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Description

95 MYA, Late Cretaceous, Africa (Morocco)

The constant movement of the continents allowed for great experimentation with animal body plans, especially those of dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Somewhere in the Early Cretaceous, the southern continent of Gondwana and the northern continent of Laurasia have split apart, creating a great difference between the dominating species of animals. In the north, the allosauroids soon found themselves replaced by maniraptoriformes due to the arrival of newer prey, like ceratopsians, hadrosaurs and ankylosaurs, combined with the decline of sauropods and complete extinction of stegosaurs. In the south, three groups of strange theropods dominated - the piscivorous spinosaurs, large early maniraptoriformes known as megaraptorans and the fast carnivorous abelisaurs. The largely maniraptoriform populated north differed a lot from the mostly non-maniraptoriform south.

The sun is far more merciless here in the south than up north, droughts are more common, and everything is more reptilian than bird-like. A scaly giant lays in a shallow pond in an attempt of cooling off, a relative of the famous and praised Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis is an equally great and powerful animal, though its fragmentary nature gave it a status of a possible nomen dubia. Much like all other massive theropods, his species lost the majority of its body covering of feathers to avoid overheating, leaving only a handful of quills on the head, the ones on the tip of the snout allow Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis to feel around and sense vibrations in the water. But he isn't the only one who wants to dip his toes in the cool water. Two female azhdarchids of the species Alanqa saharica land down right next to the giant spinosaur. The large theropod is relatively unfazed with these pterosaurian visitors, until they start making noise. The azhdarchids run about, splashing in the water in search of bivalves - a foodsource unique to many African azhdarchids. Soon, a male Alanqa saharica also flies down onto the pond shore below, attracted to the females. The large theropod is getting quite irritated because of his pterosaur companions causing all this noise. He starts getting up to deal with them. Of course, the sheer sight of this 21 tonne alligator-duck just getting up is enough to send the pterosaurs flying. Maybe now he can enjoy coldness of the water and silence.

Description

95 MYA, Late Cretaceous, Africa (Morocco)

The constant movement of the continents allowed for great experimentation with animal body plans, especially those of dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Somewhere in the Early Cretaceous, the southern continent of Gondwana and the northern continent of Laurasia have split apart, creating a great difference between the dominating species of animals. In the north, the allosauroids soon found themselves replaced by maniraptoriformes due to the arrival of newer prey, like ceratopsians, hadrosaurs and ankylosaurs, combined with the decline of sauropods and complete extinction of stegosaurs. In the south, three groups of strange theropods dominated - the piscivorous spinosaurs, large early maniraptoriformes known as megaraptorans and the fast carnivorous abelisaurs. The largely maniraptoriform populated north differed a lot from the mostly non-maniraptoriform south.

The sun is far more merciless here in the south than up north, droughts are more common, and everything is more reptilian than bird-like. A scaly giant lays in a shallow pond in an attempt of cooling off, a relative of the famous and praised Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis is an equally great and powerful animal, though its fragmentary nature gave it a status of a possible nomen dubia. Much like all other massive theropods, his species lost the majority of its body covering of feathers to avoid overheating, leaving only a handful of quills on the head, the ones on the tip of the snout allow Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis to feel around and sense vibrations in the water. But he isn't the only one who wants to dip his toes in the cool water. Two female azhdarchids of the species Alanqa saharica land down right next to the giant spinosaur. The large theropod is relatively unfazed with these pterosaurian visitors, until they start making noise. The azhdarchids run about, splashing in the water in search of bivalves - a foodsource unique to many African azhdarchids. Soon, a male Alanqa saharica also flies down onto the pond shore below, attracted to the females. The large theropod is getting quite irritated because of his pterosaur companions causing all this noise. He starts getting up to deal with them. Of course, the sheer sight of this 21 tonne alligator-duck just getting up is enough to send the pterosaurs flying. Maybe now he can enjoy coldness of the water and silence.