by Eric Braun
THE END
To follow another path in the Cretaceous Period, press here.
To learn more about the Cretaceous Period, press here.
You turn and run toward the other side of the island. The tail crashes onto the cliff and smashes trees and rocks, which crumble into the sea. It is an awesome sight. You push through the thick branches and leaves. Once you arrive at the other side of the island, you climb down to the beach where you and Luis first came up. He is there in the mud waiting for you.
“Let’s get off this island,” you say. “And away from that big guy.”
“Good call,” Luis says.
You begin to swim back across the lagoon. Your limbs are tired, and your heart is racing furiously. You still haven’t caught your breath, and you’re afraid you won’t make it to the island in the distance. Luis looks pretty tired too.
You’re both beginning to flounder when a giant sea turtle surfaces nearby. It’s bigger than a van.
“I don’t know if I can swim much more,” Luis gasps. “Maybe we should get a ride on that guy.”
“He seems pretty relaxed,” you reply. “It might be our best shot.
Luis climbs onto its back, and you join him. You both lean up and grab onto the collar of its shell.
The turtle drags you to the mainland, without even seeming to notice you’re there. As you get close to land, you slip off into the water and wade ashore.
“I’m tired of being wet and cold,” Luis says.
“Me too,” you agree. “Let’s build a fire.”
You quickly gather dried twigs, leaves, and grass, while Luis clears out a shallow hole. Luis takes off his watch and breaks the glass off the face. He holds it so it captures the sun’s rays and concentrates them on the pile of kindling. It’s not long before the grass and leaves begin to smoke, and Luis blows on them gently. Soon, you have bright flames.
You gather bigger twigs and dry sun-bleached driftwood. Before long, evening is upon you, and your fire is raging.
Suddenly, you hear a series of loud cracks coming from the forest. A large tree tumbles over and lands in the sand near your fire. An Ankylosaurus comes out of the woods after it. The tank-shaped dinosaur stops to munch on the leaves of the tree, which are now conveniently at ground level.
It looks at you. Its tail looks like a stone beach ball attached to the end of a whip. You gulp nervously as it swishes that club of a tail around like a happy house cat. To your relief, it eats all the leaves and moves on.
After it’s gone, you’re still not alone. More monsters lurk in the woods. You hear them snorting, pushing through the leaves, and occasionally growling or yelping at one another. Maybe you should find something to defend yourself with, but you don’t really want to leave the comforting glow of the fire.
To spend the night by your fire, press here.
To look for a weapon, press here.
You don’t want any surprises in the middle of the night. You slip into the trees for a look around. You follow the noises—chomping, snorting, and snuffling. A tree cracks and falls. You hear a deep, rasping cough, and then out of the darkness shuffles an Ankylosaurus. For a moment, you and Luis are in a staring contest with the massive turtlelike dinosaur. Then you see something change in its eyes. Fear. It’s never seen a human before. You almost laugh at the thought of this monstrous beast being afraid of you.
It turns—much quicker than you would think such a big animal could do—and suddenly its big tail is whizzing through the air. The end of the tail is a giant, hard ball with spikes. It crushes you and Luis in a single blow.
THE END
To follow another path in the Cretaceous Period, press here.
To learn more about the Cretaceous Period, press here.
You and Luis take turns collecting wood nearby and stoking the fire all through the night. In the morning, you wake up on the beach under the baking sun.
You’re barely awake when you hear a deep snort behind you. You turn and see a Triceratops walking across the beach. From up on a berm, an Albertosaurus climbs down toward you as well. This quick theropod is a lot like a T. rex, but smaller. It has its eyes on the Triceratops.
The Triceratops does not intend to become anyone’s dinner today. It lowers its head and charges, goring its enemy with one of its long, spear-like tusks. The Albertosaurus screams, and the sand around it darkens with blood.
The Triceratops turns and looks at you. You should probably be scared, but for some reason, you’re not. You recall the toy Triceratops in Ms. Turrey’s terrarium.
“Hi,” you say.
“Are you kidding me?” Luis asks. “Talking to a dinosaur? He just gored that other guy.”
“I think it wants us to follow it,” you say.
You grab Luis’s arm and pull him after the Triceratops. He follows along reluctantly. The beast leads you down the beach to a rocky pool at the edge of the lagoon. A mist hovers over the water. It looks like the terrarium. You step past the Triceratops. You can’t explain it, but you trust the dinosaur.
Dragging Luis, you step into the misty pool. The air begins to swirl. Then a powerful wind kicks in. When it settles, you are standing in the classroom next to the terrarium.
“Students, please sit down,” Ms. Turrey says.
“What?” you say, still trying to take in the sudden shift in surroundings.
“I’m glad you like my diorama,” she says, “but you do have a test to finish.”
With a sigh of relief, you go back to your desk. You’ve never been so happy to take a test in your life.
THE END
To follow another path in the Cretaceous Period, press here.
To learn more about the Cretaceous Period, press here.
There’s no way you’ll be able to sleep here anyway, so you walk along the beach looking for something to throw or swing at a predator. You also gather wood to burn.
Somehow you survive the night. Over the next several days you collect rocks to throw, fruits and roots to eat, and wood for the fire. You and Luis take turns eating and foraging. It is a boring life, but you are alive. That is all you care about for now.
Then one day you are lying on the beach looking at the sky when you see a raging ball of fire plummet from space. It screams and crackles louder than anything you’ve ever heard. The sky turns an amazing purple and yellow as the asteroid crashes into Earth far, south of you.
“That’s the asteroid,” Luis says. His face is streaked with mud. His eyes and skin are red from sunburn. His shirt is torn and bloody. “The one that hits Chicxulub.”
“The one that killed the dinosaurs?” you say.
“That’s the one.”
Over the next few hours, you watch as the sky to the south grows dark with smoke and ash. You know that massive waves will make their way across miles and miles of ocean, crash onto land, and flood it. You can’t see much of the destruction yet, but you know it is coming. You can smell the smoke. Fires are coming.
“We’re going to die here,” you say. “We’re going to die in the Cretaceous Period.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Luis says.
He doesn’t look scared or worried. You’ve been barely surviving for so many weeks by now. You’ve fought off dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. You’ve wondered if you’d ever see your families again. Maybe a quick death is the best you can hope for.
THE END
To follow another path in the Cretaceous Period, press here.
To learn more about the Cretaceous Period, press here.
CHAPTER 5
THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD
The Cretaceous Period was dominated by dinosaurs and ended with their extinction. It started about 145 million years ago, following the Jurassic Period, and lasted about 79 million years. During this time, Earth was reshapi
ng itself as the supercontinent Pangaea drifted apart. By the end of the period, oceans had filled in the gaps between continents, which looked a lot like they do now. Temperatures all over the globe were warmer than they are now.
One of the most important features of the Cretaceous Period was the development of flowering plants. They spread across the land, and flying insects such as bees and wasps pollinated them. Other insects, such as butterflies, ants, beetles, and grasshoppers, also spread.
Ancestors of many modern bird types appeared during this period, including cormorants, pelicans, and sandpipers. Mammals, especially multituberculates, lived comfortably in the forests. Frogs, salamanders, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles, thrived. Sharks and rays swam through the oceans alongside enormous plesiosaurs and mosasaurs.
But the stars of the Cretaceous Period were the dinosaurs. Gigantic sauropods lumbered across the land in herds. Birdlike dinosaurs lived in great numbers over most of the globe. Massive horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops lumbered on land. Terrifying meat eaters such as Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex sat at the top of the food chain.
About 65 million years ago, an asteroid or comet about the size of a small city streaked out of the sky. It struck the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
The explosion it caused was 2 million times stronger than the most powerful human-made bomb. Debris from the explosion flew into the atmosphere and landed, still burning, causing fires across the globe. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and monstrous waves called tsunamis rippled out from the crash site. The smoke and debris in the air blocked out sunlight for years, starving plants of the energy they needed. Plants died, and the Earth grew very cold.
The crater left behind by the explosion has been called the Chicxulub crater after the town that now lies near its center. Scientists are not certain if the Chicxulub collision was the only event that caused more than half of the planet’s species to go extinct. It may have been one in a series of collisions that, along with the eruption of many volcanoes, brought an end to the Cretaceous Period.
TIMELINE
PALEOZOIC ERA: Time of Ancient Life
MESOZOIC ERA: Time of Dinosaurs (252-65 million years ago) Triassic Period (251-200 million years ago) 252 million years ago: A mass extinction marks the end of the Paleozoic Era, sparking a rapid change in animal and plant life. The Mesozoic Era begins, with the first of its three periods, the Triassic. The age of reptiles begins.
230-220 million years ago: The first dinosaurs appear.
210-200 million years ago: Triassic Period ends, and Jurassic begins.
Jurassic Period (200-146 million years ago) 190 million years ago: The first mammals appear on Earth.
180 million years ago: The Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean form as the supercontinent Pangaea breaks apart.
145 million years ago: Jurassic Period ends, and Cretaceous begins.
Cretaceous Period (145-65 million years ago) 146-100 million years age (Early Cretaceous): First flowering plants evolve, such as magnolia and ficus. Some groups of modern insects appear, including bees, wasps, beetles, and ants.
100-66 million years ago (Late Cretaceous): T. rex reigns.
65 million years ago: Chicxulub Asteroid impacts Mexico. Dinosaurs go extinct. Cretaceous Period ends. Cenozoic Era begins with the Paleogene Period. Earth recovers, temperatures warm, and modern mammals appear.
23 million years ago: Neogene Period of the Cenezoic Era begins. Grass spreads. New species of mammals and other animals evolve.
CENOZOIC ERA: Time of Mammals
COULD YOU SURVIVE THE JURASSIC PERIOD?
Introduction
Chapter 1: Lost in Time
Chapter 2: The Prehistoric Forest
Chapter 3: The Open Plains
Chapter 4: Into the Wetlands
Chapter 5: The Jurassic Period
Timeline
INTRODUCTION
YOU are an ordinary kid going about your everyday life. Suddenly you find yourself in a strange place and a strange time. It’s a period from long ago. The world looks different than anything you’ve ever seen before. Terrifying beasts roam the land. Danger lurks at every turn. Where will you find shelter? How will you get food? Will you ever see your friends and family again? Most importantly of all, can you survive?
Chapter One sets the scene. Then you choose which path to take. Follow the links at the bottom of each page as you read the story. The decisions you make will change your outcome. After you finish one path, go back and read the others for new perspectives and more adventures. Use your device's back buttons or page navigation to jump back to your last choice.
YOU CHOOSE the path you take through the Jurassic Period!
CHAPTER 1
LOST IN TIME
“Look at that!” gasps your friend Eduardo.
He’s pointing toward a huge Stegosaurus fossil on display at the science museum.
“Can you imagine running into one of those? Man, I wish I could see one in real life!”
“Boring,” says Jasmine. “Where’s the T. rex? I want to see a real dinosaur!”
Eduardo’s face turns red. When it comes to dinosaurs, he’s a fanatic. He fights the urge to snap at Jasmine as he grips the thick Guide to the Jurassic he bought at the gift shop.
“Jasmine,” he says. “The sign says ‘Jurassic Period.’ Tyrannosaurus rex didn’t live during the Jurassic, no matter what the movies say.”
“Hey,” you say, glancing over your shoulder. “Our class is headed toward the Ancient Egypt exhibit. We should…”
Eduardo cuts you off. “Just a second. Check this out!”
The three of you step up to the base of the Stegosaurus skeleton. “Put your hand on it.”
“I don’t think we’re supposed to touch it,” Jasmine warns.
“Nobody’s looking,” Eduardo responds. “Imagine what the world must have been like.”
All three of you touch the fossil. It’s smooth and cool to the touch. You imagine what this animal would have looked like when it was alive.
Suddenly a wave of dizziness sweeps over you. Your stomach churns. You feel like you’re falling. Then everything goes black.
When you regain consciousness, something is wrong. The museum is gone. You’re outside, lying in a sunbaked clearing. Tall trees and strange ferns grow all around you. The air smells damp.
Eduardo wakes up next to you, his book still clutched under his arm. And there’s Jasmine, just starting to sit up and rub her eyes.
“What… where?” Eduardo stammers.
None of this makes any sense. You look up. The sky is brilliant blue, dotted with clouds.
A shadow passes overhead. Is it a bird? It’s huge! You squint your eyes and scream. A creature soars high above—a creature that should not be there.
“It’s… it’s… a pterosaur!” Eduardo gasps.
“This can’t be possible,” Jasmine says. “It can’t be real!”
Far in the distance, you hear a low roaring sound. Some sort of animal made it. And from the sound of it, it’s a huge animal. That, combined with the strange plant life and the pterosaur in the sky, leaves no doubt of what has happened, no matter how insane it sounds.
“Umm, Eduardo,” you whisper. “I don’t think we have to imagine the Jurassic anymore. I’m afraid we’re in it.”
You stand at the edge of a dense forest, which lies to your north. The land east and south drops off into what looks like a large wetland area. An open prairie covered with ferns lies to the west.
“Where do we go?” Eduardo asks.
“You’re the dinosaur expert,” Jasmine snaps. “Why don’t you tell us?”
Both of them look at you. Someone has to make a decision.
To head into the forest, press here.
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To venture out onto the prairie, press here.
To wade into the wetlands, press here.
CHAPTER 2
THE PREHISTORIC FOREST
As another bone-chilling roar rolls over the land, you suddenly feel very exposed.
“Let’s take cover in the forest!” you shout.
The three of you rush toward the thick trees and bushes. Huge ferns slap at your face as you charge into the brush. The branches of large pine trees hang low, forcing you to duck and weave as you run. Jasmine stumbles over a tree root but pops right back up to her feet. The farther in you go, the thicker the brush gets. Small flies swarm all over.
Your heart races when Eduardo suddenly screams. Is it a dinosaur?
“It’s huge! Get it away! Get it away!” he shouts, swatting at the air.
Then you see it. An enormous bug that looks like a dragonfly buzzes around his face.
“Wow, it’s as long as my arm!” Jasmine gasps.
You’ve never seen anything like it. Eduardo keeps shouting, trying to swat the insect away. It finally buzzes away deeper into the forest.
“Aw, Ed, be nice. He’s just welcoming us to the Jurassic,” Jasmine says with a nervous laugh.
You start giggling, too. Then she laughs some more. Which makes you laugh even harder. Eduardo just scowls.
“If you two are ready to stop being ridiculous,” Eduardo says, “I’d remind you that we’re trapped in the past and surrounded by creatures that probably want to eat us.”
