Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic

The Tree Dwellers (178 MYA)

Cañadón Asfalto Formation, Argentina, 178 Million Years Ago

The ascension of the sun heralds a new day over Argentina. Radiant beams crest over the silhouette of a dormant volcano, casting a misty glow across the expanse. Clouds drift lazily against the canvas of the sky transitioning from purple to blue. Retreating shadows yield to the advancing light, unraveling the landscape that will one day be northwestern Patagonia.

What lies is a verdant mosaic of lush forests interspersed with braided rivers. These woods comprise a plentiful canopy of conifers and cycads, dampened by the humid air. Giant Araycarias resembling today's kauri pine and bunya trees tower overall plant life here. These are to the forest what skyscrapers are to a modern city.

Below this shield of trees is a vast undergrowth dappled by the morning light. Blooming ferns intermingle with horsetails, carpeting the ground in abundance. Any part of the moist, dark brown earth not cloaked in vegetation is blanketed in mosses, lichens, and fungi. The soft light peering in reveals faint mist floating among the vast greenery.

Aside from the flying and buzzing of insects and the lizards that crawl up the trees, much of this area remains still and quiet. This near silence is abruptly broken by a branch plummeting and crashing to the ground. It quickly settles onto the dampened ground below as beetles start crawling all over it. These shelled creatures aren't the only thing attracted by the fallen limb.

The appearance of this branch also draws another type of organism native to this South American temperate forest. Scurrying out of the cover of the ferns are three Manidens. These small, agile creatures possess sleek, streamlined bodies carried by two long, hindlimbs. They also have a pair of short, yet strong forearms ending in clawed hands. Their heads are proportionately large with sharp, beady eyes. The front of their jaws sports a keratinous bill that hides a pair of sharp, needle-like tusks. Hidden in their cheeks are serrated, leaf-shaped teeth. Their bodies are entirely covered by dark brown, hair-like feathers, except for their hands and feet which are smooth and scaly with the same pigmentation as their plumage.

Among the three Manidens, the one adult female, Juana, is the largest despite being the size of a house cat at 2 feet long and weighing 20 ounces. She is accompanied by her two offspring, Enzo and Gael. As juveniles, they are only half the size of their mother, with whom they stick close.

The youngsters stand and stare at the branch in curiosity. Meanwhile, Juana starts to feast on the vibrant greenery on the branch as well as the beetles that crawl all over it. Enzo and Gael can learn what is safe for them to eat by observing their mother's eating habits.

The brothers prepare to step toward the branch, ready to start feasting. Their approach is quickly interrupted as something else catches their attention. They turn their heads to a thick batch of vegetation to their left where they hear a myriad of fluttering and buzzing noises.

Curiosity compels one of the youngsters as Enzo dashes into the greenery. Gael lets out a soft, bark-like sound but fails to stop his brother from entering the grove. He glances back at Juana, seeing her preoccupied with her continued feeding. His attention repeatedly shifts between his mother and the source of the sounds as she tries to determine what to do. Ultimately, Gael's choice is made as he runs through the ferns after Enzo.

***

It isn't before the lone youngster finds himself reunited with his brother. As he does, he emerges into a clearing of moist, dark brown dirt. This runs at the edge of an extensive lake surrounded by the greater forest with the dormant volcano overlooking the background. Shimmering light reflects off the mirroring surface of the freshwater, revealing the source of the mysterious noises.