Morocco, 95 MYA
The sounds of many frogs can be heard within a large swamp. Many ferns and redwoods line the slow moving waters. Moss covered rocks hold lizards as they bask in the sunlight. The hot sun beats against the water which protects the abundant fish. Crickets chirp in the grass. The smell of swamp water fills the air, the only protection from which is the very small population of flowers.
A few metres away from the water is a lone hadrosaur. This hadrosaur is one of the last of its species, but despite this it is quite healthy. It's vibrant blue-green scales soak up the sun as it munches on some ferns.
But, not all is as it seems. 15 metres away from the hadrosaur is a deadly predator, Rugops. The abelisaurid's blue-grey scales make it not the most hidden attacker, but it makes up for that in its speed. Abelisaurids like Rugops have highly reduced arms, so much that they are almost vestigial, which reduces the amount of drag when running, allowing them to reach faster speeds than most other theropods.
The Rugops, crouching down into the plant matter, approaches the hadrosaur. Once the predator is metres away from the hadrosaur it lunges into a run. The Rugops' 5 metre long body achieves massive speeds as the hadrosaur tries to make its escape. The hadrosaur swerves in between trees, trying to lose its assailant.
After a three minute long chase through streams, bushes, and trees the Rugops finally reaches its food. After biting down on the neck, the carnivore swings the hadrosaur down to the ground. Now, the stripe behind its eye is not the only thing coloured crimson.
YOU ARE READING
The Angel of Kem Kem
Fiksi SejarahThe Kem Kem Beds are a paleontological formation located in Morocco. The rocks date to ~95 MYA in the mid Cretaceous. This story follows an Alanqa, named Alan, in his journey to find a mate.
