Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Minutes slip by as the stage lights swell in imitation of a Cretaceous dawn. Insect-
like buzzes and chirps intrude on the silence, accompanied by bird songs of the
Mesozoic.
Soon thereafter, small two-legged theropods and ornithopods, cavorting and
gamboling splendidly, enter from stage right in twos and threes. Each pays no heed
to the presence of the other species, as neither poses a threat. They wander about
and occasionally halt to sip water from the shoreline, but whether stopped or mov-
ing, they frequently pop their heads up, down, and around, ever alert to danger. The
little theropods behave much like chickens in a … well, a chicken yard. The orni-
thopods, most about the size of modern emus of various ages, also remind the audi-
ence of these modern animals.
At some point the insects, which had reached a cacophonous peak through
their blended mating calls, suddenly cease their racket and are quickly joined in
silence by the birds. This hush puts the theropods and ornithopods on high alert,
the Cretaceous equivalent of a fire alarm. They all look up and to the left simul-
taneously, where the quiet first descended and then spread like a wave. They begin
to sniff the air, but delay expressing full-fledged panic until they actually feel the
danger in their feet. There it is, detected by the audience as a Sensurround-like spe-
cial effect, the
basso profundo
vibrations imparted by each footfall of an approach-
ing multi-ton animal, coming from the left and offstage. Boom. Boom. Boom.
His imposing head appears first, with a mouth full of bladed teeth and nostrils
snorting steam into the cool morning air. The rest of his massive body reveals itself
with each halting step, his long tail held straight behind him, tiny arms dangling in
front.Thesmellofrottenmeatwaftsacrossthestageandintotherestofthetheater,
a sample of this carnivore's bacterially fueled bad breath. After stopping once, he
crosses his right foot over his left, stops again, crosses his left foot over his right,
and then quickens his pace once a target is acquired. He is now stalking his prey.
The small dinosaurs react appropriately to such a sudden and rude interruption
of their morning. Acting as one panicked mind, they run to the left as quickly
