When Dinosaurs Roamed America

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1 Concept
2 Featured creatures
3 External links

When Dinosaurs Roamed America is a two-hour American nature documentary that first aired on Discovery Channel in 2001. It was directed by Pierre de Lespinois and narrated by actor John Goodman.

When Dinosaurs Roamed America depicts dinosaurs that lived in the United States during the Mesozoic period, utilizing CGI to recreate them (much like the 1999 BBC documentary Walking With Dinosaurs, to which it is often compared). It depicts a total of five segments of the Mesozoic era, namely the Late Triassic (220 million years ago), Early Jurassic (190 mya), the Late Jurassic (150 mya), the Middle Cretaceous (90 mya) and the Late Cretaceous (65 mya). Unlike other dinosaur documentaries, it is not split into different episodes. In the UK version, when it was aired on Discovery Channel, the word "America" was removed. In later version, it was split into two hour-long shows (the first covering the Triassic and Jurassic, the second covering the Cretaceous).

[edit] Concept

The program starts with the Late Triassic, following a Coelophysis. It decipts the Coelophysis as being quite meek, hunting down insects and Icarosaurus, dodging Rutiodon, and being driven off by a Traversodon and a Desmatosuchus. Mammals like Morganucodon also appear in the Triassic, but are insignificant compared to dinosaurs. Then the show moves on to the Early Jurassic and shows a pack of Megapnosaurus hunting for the primitive herbivore Anchisaurus, only to be driven away by a Dilophosaurus.

After that the show goes fast-forward to the Late Jurassic, where Pterodactylus soar while a Ceratosaurus chases a Dryosaurus and its young. The Ceratosaurus catches one baby, while the other Dryosaurus escape by dodging into a herd of Camarasaurus. Meanwhile, as the Dryosaurus are feeding on scraps left by the Camarasaurus, the Ceratosaurus is whipped by the tail of a Stegosaurus when it disturbs the Stegosaurus. As the rainy season comes, a herd of Apatosaurus arrive on the scene, followed by a hungry Allosaurus. The Allosaurus cannot get past the Apatosaurus's whipping tails, but it manages to catch and eat the Ceratosaurus. Later, as the Apatosaurus leave the area, one Apatosaurus stumbles and is feasted on by some Allosaurus.

The program then shows the Middle Cretaceous, following a herd of Zuniceratops while they are hunted by a pack of Dromaeosaurus. There are also brief cameos of small Coelurosaurus. One lone Dromaeosaurus tries to attack a Nothronychus, only to be slashed by its long claws. An old male Zuniceratops is attacked by the Dromaeosaurus pack and is fatally wounded. Just as it is time to finish off the old Zuniceratops, a forest fire springs up, and Zuniceratops, Dromaeosaurus, Nothronychus and Coelurosaurus scatter in all directions. But the feasting Dromaeosaurus are trapped in the fire.

The program explains that Zuniceratops evolve into the famous Triceratops. In the Late Cretaceous, Anatotitan and Triceratops graze, while Ornithomimus peck at small animals in the grasses. Quetzalcoatlus soar overhead, looking for carcasses. A young Tyrannosaurus arrives on the scene, and the Triceratops form a defensive circle. Unable to get past the horns, the Tyrannosaurus turns to a Quetzalcoatlus, which easily flies away from the potential danger. The next day, the young Tyrannosaurus and its siblings are taught by their mother to hunt. They target an Anatotitan, with the young scaring it to the female's hiding place. The Tyrannosaurus kill the Anatotitan; but before they can eat, an asteroid slams into earth, rendering dinosaurs extinct. But out of the ashes, several Purgatorius emerge, as the narrator explains how they will one day become humans.

[edit] Featured creatures

[edit] Late Triassic Segment

Coelophysis
Rutiodon
Desmatosuchus
Icarosaurus
Traversodon
Unidentified mammal, probably Morganucodon or Megazostrodon
quoll (live-acted, probably appeared by accident)
grasshopper

[edit] Early Jurassic Segment

Dilophosaurus
Megapnosaurus (identified as Syntarsus, which it was called at the time)
Anchisaurus (in terms of size and general appearance it resembles a Massospondylus)