Prehistoric Park – Dinobirds

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the third exciting episode of Prehistoric Park, featuring British wildlife presenter Nigel Marven, throwing himself into the ultimate challenge: going back in time to rescue prehistoric animals from extinction and bringing them back to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary.

In the third instalment Nigel goes back in time to rescue the Dinobird.

Mission: to save the Dino birds. Northeast China, 125 million years ago, Cretaceous. Genera encountered: Eosipterus (identified as Pterosaur) Incisivosaurus Mei long Microraptor Borealosaurus (identified as Titanosaur).

This is a rescue mission just before the site area’s dinosaurs were wiped out by a volcano. It is aimed at getting specimens of Microraptor, which is threatened by volcanoes and with being out-competed by the coming birds. (Note that unlike the other dinosaurs in the episode, Microraptor was not present in the Lujiatun Beds of the Yixian Formation, and did not live along side Mei and Incisivosaurus. In reality, it lived several million years later, and hails from the Jiufotang Formation, 120-110 million years ago).

In the park, there are now more than 24 animals. The two juvenile Tyrannosaurus often threaten each other. There is a heat wave and Martha the mammoth with her small ears and long hair and blubber is affected by the heat, as she had been brought from an Ice Age winter.

Nigel and four other people go on foot through the time portal to the site. A large threatening volcano stands over the area. There are hot springs, and a risk of natural carbon dioxide seepage. There is a small earthquake. They get away onto higher ground.

They come to an apparently non-volcanic lake. Pterosaurs fly in and fly with their lower jaws skimming in the surface of the lake for fish. When they get back to camp they find that something had raided their camp and torn much of their equipment apart looking for the meat that was part of their rations. This loss of food supplies causes a crisis. As they walk through a forest, something follows them through the fern undergrowth, then goes away.

 

Prehistoric Park with Nigel Marven is available as a DVD set from Amazon.com.

Prehistoric Park - Dinobirds 

Prehistoric Park Episode 3 Dino Birds by thekarl1982
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