Planet Dinosaur facts for kids

95 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (North Africa)

What Happens

This episode starts in a swamp in what is now North Africa. A group of Ouranosaurus are surprised by a huge Spinosaurus. The Spinosaurus is not interested in them. Instead, it hunts Onchopristis, which are giant sawfish migrating into freshwater rivers. A Rugops then eats the leftovers.

Next, we see two Carcharodontosaurus fighting. They want to control the best hunting grounds for Ouranosaurus. The winner then hunts and kills one of the plant-eating dinosaurs.

The episode then shows the Spinosaurus during a drought. A giant crocodilian called Sarcosuchus scares it away from the last bit of water. Sarcosuchus can even hibernate during dry times. The Spinosaurus has to hunt on land. After eating a pterosaur, it finds a group of Ouranosaurus. It smells a fresh kill and discovers a Carcharodontosaurus has caught a herbivore. After a fight over the food, the Spinosaurus chases off the other dinosaur, even though its sail gets badly hurt. The show explains that later, rising sea levels destroyed the Spinosaurus' home, causing it to go extinct.

Animals You'll See

• Ouranosaurus
• Spinosaurus
• Crocodile
• Onchopristis (giant sawfish)
• Rugops
• Carcharodontosaurus
• Sarcosuchus
• Pterosaur

154 million years ago, Upper Jurassic – (China, Asia)
85 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (Mongolia, Asia)
120 million years ago, Lower Cretaceous – (China, Asia)

What Happens

This episode starts in a forest in China during the late Jurassic period. An Epidexipteryx escapes a young Sinraptor by climbing a tree. It uses its long fingers, like a modern Aye-aye, to find a beetle grub in the tree bark. But a bigger Epidexipteryx steals its food. The smaller one goes to find more. It drops a grub, and the other Epidexipteryx picks it up, only to be killed by the young Sinraptor.

Then, the episode moves to a desert in late Cretaceous Mongolia. A Saurornithoides is sitting on its nest of eggs. When it leaves, an Oviraptor tries to steal the eggs but runs away when the Saurornithoides returns. Suddenly, a Gigantoraptor attacks and eats the Saurornithoides. The Gigantoraptor then goes to a breeding ritual to find a mate. The males show off their feathers, and sometimes fight, so females can choose the best partner.

Finally, the episode goes to an early Cretaceous forest in China. A Xianglong (a gliding lizard) is being hunted by a Microraptor. The Microraptor uses its feathers to chase the lizard in the air. A Sinornithosaurus attacks the Microraptor, which barely escapes. The Sinornithosaurus then hunts a Jeholosaurus and its three young with two other Sinornithosaurus. They bring down the parent. The show suggests their bite might have been venomous, helping them hunt bigger animals.

The episode ends with a look at the feathered dinosaurs. The narrator says Microraptor helps us understand how flight might have started. It also reminds us that dinosaurs still live among us today, as birds!

Animals You'll See

• Epidexipteryx
• Sinraptor
• Beetle larva
• Saurornithoides
• Oviraptor
• Gigantoraptor
• Xianglong (flying lizard)
• Microraptor
• Sinornithosaurus
• Jeholosaurus

75 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (North America)
70 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (Madagascar)

What Happens

This episode begins in Canada during the late Cretaceous period, in what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park. A Daspletosaurus tries to sneak up on a Chasmosaurus in a forest. But it loses the element of surprise and has to back off. The Chasmosaurus then finds a younger Daspletosaurus before being ambushed by a group of Tyrannosaurs.

Next, the episode goes to the high arctic. Here, Edmontosaurus are hunted by a large type of Troodon. These predators attack at night, separating a young Edmontosaurus from its herd. They wound it badly, but an adult drives them away. In the morning, they return to eat the young dinosaur, which died during the night.

The episode returns to the Daspletosaurus, who chase and bring down the Chasmosaurus. The bigger adult Daspletosaurus push the younger ones away from the food, making them wait.

Then, the episode moves to Madagascar. A mother Majungasaurus (a type of Abelisaurid) and her two young chase a group of Rahonavis away from a dead animal. However, a male Majungasaurus temporarily scares them off. But after he steals food from one of the babies, the female attacks and kills him. She and her offspring then eat his body.

The episode goes back to North America. The Daspletosaurus are waiting for the yearly migration of Centrosaurus. They attack during a rainstorm, killing some of the ceratopsians. The Centrosaurus reach a flooded river and start to swim across. Many make it, but some are eaten by giant crocodilians or drown. In the morning, the dead animals attract scavengers, including the Daspletosaurus.

The episode shows a montage of Daspletosaurus and Majungasaurus. The narrator explains that tyrannosaurids and abelisaurids were the last of the killer dinosaurs.

Animals You'll See

• Daspletosaurus
• Chasmosaurus
• Troodon
• Edmontosaurus
• Majungasaurus
• Rahonavis
• Centrosaurus
• Crocodilian

147 million years ago, Upper Jurassic – (Europe)
150 million years ago, Upper Jurassic – (North America)

What Happens

This episode starts in the seas around Europe during the later Jurassic period. Kimmerosaurus hunt Squatina (angel sharks). They are ambushed by Predator X, a huge pliosaur. But they escape to water that is too shallow for the enormous predator.

Then, the episode moves to North America. Here, Stegosaurus and Camptosaurus live together and help each other. Their fossils are often found together in the Morrison Formation. The show suggests they worked together to defend against big predators. The Camptosaurus act as lookouts, while the Stegosaurus provide protection. An Allosaurus attacks the group. After the Camptosaurus run away, it attacks the Stegosaurus. The Stegosaurus badly wounds the Allosaurus with its thagomizer (the four spikes on its tail). However, the Allosaurus survives and recovers.

The episode returns to the Jurassic seas. The tide has risen, allowing Predator X to attack the Kimmerosaurus. But it cannot use its full power in the shallow water, so the quick plesiosaurs escape. However, they must eventually go back to deeper water to find food.

The episode goes back to North America. Another Allosaurus is hunting two Camptosaurus who are away from the protection of the Stegosaurus. The predator manages to catch one Camptosaurus. But then a Saurophaganax chases it away from its kill.

The episode returns again to the seas around Europe. A Kimmerosaurus is feeding near the surface in deeper water. It is attacked from below by Pliosaurus, which finally kills the plesiosaur. Half of it sinks to the seafloor. The episode ends with the narrator saying that creatures like Predator X ruled the oceans for 100 million years.

Animals You'll See

• Ammonite
• Squatina
• Kimmerosaurus
• Fish
• Predator X
• Stegosaurus
• Camptosaurus
• Pterosaur
• Allosaurus
• Saurophaganax

100 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (South America)
95 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (North Africa)

What Happens

This episode starts in South America during the Upper Cretaceous period, at a nest site. An Argentinosaurus hatches. Almost immediately, a Pterosaur attacks it. A Skorpiovenator scares the pterosaur away, then kills and eats the baby Argentinosaurus. However, the Skorpiovenator itself runs when a herd of adult Argentinosaurus arrive. The adults don't protect the hatchlings, who start eating the plants around them.

Next, the episode moves to Upper Cretaceous North Africa. A herd of Paralititan drink from a river to cool down. They get scared when a group of crocodiles come out of the water. A young Paralititan gets stuck in the mud. The crocodiles are scared away by a Sarcosuchus, which moves in on the trapped Paralititan.

The episode returns to South America. The Argentinosaurus herd walks across a volcanic ash field to find food. Because they are so huge, their steps churn up the ground, creating quicksand. This becomes a death trap for the small Hypsilophodonts traveling with them. The Titanosaurus find some trees and start eating. But a group of Mapusaurus attack them. The predators manage to rip a piece of meat off one of the sauropods. But because it's so big, it's not fatally wounded. During the attack, an angry Argentinosaurus crushes one of the Mapusaurus.

Back in North Africa, the Sarcosuchus grabs one of the Paralititan's legs. But a Carcharodontosaurus bites its neck and eventually pulls the Paralititan free from the giant crocodilian's jaws. However, the adult Paralititan chases the Carcharodontosaurus away, and the young Paralititan survives.

Finally, the episode goes back to South America. The injured Argentinosaurus is dying. A time-lapse shows Mapusaurus, Skorpiovenator, and Chaoyangopterid pterosaurs eating the dead body until only bones are left. The narrator explains that when Argentinosaurus became extinct, so did Mapusaurus. The same thing happened with Paralititan and Carcharodontosaurus in Africa. The Argentinosaurus skeleton is then shown breaking down until only the bones found when it was first discovered are left to become fossils.

Animals You'll See

• Argentinosaurus
• Pterosaur
• Skorpiovenator
• Mapusaurus
• Ouranosaurus
• Paralititan
• Crocodile
• Sarcosuchus
• Hypsilophodont
• Carcharodontosaurus

65 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (Hațeg Island, Romania)
92 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (Zuni Basin, USA)
85 million years ago, Upper Cretaceous – (Mongolia, Asia)

What Happens

This episode starts near the end of the Cretaceous period, on Hațeg Island. A herd of Magyarosaurus eat plants, while a Bradycneme hunts lizards among them. A group of Hatzegopteryx fly down and hunt and eat young Magyarosaurus.

Next, the episode moves to Montana, 92 million years ago. A Zunityrannus attacks two Nothronychus, but is driven away. These Therizinosaurs eat plants. But then a group of Zunityrannus attack them again, but the Nothronychus manage to fight them off. The tyrannosaurs are forced to eat a nearby dead body of their own kind. However, they get sick from the rotting meat and die.

The episode then goes to Mongolia, 7 million years later. A Gigantoraptor and its mate guard their nest from other predators, chasing off an Alectrosaurus. The female leaves the male with the nest, probably to find food. After a rainstorm, two Alectrosaurus attack the male. While they fight, an Oviraptor raids the nest. The Gigantoraptor manages to drive off the tyrannosaurs and chases away the smaller Oviraptor without losing any eggs. However, he is later buried during a sandstorm, still guarding his nest.

Finally, the episode goes to 65 million years ago. A huge asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico. This causes massive destruction and fills the air with dust and debris. Four months later on Hațeg Island, most plants have died because there's no sunlight. This starves the Magyarosaurus. Scavengers do well for a while. A group of Hatzegopteryx drives a Bradycneme away from a dead animal. The smaller dinosaur has to hunt lizards. The narrator explains that 60% of all species died out. The large size of the dinosaurs was what ultimately led to their extinction. It's said that "On land no animal weighing more than 25 kg survived."

The episode ends with a montage of different creatures from the series. The narrator says that dinosaurs are the most successful group of animals ever to live on Earth. It was a huge event from space that finally ended Planet Dinosaur.

Animals You'll See

• Bradycneme
• Magyarosaurus
• Lizard
• Pterosaur
• Hatzegopteryx
• Zunityrannus
• Nothronychus
• Oviraptor
• Alectrosaurus
• Gigantoraptor