User:SeaScorpion/sandbox

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The following is a complete list of prehistoric creatures from the universe of the Walking with... series documentary, science fiction and fantasy television programmes, companion books and also any spin-off merchandise. Most of the shows produced by Impossible Pictures with BBC Worldwide and Discovery Channel in association with ProSieben and France 3 and created by Tim Haines and Jasper James. They used visual effects teams such as Framestore, The Mill and Jellyfish Pictures to bring back extinct creatures to life.

There are dozens of creatures in the series that are unrecognizable in the fossil record. Some animals such as dragonflies, dung beetles, wasps, butterflies etc. are cannot be always distinguished as a concrete extinct genus. Even though, creatures like the horseshoe crabs or the lungfish can be identified exactly by comparing the fossils or establish the correct time period and place where the animal lived. The list only uses the current scientific names of the creatures even if they are replaced from a genus or became nomen dubium after the series broadcasted.

Walking With Dinosaurs[edit]

220.000.000 BC, Late Triassic (Arizona, New Mexico)[edit]

Species Description
Coelophysis (Coelophysis bauri)
Family: Coelophysidae
Coelophysis was a small, fast running coelophysid theropod dinosaur best known from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. Some of the skeletons are even showing the signs of dinosaur cannibalism just the way it is portrayed in the series. A female and her pack appears in "New Blood", struggling to survive the harsh climate.
Plateosaurus (Plateosaurus engelhardti)
Family: Plateosauridae
Plateosaurus was a gigantic plateosaurid prosauropod dinosaur from Central and Northern Europe. It was the largest land animal of the late Triassic, migrated in huge herds across the landscape. It both appears in the series and in "The Arena Spectacular" and is the main character in the latter.
Thrinaxodon (Thrinaxodon liorhinus)
Family: Thrinaxodontidae
Thrinaxodon was a small, dog-like genus of cynodonts belonging to the group of the ancient synapsids. It was an early ancestor of mammals, with body hair, canines and primitive milk glands on its stomach. A pair of cynodonts and their offsprings are one of the main protagonists in the first episode.
Postosuchus (Postosuchus kirkpatricki)
Family: Rauisuchidae
Postosuchus was a fearsome rauisuchian reptile, a close relative of modern-day crocodiles and alligators. It hunted alone and fought to protect its huge territory from rivals. A female is another protagonist, later she dies in the infection of an injury on her thigh caused by the tusk of a Placerias.
Placerias (Placerias hesternus)
Family: Stahleckeriidae
Placerias was an ancient type of mammal-like reptile, migrating in massive herds across the deserts of the supercontinent of Pangaea. It was a peaceful grazer with giant tusks used to dig up roots and fight against predators. A herd of them appears as they migrating through the Pangaean scrublands.
Liliensternus (Liliensternus liliensterni)
Family: Halticosauridae
Liliensternus was a medium-sized coelophysid theropod dinosaur, a relative of Coelophysis. It had a double crest on its head similar to Dilophosaurus, its even closer relative. One individual appears exclusively in "The Arena Spectacular" while trying to hunt down Plateosaurus hatchlings.
Peteinosaurus (Peteinosaurus zambellii)
Family: Eudimorphodontidae
Peteinosaurus was an early genus of long-tailed eudimorphodontid pterosaurs, the first reptiles who took to the air and became completely adapted to fly. It was an aerial insectivore, living near larger areas with water. A few of them appears near a river chasing dragonflies.

155-152.000.000 BC, Late Jurassic (Colorado)[edit]

Species Description
Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegii)
Family: Diplodocidae
Diplodocus was a diplodocid sauropod dinosaur, one of the longest animals discovered at the time of the making of the series. Their fossils are found in the rocks of the Morrison Formation in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. A small female sauropodlet is the main protagonist in "Time Of The Titans" as she grows up.
Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus altithorax)
Family: Brachiosauridae
Brachiosaurus was a well known type of brachiosaurid sauropod dinosaurs. It was one of the tallest dinosaurs ever, adapted to feed from the tops of trees like the giant Araucaria. Two individuals appear both in the series and in the arena show: a giant adult and a sub-adult are the main characters in the latter.
Allosaurus (Allosaurus fragilis)
Family: Allosauridae
Allosaurus was a large allosaurid theropod dinosaur, "the lion of the Jurassic age". It was a top predator, hunted in pairs or small, seasonal packs, so it could even bring down a fully grown Diplodocus. They too appear in both the series and the show, stalking and attacking the sauropods, but every attempt fails.
Ornitholestes (Ornitholestes hermanni)
Family: Ornitholestidae
Ornitholestes was a slender and agile theropod dinosaur, living in the darkest regions of the Jurassic redwood forests. It's shown with a bony horn on its nose and a body covered with protofeathers. Ornitholestes appears in the episode as a bird and lizard-eater and a chance egg-thief.
Stegosaurus (Stegosaurus stenops)
Family: Stegosauridae
Stegosaurus was an iconic stegosaurid dinosaur with four, metre-long spikes on its tail and giant plates on its back, fully covered with blood-vessels. It was probably used for defense against predators like Allosaurus. They also returned in the arena show where they shown to be living in the early Jurassic.
Anurognathus (Anurognathus ammoni)
Family: Anurognathidae
Anurognathus was a tiny, bat-like, short-tailed pterosaur, living in a natural symbiosis with the huge Diplodocus herds. It eats insects and other parasites in small flocks from the giant sauropod bodies a thousand times bigger than their size. They also live in the dark redwood forests.
Dryosaurus (Dryosaurus altus)
Family: Dryosauridae
Dryosaurus was a fast running, agile ornithopod dinosaur. It lived in the redwood forests in small families. It was a herbivore with big eye-sockets, always alert to the predators. A small pack with different coloration compared to the specials seen venturing in the forest.

149.000.000 BC, Late Jurassic (Oxfordshire, Solnhofen)[edit]

Species Description
Ophthalmosaurus (Ophthalmosaurus icenicus)
Family: Ophthalmosauridae
Ophthalmosaurus was a relatively big type of ichthyosaur, a sea reptile completely adapted to aquatic life. It had a torpedo-shaped, fish-like body, huge eyes adapted to see in the mesopelagic zone and gave birth to live young fully separated from dry land. We follow the story of a young female pup in "Cruel Sea".
Liopleurodon (Liopleurodon ferox)
Family: Pliosauridae
Liopleurodon was a giant pliosaur with a huge jaw full of knife-like teeth pointing out. With its huge size, it was the top predator of the oceans. It could even kill the largest sea reptiles, like ichthyosaurs or even land dinosaurs. A more than a hundred-year old and 25-metre long bull is the main antagonist.
Eustreptospondylus (Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis)
Family: Megalosauridae
Eustreptospondylus was a megalosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived on the tropical islands above the coral reefs of Northern Europe. It could even swim between small islands to find new sources food. It mostly ate washed-ashore carcasses on the beach. Several individuals appear in the episode.
Cryptoclidus (Cryptoclidus oxoniensis)
Family: Cryptoclididae
Cryptoclidus was a four-flippered marine predator, a plesiosaur that could even climb up to the rock ledges for safety against predators like Liopleurodon. It used its long neck to help its body to hide while fishing. In this way, fish only see the small head. It appears to live in very tight colonies like seals.
Rhamphorhynchus (Rhamphorhynchus muensteri)
Family: Rhamphorhynchidae
Rhamphorhynchus was a long-tailed pterosaur specialized to live on the tropical islands. It had a curved beak with strange looking, pointing teeth to catch the slippery fish it preys on from the water like one modern day sea bird, the skimmer. Again it lived in colonies and alerted each other for danger.
Hybodus (Hybodus houtienensis)
Family: Hybodontidae
Hybodus was an ancient type of shark very similar to modern day bullhead sharks with its big, bony fin-spikes and horns above both of its eyes. It was a killer and sometimes a scavenger. They attacked the young, old or stressed sea animals. A few of them appears in "Cruel Sea".
Perisphinctes (Perisphinctes plicatilis)
Family: Perisphinctidae
Perisphinctes was a typical looking ammonite, a cephalopod with long tentacles and a curved shell. It filtered zooplankton and phytoplankton and sometimes caught small fish too. It drifted with the ocean currents of the open sea in huge gatherings.

127.000.000 BC, Early Cretaceous (Brazil)[edit]

Species Description
Tropeognathus (Tropeognathus mesembrinus)
Family: Ornithocheiridae
Tropeognathus was a giant species of ornithocheirid pterosaur, one of the largest creatures ever flown. It travelled halfway around the globe from Brazil to Cantabria, Spain to breed. It is named Ornithocheirus in the episode "Giant Of The Skies".
Iguanodon (Iguanodon bernissartensis)
Family: Iguanodontidae
Iguanodon was the most widespread genus of dinosaur ever existed. Belonging to the group of iguanodonts, it travelled in huge herds across the whole of Europe to find food. Originally Dakotadon too was named Iguanodon in the series.
Utahraptor (Utahraptor ostrommaysorum)
Family: Dromaeosauridae
Utahraptor was a large species of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, commonly known as raptors. It was a pack hunter. With sharp teeth and a lethal claw on its feet, it could easily bring down an adult Iguanodon. It appears featherless in the episode.
Dakotadon (Dakotadon lakotaensis)
Family: Iguanodontidae
Dakotadon was a genus of ornithopod dinosaurs, similar in appearance to Iguanodon, only smaller. Once belonging to the same genus, they have almost the same external features too. The series depicted an actual event of their migrating.
Tupandactylus (Tupandactylus navigans)
Family: Tapejaridae
Tupandactylus was a tapejarid pterosaur with a strange crest on its head, two times bigger than the skull itself. They lived in huge colonies in the rocky coatlines of South America. Only discovered in 2003, originally it was a fictional kind of Tapejara.
Polacanthus (Polacanthus foxii)
Family: Nodosauridae
Polacanthus was a small ankylosaurid dinosaur, a very close relative of Edmontonia. Some people even say that the European kind is an Edmontonia. It lived alongside migrating Iguanodon and Dakotadon herds to find safety in numbers.
Iberomesornis (Iberomesornis romerali)
Family: Iberomesornithidae
Iberomesornis was an early type of bird, a relative of the raptors. It and had a beak full of pointed teeth to catch flying insects like moths or damselflies. When nesting season came, they started to act aggressively against intruders.

106.000.000 BC, Early Cretaceous (Antarctica)[edit]

Species Description
Leaellynasaura (Leaellynasaura amicagraphica)
Family: Hypsilophodontidae
Leaellynasaura was a small ornithopod dinosaur who lived in the lush seasonal forests of the Antarctic region. It was a group animal, living in hierarchy with a leader, dominant female. A leader and her clutch are followed in "Spirits Of The Ice Forest".
Australovenator (Australovenator wintonensis)
Family: Megaraptoridae
Australovenator was a big megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from the Winton Formation of Australia. It though to be a large migrating carnivore, once believed it's a species of Allosaurus. A lonely male appears, attacking and killing Leaellynasaura.
Muttaburrasaurus (Muttaburrasaurus langdoni)
Family: Rhabdodontidae
Muttaburrasaurus was a giant rhabdodontid ornithopod dinosaur from Queensland, Australia. It communicated by strange trumpeting sounds. It moved to Antarctica to spend the summer. A gigantic herd appears in the series near the river.
Koolasuchus (Koolasuchus cleelandi)
Family: Chigutisauridae
Koolasuchus was an ancient type of temnospondyl amphibians, which lived their golden age in the Carboniferous. By this time, they are reduced to the hidden parts of the world like the south pole. One of them lives in a pond deep in the forest.

65.500.000 BC, Late Cretaceous, (Montana)[edit]

Species Description
Tyrannosaurus (Tyrannosaurus rex) Tyrannosaurus was a gigantic tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur, the most famous ever found. It was the ultimate killing machine. With a huge bite force, it could easily bring down anything.
Torosaurus (Torosaurus latus) Torosaurus was a ceratopsid dinosaur. It had the largest skull of any animal ever found. Once believed it's the adult version of Triceratops, now it's classification is finally cleaned up.
Edmontosaurus (Edmontosaurus annectens) Edmontosaurus was a large hadrosaurid dinosaur, a herd animal. It was originally introduced as Anatotitan in the series, but this genus became a synonym of Edmontosaurus annectens.
Ankylosaurus (Ankylosaurus magniventris) Ankylosaurus was an armor-plated ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of North America. It lived a solitary life and used its spikes and a bony tail club for defense.
Dromaeosaurus (Dromaeosaurus albertensis) Dromaeosaurus was a fast and agile dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur, similar to Utahraptor, only smaller. It too was a pack hunter, attacking the young or sick animals. It ate eggs too.
Didelphodon (Didelphodon vorax) Didelphodon was a marsupial mammal with the size of a raccoon. It was a scavenger and an egg-thief. Mammals like this caused the intense decrease of hatchling dinosaurs.
Quetzalcoatlus (Quetzalcoatlus northropi) Quetzalcoatlus was an azhdarchid pterosaur, the largest animal ever to fly. It was basically a scavenger, but it sometimes ate small fish too. It was the very last pterosaur ever existed.
Deinosuchus (Deinosuchus rugosus) Deinosuchus was a gigantic, 12 metre long crocodile, its closest living relative is the American alligator. It lived in ten US states from Texas to Montana. It was a dinosaur hunter.

External links[edit]

Category:BBC television documentaries Category:Documentary films about prehistoric life