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Description
Episode Six: Paradise Lost
Location: Villalba de la Sierra Formation, Spain and Hateg Basin, Romania
Time: End Cretaceous, 66 million years ago

And here it is, the series finale. I couldn’t not do a pterosaur episode, and I didn’t feel like I could end the series without the K/Pg extinction, so here we are. Also this is a good opportunity to show the insular nature of Europe in the late Cretaceous.

Hatzegopteryx thambena: With a wingspan of over 10 metres, and far more robust than its’ relatives like Cryodrakon, this azhdarchid pterosaur is the largest flying animal that has ever lived. With no large carnivorous dinosaurs known from the European archipelago, it has taken the role of apex predator; its’ enormous razor-sharp beak making short work of prey, and its’ long legs allowing it to be just as formidable on the ground as in the air. The protagonist of the episode is a large female, who has spent the last few months on the coastal plains of southeast Ibero-Armorica, the largest European island, preying on juvenile Ampelosaurus. Now these youngsters are too large, and we follow the Hatzegopteryx as she travels north along Ibero-Armorica before crossing the ocean and returning to Hateg and her preferred prey for the last remaining weeks before the K/Pg event, while also facing competition from other Hatzegopteryx. At long last, a pterosaur rules over the dinosaurs below it.

Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis: A much smaller azhdarchid, about 2 metres in wingspan. Much more gracile than the powerful Hatzegopteryx, they are perfect opportunists. They are common across the islands, scavenging or seeking out small animals which they can snatch with their long beaks. They sometimes even raid nests, at their own peril.

Ampelosaurus sp.: A 16 metre long titanosaur, and the largest resident of Ibero-Armorica. These sauropods roam the giant island in herds, browsing on high vegetation. Juveniles are favoured prey by island-hopping Hatzegopteryx , but they do not remain small forever, and adults are very protective of their herds. The armoured osteoderms also help provide extra protection. They do not last long post-impact when the vegetation they depend on dies off.

Gargantuavis sp.: Once believed to be a bird, more recent material implies this theropod was a more basal avialan. It is found across the archipelago, but the Ibero-Armorican population is particularly noteworthy, being 3 metres long; the largest Cretaceous avialan. A male Ibero-Armorican Gargantuavis is encountered by the Hatzegopteryx on the northern coast before she takes her flight across the sea. She keeps her distance while resting, as he is equipped with two enlarged claws on its’ first and second toes, which he won’t hesitate to kick out with. He also has a nest to protect, which he does ferociously against some Eurazhdarcho. A Gargantuavis population is also present on Hateg, but these individuals are much smaller, approx. 2 metres long, and more docile. Post-impact, they last longer than other dinosaurs, foreshadowing the survival of the birds, the last dinosaurs.

Magyarosaurus dacus: Another titanosaur, solidifying the fact that even now, sauropods were still very successful. This sauropod is endemic to Hateg, and can be found roaming across the land in large herds. At the time of the episode, it is the time of year that the herds gather to lay their eggs on the edge of the forest. The eggs are buried and left to their fate, with juveniles joining herds upon reaching a certain size. Due to environmental constraints from the smaller size of Hateg, Magyarosaurus has become small, approx. 6 metres long. They are a favourite prey of Hatzegopteryx.

Zalmoxes robustus: I felt like I’ve neglected ornithopods, so I wanted to include this species. This 2 metre long rhabdodontid is common on Hateg, living in flocks, feeding on a variety of vegetation. They are difficult prey for any Hatzegopteryx , with their sharp senses making them tricky to sneak up on, though this doesn’t stop the hungry female Hatzegopteryx from trying upon arrival after her long journey. Their senses also allow them to remain active at night as well as during the day.

Barbatodon transylvanicus: A small kogaionid multituberculate, the dominant group of mammals in Maastrichtian Europe. To avoid predatory dinosaurs and pterosaurs like Eurazhdarcho, Barbatodon are typically nocturnal, emerging from their burrows at dusk to hunt insects and other invertebrates. Of course, while the dinosaurs disappear post-impact, these mammals continue to survive, heralding the beginning of the age of mammals.

Mosasaurus hoffmani: At 13 metres long, this mosasaur is the largest marine reptile of the Cretaceous, and a firm representative of how life in the oceans has changed since the Jurassic. It appears in the opening of the episode in the manner of the blue whale at the beginning of The Blue Planet, patrolling the ocean between the islands. It also makes the journey of the Hatzegopteryx across the sea more perilous, but she knows better than to fly too close to the water surface. A Mosasaurus carcass washed up on the beach may also provide her with an easier meal upon arrival at Hateg.

And with that, Walking With Dinosaurs II is complete! Thank you very much to everyone who has enjoyed this series, and will continue to do so! Here’s to 20 years of Walking With Dinosaurs, and to a future of new, immersive and realistic palaeodocs like it!

Previous episode: www.deviantart.com/rahonavis70…

Description
Episode Six: Paradise Lost
Location: Villalba de la Sierra Formation, Spain and Hateg Basin, Romania
Time: End Cretaceous, 66 million years ago

And here it is, the series finale. I couldn’t not do a pterosaur episode, and I didn’t feel like I could end the series without the K/Pg extinction, so here we are. Also this is a good opportunity to show the insular nature of Europe in the late Cretaceous.

Hatzegopteryx thambena: With a wingspan of over 10 metres, and far more robust than its’ relatives like Cryodrakon, this azhdarchid pterosaur is the largest flying animal that has ever lived. With no large carnivorous dinosaurs known from the European archipelago, it has taken the role of apex predator; its’ enormous razor-sharp beak making short work of prey, and its’ long legs allowing it to be just as formidable on the ground as in the air. The protagonist of the episode is a large female, who has spent the last few months on the coastal plains of southeast Ibero-Armorica, the largest European island, preying on juvenile Ampelosaurus. Now these youngsters are too large, and we follow the Hatzegopteryx as she travels north along Ibero-Armorica before crossing the ocean and returning to Hateg and her preferred prey for the last remaining weeks before the K/Pg event, while also facing competition from other Hatzegopteryx. At long last, a pterosaur rules over the dinosaurs below it.

Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis: A much smaller azhdarchid, about 2 metres in wingspan. Much more gracile than the powerful Hatzegopteryx, they are perfect opportunists. They are common across the islands, scavenging or seeking out small animals which they can snatch with their long beaks. They sometimes even raid nests, at their own peril.

Ampelosaurus sp.: A 16 metre long titanosaur, and the largest resident of Ibero-Armorica. These sauropods roam the giant island in herds, browsing on high vegetation. Juveniles are favoured prey by island-hopping Hatzegopteryx , but they do not remain small forever, and adults are very protective of their herds. The armoured osteoderms also help provide extra protection. They do not last long post-impact when the vegetation they depend on dies off.

Gargantuavis sp.: Once believed to be a bird, more recent material implies this theropod was a more basal avialan. It is found across the archipelago, but the Ibero-Armorican population is particularly noteworthy, being 3 metres long; the largest Cretaceous avialan. A male Ibero-Armorican Gargantuavis is encountered by the Hatzegopteryx on the northern coast before she takes her flight across the sea. She keeps her distance while resting, as he is equipped with two enlarged claws on its’ first and second toes, which he won’t hesitate to kick out with. He also has a nest to protect, which he does ferociously against some Eurazhdarcho. A Gargantuavis population is also present on Hateg, but these individuals are much smaller, approx. 2 metres long, and more docile. Post-impact, they last longer than other dinosaurs, foreshadowing the survival of the birds, the last dinosaurs.

Magyarosaurus dacus: Another titanosaur, solidifying the fact that even now, sauropods were still very successful. This sauropod is endemic to Hateg, and can be found roaming across the land in large herds. At the time of the episode, it is the time of year that the herds gather to lay their eggs on the edge of the forest. The eggs are buried and left to their fate, with juveniles joining herds upon reaching a certain size. Due to environmental constraints from the smaller size of Hateg, Magyarosaurus has become small, approx. 6 metres long. They are a favourite prey of Hatzegopteryx.

Zalmoxes robustus: I felt like I’ve neglected ornithopods, so I wanted to include this species. This 2 metre long rhabdodontid is common on Hateg, living in flocks, feeding on a variety of vegetation. They are difficult prey for any Hatzegopteryx , with their sharp senses making them tricky to sneak up on, though this doesn’t stop the hungry female Hatzegopteryx from trying upon arrival after her long journey. Their senses also allow them to remain active at night as well as during the day.

Barbatodon transylvanicus: A small kogaionid multituberculate, the dominant group of mammals in Maastrichtian Europe. To avoid predatory dinosaurs and pterosaurs like Eurazhdarcho, Barbatodon are typically nocturnal, emerging from their burrows at dusk to hunt insects and other invertebrates. Of course, while the dinosaurs disappear post-impact, these mammals continue to survive, heralding the beginning of the age of mammals.

Mosasaurus hoffmani: At 13 metres long, this mosasaur is the largest marine reptile of the Cretaceous, and a firm representative of how life in the oceans has changed since the Jurassic. It appears in the opening of the episode in the manner of the blue whale at the beginning of The Blue Planet, patrolling the ocean between the islands. It also makes the journey of the Hatzegopteryx across the sea more perilous, but she knows better than to fly too close to the water surface. A Mosasaurus carcass washed up on the beach may also provide her with an easier meal upon arrival at Hateg.

And with that, Walking With Dinosaurs II is complete! Thank you very much to everyone who has enjoyed this series, and will continue to do so! Here’s to 20 years of Walking With Dinosaurs, and to a future of new, immersive and realistic palaeodocs like it!

Previous episode: www.deviantart.com/rahonavis70…