Europe sleeps beneath a vast and shallow sea, known as the legendary Tethys Ocean, and a matrix of islands occupies the region, known as Ibero-Armorica. Dry land is hard to find, but there's plenty of beach front to go around. And it is here on this chain of islands that many amazing kinds of dinosaurs lived and coexisted. Here, on the great islands, the residents, of each, are key players in the closing act of dinosaur evolution. A mixed bag of prehistoric vegans and late cretaceous carnivores roam the fertile lowlands of each one. Cut off from everywhere else, each island has its own unique collection of animals.

On the one Razor's kind lives on, for example, the herbivorous sauropod 15 - 16 meters in length was named Ampelosaurus atacis, after the Blanquette de Limoux vineyard located on the south side of the region of Europe. Another residence was Struthiosaurus austriacus, an ankylosaur who's name means, literally, "ostrich lizard". The ornithopod, Rhabdodon priscus was also found in wide numbers. And as for the carnivores, Tarascosaurus salluvicus are Southern Europe's dominant predators. They're one of the few types of Abelisaurids that are put squarely at the top of the food chain. The Variraptor, on the other hand, is one of the smallest and speediest, but still a deadly pack hunter, and nowhere even near the bottom of the food chain. And as for the Pyroraptor, the smartest pack-hunting predator of this island, and the main focus of this story, they're definitely one of the many predators to never be underestimated.

On the neighboring island of Hateg, that's close enough to swim to, in the Sânpetru Formation, part of the Hațeg Basin in Romania, Bradycneme draculae, a type of troodontid, is one of the predators here. One of the smartest as well. Magyarosaurus dacus, a plant-eater, and pint-sized titanosaur, is the potential prey, though unlikely. They are just one quarter the size of the giants of Razor's home island and the mainland. Which means that they stand no taller than a pony. This is one example of insular island dwarfism, where dinosaurs and other creatures that live on specific islands tend to downsize in order to survive in places that can't support normal-sized creatures that live on the mainland of the continents. Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, a type of dwarf island hadrosaur, seldom breaks cover in the forests of Hateg Island. And equally inconspicuous, a smaller relative of Rhabdodon who's also from the same island, and, in fact, the smallest of all the ornithopods. Zalmoxes robustus, the last of a very ancient dinosaur lineage. Hateg is an island where much is not as it first appears.

On the, a bit further away, neighboring island in the Liburnia Formation, like the many of those around it, there lives a strange, rather shy hadrosaur; Tethyshadros insularis. Just a quarter the size of its giant cousins on the mainland, and about the same size as its cousin on Hateg Island, as big as a cow, it stands no taller than a human being. With its unique, serrated bill, it can forage among the tough vegetation, such as here in the clearings filled with groves of pine saplings.

Hunters like T-rex and Velociraptor, and those that have been previously mentioned, have never reached any of these little islands, so it should be a safe place for a mother to raise her brood. but not... necessarily.

While most of the land predators from the mainland of the continents, like Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor, have never been able to make it to any of these islands, there are still, nonetheless, some other different types of predators who can visit and even inhabit them.

Razor and his family are observing the many dinosaur families nearby, hoping for a chance for a meal, when, all the sudden, they notice something flying overhead that's coming in for a landing. A flock of a type of giant flying reptile called a pterosaur, which consists of four males and three females, comes down from the sky to rest their wings and find food. This is Hatzegopteryx thambema. Hatzegopteryx stands 15 feet tall. About as tall as a giraffe. It is, in fact, a pterosaur, a reptile with wings, that, here, as it stalks through the trees, it has to keep tightly folded against its arms. This forest, so rich in small and large creatures, is one part of its regular hunting grounds. It stands on the southernmost edge of Europe. One of the four males of the flock walks out of the forest and onto the beach. This is the heaviest animal ever to fly, and there is nowhere else here where it could open its gigantic wings, which are over 30 feet across.

They are also very majestic pterosaurs, in addition to being very great and intelligent hunters. Soon, his flock and all the dinosaurs of the forest soon follow him out onto the beach as well. Razor is awestruck by these majestic giant flying hunters. His siblings, on the other hand, are no different. Many of the forest's permanent residents regularly come down here, because the plants are coated with sea spray, and are a welcome source of salt. Even the predators find it welcoming. Here, sauropods, like Ampelosaurus, can meet one another, renewing family bonds, and creating new ones. The same can be said for those who live on Hateg Island, like Magyarosaurus. But for Hatzegopteryx, the beach is a launching pad. Soon, they all take flight again once they're all well-rested and the island-hopping pterosaurs move on to try their luck at hunting elsewhere. Now, their wings will carry them to every forest of each island from here to Hateg Island. Able to fly from island to island, this is their kingdom.

Razor and his siblings watch them leave, until they are out of sight. Then, they and their family, along with the other residents, head back into the forests and lowlands.

1 hour later….

An hour later, and, Razor and his family have just followed their noses to and are feeding on the irresistible carcass of a small Rhabdodon, covered by a cloud of flies. The carcass reeks, but at least, it's all theirs. But they'll have to make the most of it as much as they can before the scent of blood attracts other scavengers, like Variraptors, Tarascosaurus and Hatzegopteryx.

1 week later….

It has already been a week. And while under the watchful eyes of his family, Razor and his siblings are exploring the shorelines of the beach, while scavenging for washed up dead marine life. They soon investigate the rock pools and eventually hit paydirt when they come upon thousands of stranded newly-hatched baby ammonites. They quickly eat as many as they can, before heading back to the adults.

3 months later….

3 months have passed, and Razor and his siblings have more than quadrupled in size. They are each about less than one half the size of their elders, but they still won't be ready to either live or hunt on their own for about another six months. Even so, they're ready to begin their first hunting lessons.

They come upon a nearby group of Zalmoxes grazing on low-lying plants. As mentioned before, they also live on this island of giants, in addition to the neighboring island of Hateg. The pack begins to silently stalk them from the nearby brush. Usually, it's the father of the youngsters who is the final ambusher of the hunt, but in his stead, Razor dares to take on the challenge of that, being the final ambusher of the hunt, today. He slowly and steadily makes his way around the group and to the final ambush spot, while his siblings each move carefully into position into their ambush spots, and the adults continue to watch and stalk the group. It's all part of the drill when pack-hunting. Two of Razor's sisters are at the first ambush spot, three of his brothers are at the next, the rest of his siblings are at the one after that, and he, as the final player, is at the final one. These creatures are small, but they're not easy to take down. Razor knows that he and his family will most likely fail, unless they manage to cut one away from the rest, and then he finds its weak point and quickly overpowers it.

Once they know that everyone is in position, one of the adults deliberately makes a small noise that is heard, unseen, by the Zalmoxes. They now know that predators are somewhere close, but they don't know exactly where they are. The minute they know that it's time to spring the trap, the adults seize the moment and rush out to attack! They drive the Zalmoxes towards the two sisters who are lying in wait, up ahead. Waiting for the right moment, the sisters reveal themselves and send the Zalmoxes scattering towards where the other siblings are waiting. When the moment is right again, the three brothers soon reveal themselves as well, and, working together, manage to cut three Zalmoxes away from the rest and, along with the others, drive them towards the rest of the players. The rest of Razor's siblings jump out of hiding and join the rest of the pack in chasing the three cut-off stragglers to where he is waiting up ahead… in ambush. Razor bursts out of the bushes and grabs one of the three Zalmoxes in his jaws by its weak point. He shakes it with tremendous force before finally killing and dropping it to the ground.

For Razor, this is his first successful hunt. He places his foot on top of his family's kill, and screeches in victory.

Razor receives a nuzzle from both of his parents and each of the rest of his elders, as he has proved himself a true hunter. He nuzzles each of his siblings as well. They all begin to feed on the dead Zalmoxes together, as it will be one of the meals they will ever have together, before Razor and his siblings will eventually leave their parents for good if they are to survive on their own. Some will leave independently, while others who have a deep connection with one another will leave together for survival.

2 years later…. (Razor's Second Year)

By age 2, Razor now hunts alone with two of his brothers and two of his sisters, who are each at the age of 1. They have left their parents, as well as have parted ways with the rest of their siblings, and are thriving well. Right now, they are observing a skyline of the titanosaur, Ampelosaurus, Europe's foremost vegetarians. At 46 feet long and 5 tons, adults weigh roughly the same as a jumbo elephant. Consequently, they chew their greens with a certain nonchalance. This is certainly one thing that most of their relatives can't do at all. But even titanosaurs like them put lunch on hold when meat-eaters, like Razor and his sibling pack, loiter by the salad bar. Armed with a killing claw on each foot and high-torque legs, Razor's species' deal is not about size, it's about smarts. His brain to body ratio make him almost gifted by dinosaur standards. At the low end of the I.Q scale is the iguanodont, Rhabdodon. But Razor doesn't take them lightly. These 3-ton grazers carry 30 times his kind's body weight. Iguanodonts like Rhabdodon can change their default setting from lawnmower to tree trimmer, using their large, spiky thumb claws, or spikes, to harvest leaves. It's been a week since Razor and his clan have last fed, and now they're searching for a new meal. There's a wide variety of choices to make on these fertile forest-bordered lowlands. A small group of Zalmoxes look ideal, but there's a big problem; a heavily-armored Struthiosaurus is working his way through a tropical cycad stand nearby, looking for a mate. This dinosaur usually spends most of the day grazing on low-lying plants close to the ground. He must consume about 400 kilograms of plants a day in order to maintain his enormous size. He may be a herbivore, but he is by no means an easy target. The Zalmoxes feed off the smashed cycads and shrubs 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 Variraptor attending her nest mound may prove more promising. But the young Pyroraptor is about to find out he and his clan are no match for an overprotective mother. The Variraptor 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 could prove more promising.

Just then, they pick up the promising scent of a rotting carcass. And in about 2 minutes, they've followed their noses to what's left of a small Rhabdodon. This should be enough meat to last them for up to about a full week, and so, they begin to feast on the carcass. But, they'll have to quickly eat and then take as much as they can, before the scent of blood attracts other, larger, scavengers such as Tarascosaurus and Hatzegopteryx.

An hour later, that evening….

Razor and his siblings and the other permanent residents of the forests and lowlands have all made their way to the beach that they pay regular visits to for various reasons. The strand of beach provides room to maneuver. Another plus is the slowing effect of soft sand on giant dumbbells.

As night falls, colors of the sunset begin to fade.

2 hours later; That night….

Razor and his siblings have come to this beach many times to scavenge for dead fish, as well as other washed up marine life, but tonight is so different. They, along with all the other dinosaurs, have come here to spend the night before returning to the forests and lowlands tomorrow. They've been expanding their home range of territory, and have just marked this beach as one border of it. Also, their beach has got some overnight visitors. A small flock of Hatzegopteryx have just come down from the sky and landed to crash for the night. It's too dark and dangerous for these magnificent winged giants to fly by night. So they will provides as some overnight company for the forest's permanent residents, including Razor and his siblings. This beach is a natural gathering place for many of the animals who live here, and at night, numerous more can fall for its attractions. The creatures can easily coexist with those who can rest here in safety with them, the giant flying pterosaurs.

2 years later…. (Razor's Fourth Year)

Another 2 more years have passed, and, right now, in the aftermath of a tropical storm, debris is drifting down rivers and out in the ocean. And amongst the wreckage, rafts of vegetation ripped from the land. On one of them, a weary small pterosaur rests. But it's far from safe. Giant marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, deadly underwater hunters, are looking for any signs of an easy meal... such as this little dinosaur, a male Zalmoxes on another raft. Staying here is too risky. He needs a larger raft, and quickly. He notices another, more suitable, raft close by. Reaching it will be dangerous, but he has no other option. There's little choice, but to swim for it. So, the little ornithopod takes the plunge and jumps into the water. Paddling frantically, he manages to clamber up on a larger raft, retreating into the safety of the vegetation. However, he is not the first here. He looks around, sniffing. And then, emerging from the vegetation, another castaway, a female. which turns towards him in surprise. Their raft is drifting out to sea. Together, the pair look out to the open seas, then turn to each other, nuzzling. Sometimes, castaways on rafts like these are washed up on the shores of distant islands. The two Zalmoxes continue to look ahead of them, with the waters stretching out for miles around them, and the afternoon sun shining down on their raft. If they're very lucky, this pair could become pioneers... and may establish a new population, which eventually becomes a new species, unlike anything seen before.

And they're not the only ones. Just a few miles away, Razor, who is now 4 years old, and his siblings, at ages 2 and 3, who have also taken part in the rafting event, have just washed back ashore onto the beach which is part of their territory. Though weak as they are, the only thing keeping them alive is the attention they're getting from scavengers who just assume find them dying. Ichthyornis dispar is a major pain, but their presence here is also a more positive sign. Birds like these cannot survive entirely on the sea. That's why they tend to nest and colonize on rocky cliff sides along the sea. Curiosity once again overcomes them, but the minute they each make one peck at Razor and each of his siblings, they are instantly awoken and annoyedly drive off the sea birds.

"And Stay Away!"

Birds are pushovers. Terrestrial crocodiles are a whole new ball game. Allodaposuchus precedens, a long name for predators short on brains, but long on brawn, and totally fearless in battle. But Razor and his clan have nothing to worry about. They're wired to deal with crocs. Confidence, very high, thank you. Throughout his life, Razor's driven these bullies off many a kill. This crew is no different. When they eventually have decided that they've had enough, the crocs back down.

Razor and his siblings have survived their first rafting event on the sea, and they are all back where they belong, and, so, head back to their nest and lair.

3 hours later….

Razor's pack has rested well after what they had just been through and they are back to normal as usual. Right now, they are quenching their thirst at the local river. At least, even after the tropical storm from before, the water still tastes the same. Just then, they hear some strange noises coming from the other side of the river. A herd of small adolescent Rhabdodons hunted down by another pack of Pyroraptor. While Razor's hunger is stupendous, he can't bring himself or his pack to join the hunt. So, they disconnect their instinct. And watch as the other pack have targeted one individual that can't keep up with the rest and attack it from all different directions, plus, manage to bring it down. On the neighboring island of Hateg, the size ratio between predator and prey is the same as it is here, but the overall scale of the animals that live on it, compared to their surroundings, is too small. Nothing in Razor's experience would provide a clue. With the exception of their sizes, the creatures of Hateg can't be that different from the ones he's grown up with. No way!

If anything, they're the same animals as those he's grown up with, only smaller.

10 minutes later….

As Razor and his sibling clan walk through the forest, they find a trio of Tarascosaurus, 2 females and a male, feeding on a dead adolescent Ampelosaurus. A dinosaur's been taken down by Razor's old nemesis. Throughout his life, Razor has had to sidestep for Tarascosaurus. The only reason why was because he was still a kid. That was then, and this is now. So, he confronts the male and fearlessly screeches at him, while his siblings hold back and watch, waiting for any orders from him, as they know that he is the dominant leader of his pack. The male Tarascosaurus accepts the challenge, and aggressively roars back at him, but Razor instinctively stands his ground. Then, Razor makes a leap into the air, and strikes the Tarascosaurus in the neck with his sickle claw. The Tarascosaurus roars in agony and falls to the ground, dead. Razor's killing toes score direct hits. Then, he calls for backup. His siblings waste no time in taking action to back him up. Then, together, they all aggressively hiss and screech at the two females and scare them off by charging straight at them. Knowing that their leader is dead and that they're outnumbered, they retreat. Now, Razor and his clan have food. And so, they begin to feast on the young Ampelosaurus carcass. It should last them for up to about 2 weeks, but, like all the predators of the island, even Tarascosaurus, they will always share the spoils that they leave behind.

4 years later…. (Razor's Eighth Year)

For all the region's dinosaurs, it's the mating season. And this is the time of year when the forests and lowlands across Southern Europe's islands at this time become very lively. When it's time to mate, the males of every species must go to great lengths to win the affections of the females. For example, on the Island of Hateg, male Zalmoxes try to attract females by showing off and displaying the small stripe-like blotches of bright blue color on the back of their necks. But other dinosaurs have different ways of attracting a mate.

In the Magyarosaurus herd, females begin to attract suitors of all kinds, But as you and I know, finding a mate can be a hassle. Like always, it's the leader of the herd who has first dibs when it comes to breeding. The same can all be said for their larger relatives, the Ampelosaurus herd. As always seen in many other species of sauropods, and modern Giraffes too, To settle scores, males of both species engage in shouting matches, followed by pushing and shoving, or head-butting. That's usually bloodless.

The males of both species ram one another and smash each other in the side with their strong necks. They even get underneath one's chest and push the other back. And this happens for quite some time, until eventually, somebody backs down, whether it's either the leader of the herd or a younger male. The winner gets bragging rights and, of course, the chance to mate. It's not love, it's instinct. Still, from a clumsy giant, and a clumsy dwarf, comes the fragile gift of life. Once they mate, the new generations of both species are well on the way.

But herbivores aren't the only ones who are producing the next generation.

Just a few miles away, A wandering male Tarascosaurus, who is looking for a mate, detects the mating call of a female Tarascosaurus, who is looking for one too. And he is captivated. He will search endlessly, non-stop, until he finds the producer of the mating call. After approximately six minutes of searching, the male Tarascosaurus finds the female who lured him here with her mating call. To a young male in his prime, she's a babe, and... she's in heat. But he knows that winning her over won't be easy, and that she's gotta be sure he's fit. And so, he proves this by demonstrating his intentions and making some soothing bellowing sounds to seduce her. And eventually, his persistence, perseverance, determination and a bit of inflating from his throat pouch finally win her heart, and they become mates.

Elsewhere, vying for mating rights, two male Rhabdodons, along with many more, duke it out. Since males outnumber females, they must go through a fierce competition to win the chance to mate. And the fights seem to be spinning out of control. Hard beaks are leverage to deliver punishing body blows. All the while, females wait patiently to see which males will be each of their partners. They keep going at it for a while, until... one male takes a serious hit from a sharp thumb spike, while the rest is beaten into submission, and they're all forced to back down. Those males who are victorious each win the right to mate with the females.

But it's also not just dinosaurs who are producing the next generation, as well.

Some islands, like this one, are so small, that they have no large or small land-living residents. But they may, nonetheless, get visitors. Like this one. Hatzegopteryx. This male has arrived carrying a 40-pound juvenile Tethyshadros carcass. A prize from a recent hunt. He is 15 feet tall, with a wingspan of over 30 feet. Hatzegopteryx are Europe's top predators. But this male has come here to reveal another side to his character. He picks up wood and sticks scattered across the beach with his beak and surrounds his catch with them. He has constructed a display to make it clear to any females passing overhead that he is looking for a mate. But he might have a very long wait before he gets a response. A couple of hours pass, and still, he patiently waits. Then, some familiar chittering sounds are heard from the sky. At last, a female. She seems interested, but a little more persuasion might be necessary. And he needs to be careful. One well-aimed peck from her beak could quickly bring his mating season to an end. His display must demonstrate that he has the good genes that her young would do well to inherit. He lifts up the juvenile Tethyshadros corpse with his beak. The dead dinosaur suggests that he's a good hunter and carrying it here has proved that he's a strong flyer. But if she is impressed, she isn't showing it yet. Time to produce some new evidence of his eligibility. To convince her some more, he displays his head crest and courts the female with enticing grunts, clackings from his beak, and head movements. Head lifts invite her to come closer. Now, she gives him a little encouragement. A synchronized dance creates trust between them. And it's one where both of them repeatedly clack their beaks against each other softly and stare up at the sky.

Just then… Another male. He slowly approaches the couple. He's much younger, but he could still be a rival. Not wanting to lose his chance, the older male bellows and charges at the new arrival, catching the younger male completely off-guard and forcing him to slowly retreat. The older male aggressively snaps at him repeatedly and ends up grabbing his right wing. Bellowing and squawking in pain, the younger male decides to back down and flies off. The older male aggressively squawks at him to ensure that he doesn't return. That's him dealt with. Disaster. The female has left. She had flown off due to the commotion. He may have lost his chance. But just as that seems to be true... She's back. Seeing off a potential rival might even be another point in his favor. He continues from where he left off. One last reminder of his strength... and this is his only contribution to fatherhood. It's all over in just a few seconds. But it's the start of the next generation of these giant flying hunters. After mating, the female flies off as the male grooms himself and starts the courtship ritual again, ready to attract more females.

Meanwhile, someone else we know, who is also a predator, is also preparing for mating.

Razor is now 8 years old, and his siblings are now at the ages of 6 and 7. By this age, he has reached sexual maturity, and is looking for a mate. Like the Hatzegopteryx, he, too, has a prize from a recent hunt, a 100 pound Zalmoxes carcass, but unlike the Hatzegopteryx, he does use it for a monumental display, he uses it as a gift for his new mate. 4 days ago, the mating call of a female Pyroraptor had traveled and echoed throughout the forests and lowlands, and it had been, and "has" been, heard by Razor. It is the reason why he had recently made a kill out of a Zalmoxes. And now, to let her know that her calls had been heard, he announces the fact by returning them. And it's not long before, at last, the female arrives. She's about both the same age and size as Razor. Now, he must show all the evidence of his eligibility. He displays his red body feathers, lifts his head and extends out his arms. Then he slowly sways his body from side-to-side before twirling around and waving his tail. He repeats these tactics and combines them together into a type of courtship mating dance. She appears to be very impressed with his smooth moves, as they invite her to come closer to him. Now, she gives him a little encouragement. Just like it did with the Hatzegopteryx, a synchronized dance creates trust between them. And of course, a permanent bond of trust. Razor collects his gift for her and places it in front of her at her feet, before backing up a bit just to give her enough space. She considers his gift for a few seconds before finally accepting it, and beginning to feed upon it. When she is finished, Razor continues from where he left off. And it turns out the courtship was successful, and Razor now finally has a mate. His siblings approach him and the female to offer their congratulations, and he introduces his new mate to each and every single one of them. She greets them each with a soft nuzzle. This is her way of showing that she not only approves Razor as a mate, but also that she approves him and his siblings as a trustworthy family pack. And so they head off together.

3 hours later….

Later that evening, back at his nest, Razor and his new wife mate. And this is the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. Just like he would with his siblings, they stay together, and within the coming weeks, they will mate frequently and successfully. Eventually, she will soon lay up to 7 eggs. And, hopefully, the next generation of Pyroraptor will soon be well on the way.

2 years later…. (Razor's Tenth Year)

2 more years have passed, and two months earlier, each species of dinosaur had laid a foundation for the future. On the island of Hateg, the Magyarosaurus herd is teeming with new life; up to thousands of hatchlings. A mated pair of Zalmoxes have had up to about five hatchlings, and a mated pair of Telmatosaurus have had just four. Meanwhile, on the main island, Once again, the Ampelosaurus nesting ground is teeming with new life; up to thousands of hatchlings. Without their mothers' protection, they will have to go it alone, staying completely safe and well-hidden in the underbrush of the forest, until they're both big and old enough to join their mothers' herd. And in a glade, not far away, another family with a different sort of life. Only, this time, the parents stick around to look after their young. The Tarascosaurus pair has managed to produce three offspring: two females and a male. Hatzegopteryx females colonize and nest inland to raise their young. The Rhabdodon 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 Variraptor, 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 Variraptor has managed to bring a valuable pair of new lives into the world.

By age 10, Razor is now fully-grown and measures 7.2 feet long. His mate is the same as him, and his two pairs of younger brothers and sisters are all at the ages of 10 and 11. Against the odds, Razor and his wife have managed to produce only five offspring. They are each about over a few weeks old, but can already walk and run quite well. With the support of his younger siblings, Razor has finally managed to reach many of his achievements and achieve many of his goals. And now, with the support of him, his mate, and his siblings, his kids can each take their place among them as a predator. Pyroraptor was one of the smartest and fastest predators of its environment, and prowled the forests and lowlands of Southern Europe for about 80 million years. But before the end of the Cretaceous period, they died out along with all the other dinosaurs that lived with them around 70 million years ago. So, until then, just like how he and his siblings managed to, if any of Razor's children are to survive, and later thrive, he and his wife and siblings will have to provide every meal for them in any way they can and also teach them everything they need to know for when they're ready, until they're old enough to join them in the hunt and, then, take care of themselves. Islands like this may only be small, at least when compared to the continents, but like countless others around the world, they bear witness to crucial moments in the lives of some of the most unusual creatures on the Prehistoric Planet.

(The End)

Next time on Dinosaur Life, we'll follow the story of a male Acrocanthosaurus named Acton, and witness his attempt to survive in a dangerous world.

Author's Note:

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

Information from: Dinosaur Planet (2003), Planet Dinosaur (2011) and Prehistoric Planet (2022 - 2023)

Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others