All animals are connected with each other somehow. Although it is not always welcome relation, they interact with in nature anyway. Little Bumblebees come across various creatures in this story with many illustrations. Let’s find out circle of life in nature through the seasons of Bumblebees.

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Herrerasaurus stand on two legs

Herrerasaurus lived during the Triassic period, about 230 million years ago. The fossils were found in northwest Argentina. Herrerasaurus is probably one of the oldest theropod dinosaurs. Theropod dinosaurs were bipedal and mostly meat eater. Tyrannosaurus was one of the typical theropod dinosaurs, but Herrerasaurus was much smaller, about 10 to 13ft (3 to 4m) long.

Neocalamites were Triassic horsetails. Horsetails are one of the fern families, but Neocalamites were much larger than modern horsetails. Three Neocalamites are growing tall at the front left side.

Longisquama was about 6in (15cm) long, shape like lizard. The function of long scales is unknown. Some think that Longisquama was related to the origin of bird.

The relatives of Cycads exist at least about 300 million years ago.

Triceratops face off

Tyrannosaurus might have eaten Triceratops. The hipbone of one Triceratops has bite marks of Tyrannosaur. This might suggest that Tyrannosaur scavenged on dead triceratops or bit meat out of live triceratops. In addition that one horn of triceratops has the trace of recovering from the wounds made by Tyrannosaur.

This confrontation probably occurred during the Late Cretaceous period in North America. Lizards (squamata) already existed in North America in this period. One of them is Palaeosaniwa, about 6ft (180cm) long, which was a meat-eating lizard. Palaeosaniwa was perhaps venomous and closely related to Gila monsters. So far the oldest lizard fossil in the world was found in Japan, which is about 130 million years old. This lizard, about 10in (25cm) long, probably ate plants.

Mosasaurus are also lizards but they lived in the ocean, so they are marine lizards. Unfortunately the family of Mosasaurus was extinct.

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Caring father    - Troodon eggs -

Troodon was bird-like dinosaur, so it laid eggs. In the case of some modern birds eggs are brooded by males. Troodon father also could have brooded his eggs.

Since females use a lot of calcium to make egg shells, the bones of females usually have cavities. The skeleton which was found near a clutch of troodon eggs does not have that feature. Therefore it probably belongs to male troodon.

Troodon eggs and nests were found in Montana.

Speedy predator    - Albertosaurus -

Albertosaurus were probably able to run faster than Tyrannosaurus, because they have lighter body and longer hind legs. In addition the ankle could endure sudden charge or rapid acceleration.

Albertosaurus lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous Period about 70 million years ago. Large herbivore such as Edmotosaurus and Hypacrosaurus, about 10m (33ft) long, inhabited same environment as Albertosaurus did. Although Albertosaurus was slenderer than Tyrannosaurus, they were still powerful, robust dinosaur and probably capable of kill those. Adult Albertosaurus did not have any major threats except their own kind.

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Flightless but Massive predator    - Brontornis -

Phorusrhacids were the group of flightless birds which lived in South America from about 65 million to 2 million years ago. Since their enormous size and predatory behavior, they are often called “Terror birds”. Brontornis Brumeisteri is the largest and Psilopterus Lemoinei is the smallest species in this family. Today all species of Phorusrhacids went extinct.

Brontornis was about 3m (10 ft) tall and weighed approximately 500kg (1100lb). It was probably the dominant predator in Patagonia. Hunting style of Brontornis is not clear yet, but it could kill prey in ambush due to their stocky body. Macrauchenia would fall prey to Brontornis.

The riddle of Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus was probably good swimmer, because of the similarity between the skull of Spinosaurus and that of crocodiles. The staple food of Spinosaurus is unclear. They lived in near water and their teeth adapted to hold fish. So they probably depend on fish to survive, but some questions are still remaining. One of them is that fish is not sufficient to keep their enormous body about 16m (52ft) long and 5m (16ft) tall. Therefore they might feed on small dinosaurs or juvenile dinosaurs.

The habitat of Spinosaurus was probably mangrove swamp in which large fish like coelacanth and crocodiles might be swimming around.

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The Laramidia Dino    - Kosmoceratops -

Kosmoceratops is a new dinosaur. The name, kosomoceratops (kosomos means beauty or adornment in ancient Greek), is decided in 2010. Kosmoceratops lived in the lost continent Laramidia during the Late Cretaceous period about 76 million years ago. The fossils are discovered from the Kaiparowits Formation in Utah. Utahceratops is also a new ceratopsian dinosaur and found from the same formation. Furthermore the Kaiparowits Formation also included plant-eating dinosaurs such as Euoplocephalus and Parasaurolophus, and the carnivorous dinosaur, Albertosaurus.

Kosmoceratops was approximately 5m (15ft) long and 2.5tons in weight. The feature is the frill with 10 horns. Kosmoceratops had 15 horns in total. Those horns might be used as defensive shields or the weapons against own species for domination.

Eggs belong with me   - Oviraptor -

Ovi means egg. Raptor means bird of prey.  What Oviraptor mainly had eaten is not yet to be known. But it is possible that Oviraptor took care of its eggs instead of stealing the eggs belonged to the other dinosaurs. The fossils of Oviraptor and their eggs are found in Mongolia.

Protoceratops and Therizinosaurus lived during the late cretaceous  period, same period of time as Oviraptor did in Mongolia.

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Los Angeles long long time ago   － Columbian Mammoth －

In North Africa the ancestor of Mammoths appeared about 5 million years ago. Then several kinds of Mammoths spread from Africa and covered continental Eurasia. Eventually they reached North America 1.8million years ago.

Colombian Mammoths lived in North America about 1.3 million years ago and disappeared about 8000 years ago. The size is about 13ft (4m) tall and about 10 tons in weight.

Incidentally the largest species of Mammoth is Songhua River Mammoth which was about 17ft (5m) tall and 17 tons in weight. They lived in Northern China about 280,000 years ago.

Unique head   - Prenocephale and Pachycephalo family -

Prenocephale lived in the woodland of central Asia in which Mongolia is located now. The size was approximately 8ft (2.4m) long and 290lb (130kg) in weight. During the late Cretaceous period Prenocephale was probably browsing on plants and fruits. In those days Tarbosaurus, Asian Tyrannosaurus, was also walking around.

Prenocepahle is a boneheaded dinosaur like Pachycephalosaurus and homalocepahle. The role of domed skull might be for head-butting as bighorn sheep do now. Recently known that the new boneheaded dinosaur called Texacephlae had bones of its skull endure the shock during the head on collision.

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Ceratosaurus vs. Allosaurus

Ceratosaurus and Allosaurus coexist in North America during the Late Jurassic Period, about 155 to 145 million years ago. Both of them are meat eater, but ceratosaurus may prey on fish and crocodiles. Since ceratosaurus had flexible body and crocodilian tail, it could be good at swimming. On the other hand allosaurus was much suitable for land because of its’ solid body and powerful arms. This difference also suggests that each of them lived in different types of environment. While ceratosaurus probably stayed in forest or closed to rivers, allosaurus seemed to prefer dry plain.

When easy meal like the carcass of Camptosaurus came around, that is another story.

Sky Ruler Anhanguera

Anhanguera flew over Brazilian sky during the early Cretaceous period. The family of Anhanguera includes 5 to 6 species. Spread wing of the largest Anhanguera is about 7m. Anhannguera could have eaten fish such as Calamopleurus and Cladocyclus.

Tapejara is anotother Cretaceous Pterosaurus. This toothless winged lizard is the oldest　ptelosaurus ever found. Tapejara might eat fruits instead of fish. The wingspan is relatively short, about 1.5-1.8m. Two to three species are recognized as Tapejara family. Tapejata lived in Brazil and China.

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Mosasaurus days

The family of mosasaurus includes several kinds of aquatic reptiles that have similar appearance. Clidastes is the smallest mosasaurus among them and Platecrpus is the most common mosasaurus in the U.S. Then Mosasaurus is one of the largest kinds.

Mosasaurus lived during the late cretaceous period, around 70~65 million years ago. The first fossils were found in the Netherlands. So probably they were swimming in the sea of Western Europe. The length is about 15 m (50 ft) and the weight is about 15 tons. Tylosaurus and Hinosaurus are also large mosasaurus, but Mosasaurus has sturdier body than the others.

Mosasaurus hunts fish, turtles, ammonite and small mosasaurus in shallow waters of sea. Since Mosasaurus was probably apex predator in those days, it could not be threatened by other animals in ocean. But juveniles were vulnerable to the attack by sharks and other predators.

Rhinoceros and Ostrich?   - Styracosaurus and Struthiomimus -

During late cretaceous period around 75 million years ago　Styracosaurus and　Struthiomimus lived in North America. Both fossils were found in the Dinosaur Provincial Park which is located in southeast of Alberta, Canada.

Styracosaurus belongs in the group of Ceratopsidae. The adult reached about 6 m (19.5 ft) in length and weighed about 3 tons. Presumably like the other Ceratopsidae the teeth of Styracosaurus were fitting to chop plants rather than grind. The food were probably palms, cycads or ferns.

The dinosaurs relate to the group of Ornithomidae in which Struthiomimus also belongs look like Ostriches. They could run fast with long hind legs.

Struthiomimus is about 3 to 4 m (10 to 14 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.6 ft) tall. Perhaps the diet composed of both pants and small animals.

Are you interested in the fossils of Styracosaurus? Click HERE!

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Battle of Argentina - Argentinosaurus and Mapusauru -

Argentinosaurus lived in Argentina about 90 million years ago, during the middle cretaceous period. The size is one of the largest among the titanosaurs family in which Antarctosaurs, Andesaurus and other colossal sauropods dinosaurs are included. The length of Argentinosaurus is about 30 to 45 m (100~150 ft). The weight is about 100 tons.

Like other sauropods dinosaurs, Argentinosaurus was probably plant-eater.

Mapusaursu is about 13 m (42 ft) in length. This carnivorous dinosaur might do collaborative hunt with other Mapusaurus to take down sauropods dinosaurs. But mapusaurus only weighs about 9 tons, so it would not be easy.

Gigantic marine lizard - Tylosaurus -

Tylosaurus was a marine lizard that lived in the Western Interior Seaway during the Late cretaceous. The length was up to 14 m (45 ft). Tylosaurus probably did not have to watch for other predator once it matured.

Tylosaurus pursued fish, sharks, plesiosaurs, small mosasaurs and even sea birds such as Hesperornis. Archelon was a sea turtle that also swimming in the same ocean. The size was about 4 m (13.5 ft). Archelon probably ate squids and other mollusks as some modern sea turtles do.

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Allosaurus rhapsody

Allosaurus probably could not run fast as tyrannosaurus did. But their arms were strong enough to hold prey and tear the flesh. Also developed neck muscle helps their jaws to bite meat off the bone.

Allosaurus was the top predator in the Jurassic period. But the life of Allosaurus probably was not easy. They probably got injured from the counter attack of prey, fighting against each other or might compete with Ceratosaurus.

Protoceratops family

The fossils of Protoceratops have been found in Mongolia. These fossils include babies, juveniles, adults and eggs. The growth of frill can be observed by juxtaposing those different stages of fossils. Since so many of them have congregated, Protoceratops might live in herd and take care of eggs and young.

Protoceratops was not large dinosaur, only 2 m (6.5 ft) long. On the other hand Triceratops which has also frill is about 9 m (30 ft). Both dinosaurs belong to the group called Ceratopsia. Although Psittacosaurus does not have frill but facial horns is also in same group. All Ceratposia dinosaurs has parrot-like beak and they are probably plant eater.

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Smilodon

A number of Smilodon fossils have been found in the La Brea tar pits in California with other mammal fossils such as mammoths, ground sloths, American bison and dire wolves. Smilodons might live in groups and hunt together. The preys are big mammals such as deer, bison and ground sloths. They might target on juvenile mastodon, too.

The oldest and the smallest Smilodon species appeared 2.5 million years ago in the United States. Smilodon Populator lived in South America is the largest species in the Smilodon family. They are about 2 m (6.5 ft) long and 500 kg (1100 lb) in weight. All Smilodon species became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

Lestodons lived in South America about 1 million years ago. They are giant ground sloths about 4 m (14 ft) long and 2.5 tons (5500 lb). In prairies or swamps they probably ate leaves, twigs and roots.

May be birds

Deinonychus lived in North America during the early Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago. The family of Dromaeosaurus including Deinonychus and Velociraptor is bird like dinosaurs. Deinonychus was meat eater with big eyes and claws, the size of which is about 3 m (11 ft) long.

Goniopholis lived late Jurassic to early Cretaceous period in North America, Europe and Asia. The size is almost equivalent to modern crocodiles, about 2 to 4m (6.6 to 13 ft) long.

The fossil of turtle has been found in China is the oldest one so far, about 220 years old. Pig-nosed turtle which lives in Australia and New Guinea is closely related to the fossilised turtle.

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Spinosauridae

There are several dinosaurs in the family of Spinosaurus. Angaturama and Irritator was about same size, 6~8 m (20~26 ft) in length and lived same period of time, around 110 million years ago. Both of their fossils were found in Brazil. Spinosaurus and Suchomimus probably had bigger body, about 11~17 m (36~56 ft) in length. Suchomimus lived in North Africa around 120 to 110 million years ago. Spinosaurus lived around 110 to 90 million years ago and the fossil was also found in Niger, Africa.

All of the Spinosaurus family have long nose like crocodiles or gavials. Since they live in near rivers, lakes or sea, they probably eat fish often. A big fish like Mawsonia which is related to coelacanth, about 4 m (13 ft) long might be eaten by Spinosaurus.

Euoplocephalus

The fossils of Euoplocephalus have been unearthed in Alberta, Canada and Montana, U.S.A. Albertosaurus is very much like Tyrannosaurus except the body size about 9 m (30 ft) and build which is less stocky. Probably the speed is the weapon of Albertosaurus.

On the other hand Euoplocephalus is an armored tank and likely cannot run away from fast Albertosaurus. But Euoplocephalus could move its tail quickly and counterattack against Albertosaurus. Albertosaurus perhaps needed some experience or help to flip over an adult Euoplocephalus.

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Pachycephalosaurus

The skull of Pachycephalosaurus is about 25 cm (10 in). It is very thick!! There is only tiny space for the brain to fit in. Nobody knows why it is so thick for sure. It might be for the battle between males or the defence against enemies such as tyrannosaurus.

The fossils of Montanoceratopus found in Montana as well as the ones of Pachycephalosaurus. Montanoceratops ate plants such as ferns, cycadas and conifers with its beak. Pachycephalosaurus probably ate plants too and might have eaten insects.

Late Jurassic period extended from 160 million years ago to 145 million years ago. Allosaurus is Jurassic dinosaur. Serrated tooth and three fingers are signs of Allosaurus. Stegosaurus has distinctive plates and spines on its tail. The fossils of Stegosaurus have been found all over the world such as North America, China, India and Africa.

Relatives of Allosaurus existed up to early cretaceous period (144 mya - 127 mya). On the other hand a few relativeｓ of Stegosaurs survived till early cretaceous period. One of them is Wuerhosaurus.

There are more stories and the sean where Stegosaurus exhisted. Click Prehistoric World !!

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Tyrannosaurus has several relatives. Both Daspletosaurus and Tarbosaurus are closely related to Tyrannosaurus. The family of Tyrannosaurus has extremely small hands with two fingers. Also Titanosaurus has close relatives. Gigantesco Alamosaurus whose size is about 20 m (69 ft) in length is one of them. Antarctosaurus is even bigger, about 30 m (115 ft) in length, and has common relatives of Titanosaurus as well. Noticeable features of these kinds are a very long neck and a long whip like tail.

This scene is probably somewhere in North America during late cretaceous period. Because all three dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus, a Triceratops and an Alamosaurus, shared same land and time.

Do you want to know more stories about T-rex? Click Prehistoric World.

Einiosaurus lived during late Cretaceous period. The feature of Einiosaurus is the horn which bent forward. Maiasaura is a duck-billed dinosaur which belongs to a family of Hadrosaurus. The length of Dromaeosaurus is only about 1.8 m (6 ft)long. Despite of that Dromaeosaurus could run fast and had powerful jaws to crush bones of its prey. Ficus is a family to which fig trees belong. Tyrannosaurus is hiding behind the fig tree.

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Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus