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The following is a complete list of creatures from the universe of ITV science fiction television series Primeval. A number of them from the Walking with... series were reimagined for dramatic effect.

Primeval creatures:		Top  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  Plants  See also  References  External links

[edit] A

[edit] Ammonite

Primeval creature
Ammonite
Home era	Unknown (presumably sometime during the Mesozoic)
First appearance	Episode 1
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	No. Died out of water.

Ammonites are a group of marine animals of the subclass Ammonoidea in the class Cephalopoda, phylum Mollusca. Ammonites' closest living relative is probably not the modern Nautilus (which they outwardly resemble), but rather the subclass Coleoidea (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish). Their fossil shells usually take the form of planispirals, although there were some helically-spiralled and non-spiralled forms (known as "heteromorphs").

Many Ammonites lived in the open water of ancient seas, rather than at the sea bottom. Many of them are thought to have been good swimmers with flattened, discus-shaped, streamlined shells. Ammonites preyed on fish, crustaceans and other small creatures; while they themselves were preyed upon by marine reptiles.

Helen Cutter leaves ammonites as calling cards, on Nick's desk to prove she was alive and on Stephen's grave as an alternative to flowers.

[edit] Agnurognathus

Primeval creature
Agnurognathus
Home era	Late Jurassic
Appears in	Episode 5
Number of fatalities caused	2
Returned to era	No. Killed in a gas explosion.

Agnurognathus was a tiny pterosaur that had a short head with pin-like teeth for catching insects, and although it traditionally is ascribed to the long tailed pterosaur group, its tail was comparatively short, allowing it more maneuverability for hunting in woodland. ^[1] Agnurognathus lived in the Late Cretaceous period, 85 million years ago and had a wingspan of 50 cm (20 inches) and a 9 cm long body (skull included), it could not have weighed more than a few grams. Despite this they prove to be creatures of devastating violence.^[2]

Agnurognathus live like a flying piranha fish, with an amazingly keen sense of smell able to detect blood from hundreds of feet away. A swarm can strip flesh from bones in minutes. They also swarm in huge flocks and overcome prey through weight in numbers.^[2]

This fictional species of Agnurognathus evolved from the Jurassic species Agnurognathus ammoni which lived about 150 million years ago and had small needle like teeth for hunting insects. This evolved form has slicing teeth for taking lumps of flesh off large dinosaurs.^[3] The creatures seen here were re-imagined from the ones in Walking with Dinosaurs by the producers for dramatic effect^[4].

[edit] Arthropleura

Primeval creature
Arthropleura
Home era	Carboniferous
First appearance	Episode 2
Number of fatalities caused	Two
Returned to era	2: Electrocuted 13: Killed in fight with other creatures

Arthropleura was a 2–3 metre (6–10 feet) long (about 20 feet long in the series) relative of centipedes and millipedes, native to the Upper Carboniferous of Britain and the United States. It was the largest known land invertebrate of all time and grew so large because of the high percentage of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere at that time. A burrower, they have poor eye sight but have excellent sense of smell and touch. One appears in the second episode. Although not a carnivore, they have powerful pincers and venomous bite and can easily be provoked into attacking.^[5]

Symptoms of Arthropleura poisoning include:

1. Uncontrolled shaking.
2. Anaphylaxis.
3. Short term memory loss in recovered patients.

Once bitten the venom then begins to slowly attack the central nervous system, not so far removed from modern biochemistry as to be totally ineffective, and any enzyme inhibitor would be detrimental to an extent. However as the Arthropleura are detritus eaters they make no attempt to eat their victims.

Fortunately the hospital staff discovered that the venom has a modern day equivalent, thus producing an anti-venom. This may come in useful as the Late Carboniferous Anomaly never appears to have closed, so more Arthropleura could potentially come through.^[5]

The Arthropleura also reappeared in the series finale of series 2 as one of the many creatures captured by Leek. When the security system holding it failed, it ran amok, although how it had survived thus far without the carboniferous atmosphere that it needed to live, remains a mystery.

The Arthropleura also featured in the advertising campaign for the show, appearing in the The London Paper on the 16 February 2007. The Arthropleura portrayed here is different from the creatures seen in the fossil record, in addition to the Arthropleura in Walking with Monsters as well as in Prehistoric Park, re-imagined by the producers to make it scarier.^[4]

[edit] C

[edit] Coelurosauravus

Main articles: Rex (Primeval) and Coelurosauravus

[edit] Columbian Mammoth

Primeval creature
Columbian Mammoth
Home era	Pleistocene
First appearance	Episode 12
Number of fatalities caused	1
Returned to era	No

The Columbian Mammoth was one of the largest of the mammoth species and also one of the largest elephants to have ever lived, measuring 4 metres, or 13 feet, at the shoulder and weighing 9.8 tons with tusks 5 metres, or 16 feet, long.

It was a herbivore, with a diet consisting of varied plant life ranging from grasses to conifers. It has been estimated that a large male would have eaten approximately 700 pounds, or 318.2 kilograms, of plant material daily.

The remains of Columbian Mammoths were discovered in the La Brea Tar Pits in California and this mammoth also lived in Mexico, where its remains are very common. It was one of the last members of the Megafauna to become extinct, with several specimens dating only about 7,800 years ago.

The Mammoth appears in series two holding up traffic on the M25 motorway. As it desperately tries to make its way to the nearby trees, it completely destroys all the nearby cars. Using female Elephant urine, the team manage to lead it into a lorry trailer and trap it, taking it back to the Anomaly Center. Abby is seen feeding it, but Lester is interested in selling the tusks. After being chased through the ARC by a Future Predator Lester releases the Mammoth, which impales the controlled Future Predator on it's tusks. Lester then - jokingly - claims his children have been wanting him to get a pet. The mammoth is still presumably imprisoned in the ARC.

^[6]

[edit] D

[edit] Deinonychus

See Raptor.

[edit] Dodo

Primeval creature
Dodo
Home era	18th century
Appears in	Episode 4
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	Half killed by parasites, the other half returned

Dodos are flightless birds from the late Holocene. The Dodo was found only on the islands of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, they stand about a metre tall (three feet), weighing about 23 kg (50 pounds).^[7] Dodos have greyish plumage, a 23-centimetre (9-inch) bill with a hooked point, very small wings, stout yellow legs, and a tuft of curly feathers on its rear end. The sternum is insufficient to support flight; these ground-bound birds evolved to take advantage of an island ecosystem with no predators. They live on fallen fruit and in the Primeval Universe they exist in a symbiotic relationship with the Ambalacoque tree.

The name Dodo came from the Portuguese word doudo or doido, itself a loanword from Old English (cf. English "dolt").^[8] The name was given because the Dodo apparently never tried to run or escape when hunted hence they where traditionally regarded as stupid. The species was hunted to extinction during the 18th Century, shortly after the first arrival of people on the Dodo's native Mauritius.^[9]

They appeared in Episode Four. Nick Cutter quickly realizes they are just friendly and trusting, never having to deal with predators before. In reality they were as intelligent as any other bird.^[10] The dodos are themselves harmless, but some carry deadly parasites.^[11]

[edit] Dracorex

Primeval creature
Dracorex
Home era	Late Cretaceous
First appearance	Series 3

Dracorex was a species of pachycephalosaurid. It comes through an anomaly and is being stalked by a deranged knight who mistakes the creature for a dragon (creator Tim Haines has confirmed this as quite a humorous and playful episode^{[citation needed]}).

[edit] E

[edit] Enteledont

Primeval creature
Entelodon
Home era	Oligocene
Appears in	"Extinction Event"

The description of the book "Extinction Event" claims that an Entelodont comes out of an anomaly and runs down Oxford Street causing loss of life and damage to property^{[citation needed]}, an idea originally brought up by Tim Haines in the Behind the Scenes documentary for Walking with Beasts.

[edit] F

[edit] "Future bird"

Primeval creature
Future bird
Home era	Future
Appears in	"Shadow of the Jaguar"
Number of fatalities caused	1 (kills more with its control)
Returned to era	No. Escapes into Plio-Pleistocene

In the Primeval spin-off novel "Shadow of the Jaguar", a bird from the future is found controlling a pack of Thylacosmilus with pheromones. The bird has a certain resemblance to the Incan god,Pacha Kamaq. The team track it down to its lair in the ruins of an Incan temple in the Peruvian jungle. After they disrupt its control over the Thylacosmilus, the creature retreats through the anomaly with them seconds before it closes. Cutter later theorises to Lester the creature may have been seen later in history by the Incas and incorporated into their mythology.

[edit] "Future predator"

Main article: Future predator

Vicious future creatures referred to as "future predators" are Primeval's most recurring creatures, besides Rex, and are future descendants of bats.

[edit] "Future shark"

Primeval creature
Future shark
Home era	Future
Appears in	Episode 10
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	No. Killed by the team.

In Episode 10 this creature was shot and then captured by Nick and his team who suspect it of killing a boy. After examining the creature, Nick concludes it's probably the future evolution of the shark. Since no remains of the boy were found in the sharks stomach, and sharks typically take days to digest their prey, it didn't kill the missing boy.

The shark looks similar to some deep-sea sharks, but has a special adaption; a giant long tongue armed with sharp teeth that can be fired from the jaw like a harpoon.

Although Lester is convinced that with the future shark out of the way, the problem is solved, Nick still believes there's another future creature on the loose, which they find out to be another future creature, only known as the Mer.

Modern day tiger sharks have been found with litter in their stomachs, including plastic bags, tins and car registration plates. The basketball and the shoe found in the future sharks stomach could be a reference to this.

Despite speculation that more Future Sharks would appear at the end of series 2, none were ever seen, possibly due to the enormous difficulties that would be faced with trying to capture and contain them.

[edit] G

[edit] Giant scorpion

See Silurian scorpion.

[edit] Giant spider

Primeval creature
Giant spider
Home era	Carboniferous
Appears in	Episode 2
Number of fatalities caused	1
Returned to era	Yes

The Giant Spiders are, despite appearances, not true spiders (order Araneae), but a species of Solifugae, a distinct arachnid order. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun.

The adults are up to 1 metre wide, by 1 metre long, because the lush rainforest of the Carboniferous saturates the atmosphere with oxygen, allowing them to grow larger than modern arthropods. They have pincers instead of fangs - like the modern day camel spider, only much bigger.

They also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae and give the appearance of the two extra legs. Pedipalps terminate in reversible adhesive organs. They do not appear to make webs or produce venom but they nest in large groups and are very defensive of their offspring.^[5]

A nest of them appears in the second episode and eventually it is discovered that they avoid light, and by using torches, all the Giant Spiders were driven back through the anomaly by the end of Episode Two. However the Late Carboniferous anomaly never completely closed, so unless the team assigned some Special Forces soldiers to guard it, more Giant Spiders could potentially come through.^[5]

These creatures are based on fragmentary fossils which scientist thought was a 1 meter wide spider but this has just recently been reclassified as a type of scorpion.^[3] The Giant Spiders also featured in the advertising campaign for the show. First on giant billboards on the 1 February 2007and again in the The London Paper on the 16 February 2007. The giant spider resembles the Mesothelae spider from Walking with Monsters

[edit] Giganotosaurus

Primeval creature
Giganotosaurus
Home era	Cretaceous
First appearance	Some time in Series 3

Giganotosaurus was a 45 ft Cretaceous carnivore, famous for being larger than the previously thought largest carnivore, Tyrannosaurus rex. Giganotosaurus is set to appear in the third series^[12].

[edit] Gorgonopsid

Primeval creature
Gorgonopsid
Home era	Late Permian
First appearance	Episode 1
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	No. Hit by a car and then gunned down.

Gorgonopsia are a group of creatures that where at one time called "mammal-like reptiles", though in most current classification systems, they are not true reptiles, instead much more closely related to true mammals. Their mammalian specializations include differentiated tooth shape, the fully developed temporal fenestra, pillar-like rear legs and even ear bones, as well as other traits associated with its mammalian descendants. Arguments have even been made for synapsids of its time being endothermic.

What’s really special about Gorgonopsids is their patience and implacability. Once they have smelt blood they have a tendency to pursue their prey at all costs. In fact it was this keen sense of smell that originally tempted it into the cold present, lured by the smell of humans and waste from a supermarket.^[3] They then store their kills in trees like Leopards.

They also appear to be resilient and long lived as one male Gorgonopsid was still defending the territory around the anomaly for at least eight years, even after suffering horrible injuries with after a fight with a future predator which apparently healed without much scarring.^[13] Due to the thick armour on their back, the only way to combat them with regular fire arms is to aim for their underside.^[14]

This new species is a typical representative of the Gorgonopsia, It is distinguished from other species by a longer snout, and other details of the bones of the skull. It also has naked skin with short bristly hair rather than scales. This creature is based on Gorgonops longifrons found in the Karoo Basin in South Africa which was between 3 and 4 metres long and had eight centimetre sabres.^[3]

[edit] H

[edit] Hesperonis

Primeval creature
Hesperornis
Home era	Late Cretaceous
Appears in	Episode 3
Number of fatalities caused	1
Returned to era	Presumably return

Hesperonis is an extinct genus of flightless aquatic birds that lived during the Late Cretaceous. Hesperonis were very large birds, reaching up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) in length. They had virtually no wings, swimming with powerful hind legs. Their toes were probably lobed rather than being webbed, as in today's grebes; like in these, the toes could rotate well, which is necessary to decrease drag in lobed feet but not in webbed ones such as in loons, where the toes are simply folded together.

Like many other Mesozoic birds such as Ichthyornis, Hesperonis had teeth in its beak which were used to hold prey (most likely fish). In the hesperornithiform lineage they were of a different arrangement than in any other known bird (or in non-avian theropod dinosaurs), with the teeth sitting in a longitudinal groove rather than in individual sockets.^[15]

They hunted in the waters of the North American Inland Sea which then were tropical waters, much warmer than today. They probably fed mainly on fish, their teeth were helpful in dealing with slippery or hard-shelled prey. Later as Nick Cutter swims through the anomaly he finds himself in a tropical sea with a flock of Hesperornis swimming around him. He later finds a Hesperonis rookery amongst the rocky shoreline. Two Hesperornis investigate, but Helen Cutter shoos them off by throwing small stones, and says that they "tend to be more dumb than violent, only attacking when they're in a panic or disturbed."^[16]

Hesperonis is shown as being covered in scales when in real life, Hesperonis was likely covered in feathers. Also they were not able to stand upright or walk as the legs attached far at the back and sideways, with even the lower leg being tightly attached to the body. Thus, they were limited to sliding on their belly or galumphing.^[17]

[edit] I

[edit] "Insect"

Primeval creature
"Insect"
Home era	Future
Appears in	Episode 21[18]

ITV launched a competition for a viewer to design a creature, which will be judged by the creators and then put into the show for Series 3. The winner was 16-year old Carim Nahaboo from Essex^[18], whose creature was a large predatory insect from the future which, as Carim described, "evolved from carnivorous beetles, such as the tiger beetle"^[19]. The creature can fly and run fast over long distances, and lived in future jungles^[19] . The name of the insect was not revealed.

[edit] M

[edit] Mammoth

See Columbian Mammoth.

[edit] Mer

Main article: Mer (Primeval)

Mer-creatures are a vicious aquatic future predator.

[edit] Millipede

Primeval creature
Millipede
Home era	Silurian
Appears in	Episode 11
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	Yes

The Silurian period is shown as being home to not only giant scorpions, but also millipedes which roam in groups across the sand. They prefer to hide in the sand but may emerge if they are frightened by a predator. These millipedes are likely to be the staple food source for the Giant Scorpions. It is possible that Arthropleura evolved from this millipede.

One entered the present era briefly but was returned back into the past.

[edit] Mosasaur

Primeval creature
Mosasaur
Home era	Late Cretaceous
Appears in	Episode 3
Number of fatalities caused	1
Returned to era	killed in the past by another mosasaur

Mosasaurs were serpentine marine reptiles and ferocious predators. Mosasaurs were not dinosaurs but evolved from semi-aquatic squamates known as the aigialosaurs, close relatives of modern-day monitor lizards.^{[20] [21]} Mosasaurs breathed air and were powerful swimmers that were well-adapted to living in the warm, shallow epicontinental seas prevalent during the Late Cretaceous Period. Mosasaurs are intensely territorial and cannibals, and the only meetings between two Mosasaurs that don’t end in violence occur when the Mosasaurs in question are of opposite sexes, and there is the possibility of mating.^[16]

The skull was more robustly built than other mosasaurs, as the mandibles articulated very tightly with the skull. It had a deep, barrel-shaped body, and with its fairly large eyes, poor binocular vision, and poorly developed olfactory bulbs, experts believe that Mosasaurus lived near the ocean surface, where it preyed on fish, turtles, ammonites as well as smaller Mosasaurs. Because of its robust skull and tightly articulating jaws, Mosasaurus was unable to swallow prey-items whole in the manner of earlier mosasaurs, such as Tylosaurus. Instead, with the aid of its curved, knife-like teeth, Mosasaurus was able to tear its prey into more manageable pieces that could be more easily swallowed.

The Mosasaur was shown to have an armored crocodile-like body, but in reality it would have been smooth-skinned and streamlined, and covered in more lizard- or snake-like scales. Also it swallowed the lifeguard whole even though its jaw and enlarged neck muscles were evolved to tear and rip prey apart.

[edit] P

[edit] Parasite

Primeval creature
Parasite
Home era	17th century
Appears in	Episode 4
Number of fatalities caused	1, although another was infected and presumably cured
Returned to era	No. Died due to lack of oxygen in a glass with no holes.

This previously undiscovered species is a cestoid^[11] Parasite, up to 30 centimeters long and weighing up to 70 grams from the late Holocene. The Parasites belong to the group Taeniidae^[22] which are distinguished from the other families of the order Cestoidea by having a distinct head, furnished with four suctorial discs.^[11]

They feed off the nutrients in the bloodstream of its host, destroying the internal organs in the process. It then burrows into the brain of the carrier and manipulates it for the benefit of the Parasite. The Parasite causes the host to become aggressive. The bite of the host serves to spread the Parasite's eggs, which are released into the saliva, to a new host.^[11]

Symptoms of Parasite infection include:

1. Drooling.
2. Fear of Light.
3. Increased strength and aggression.
4. Vomiting.
5. Variations in skin pigmentation and discoloration of the iris.

The mature Parasites eventually kill the host and themselves as part of their reproductive cycle. Each individual has male and female reproductive structures in its proglottid and can reproduce independently. Any warm blooded creature is an acceptable host, even humans.

[edit] Pristichampsus

Primeval creature
Pristichampsus
Home era	Palaeocene
Appears in	Episode 14[23]
Number of fatalities caused	TBA
Returned to era	TBA

In an interview with Adrian Hodges and Tim Haines, they announced the third season would introduce a new creature known as the Pristichampsus. He described it as a "bit souped-up for our show - bigger, more powerful, all that sort of stuff" and "a running crocodile, he's also quite bipedal". It seems to be based on the real fossil crocodilian genus Pristichampsus, of which one species (P. rollinatii) was facultatively bipedal.^[24][12] Pristichampsus has a vague similarity to Ammit, a figure from Ancient Egyptian mythology, which may attract new character Sarah Page, Egyptologist. The series' creators have also confirmed it will be found in the Thames river and then destroy a kitchen^[23].

[edit] Pteranodon

Primeval creature
Pteranodon
Home era	Late Cretaceous
First appearance	Episode 5
Number of fatalities caused	1
Returned to era	Yes

Pteranodon was a large Pterosaur, notable for its skull crest. These may have been used as mating displays, or it might have acted as a rudder, or perhaps both; also, it may have acted as a counterweight to the large beak. Despite its huge size, at 9 metres, Pteranodon is not the biggest of the pterosaurs, creatures like Quetzocoatlus could reach 13m.^[3]

It could, like the modern-day albatross, glide by navigating through thermals because the Pteranodon had a high aspect ratio (wingspan to chord length) similar to that of the albatross — 9:1 for Pteranodon, compared to 8:1 for an albatross, but was also fully capable of powered flight).^[25][26]

In Episode 5, a Pteranodon appears from an anomaly above a golf course. It then apparently attacks Connor and Rex. After some chasing, Connor and Rex jump down a hill as the Pteranodon swoops and flies away above them. It was assumed that this creature was responsible for the death of a golfer earlier. Later Stephen discovers that its diet contains fish and small reptiles but no human remains, proving that it did not kill the golfer and the real killer is still out there. This also proves that it was trying to catch Rex, not kill Connor. ^[2]

Also, a Pteranadon appears in Episode 8 attacking Helen Cutter after she steals one of its eggs, though this is unrelated to the events of the episode. ^[27]

[edit] Pterosaur

Primeval creature
Pterosaur
First appearance	Episode 3 (mentioned)
Number of fatalities caused	N/A
Returned to era	N/A Never entered the present.

Pterosaurs are sometimes referred to in the popular media as dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. The term "dinosaur" is properly restricted to a certain group of terrestrial reptiles with a unique upright stance (superorder Dinosauria), and therefore excludes the pterosaurs, as well as the various groups of extinct aquatic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs.

In Episode Three, Nick Cutter travels through an underwater anomaly and finds himself in a Cretaceous tropical sea, 75 million years ago. As he comes ashore and puts his scuba down on the beach he observed several Pterosaurs, at a distance, flying and feeding over the costal waters.^[16]

[edit] Predator

See Future predator.

[edit] R

[edit] Raptor

Primeval creature
Raptor
Home era	Early Cretaceous
First appearance	Episode 7
Number of fatalities caused	3
Returned to era	7: One returned, one cannibalised, another decapitated 13: Killed in fight

Raptors are bipedal carnivores with a long, stiffened tail and had an enlarged, sickle-shaped claw on each hindfoot, which is thought to have been used to kill their prey.^[28] It appears to have been based on species Deinonychus. They can be distinguished from other dromaeosaurids by its long and low skull, with an upturned snout. Deinonychus was large for a dromaeosaurid.

Raptors lived and hunted in packs.^[29] It was one of only four species, along with the future predators, worms and giant spiders where juvenile specimens have been seen. Juvenile Raptors display morphological differences such as the arms, which were proportionally longer than those of adults.^[30] The parents appear to invest little care in their young and are likely to forget the offspring is theirs if separated for too long, often resulting in cannibalism, although it was not confirmed that the cannibal Raptor was a parent and may have just been a rogue. Raptors are shown as being covered in scales with a small crest of protofeathers that can be raised up like hackles when attacking.

The identity of the raptors has been convoluted. While the first news entry claim the species is Velociraptor, ^[31] the official ITV site claims it is a Deinonychus, and the Primeval site claims in to be Utahraptor. This is the only non-avian dinosaur to appear in the series so far. Primevals raptors hold a certain resemblance to Jurassic Park IIIs Velociraptor, and a scene where Helen Cutter is dragged around a corner and Nick asking to shoot it could be a reference to the opening scene of the original Jurassic Park film.

[edit] S

[edit] Sabre-tooth cat

See Smilodon and Thylacosmilus.

[edit] Sarcopterygian

Primeval creature
Sarcopterygian
First appearance	Episode 1 (mentioned)
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	No

Sarcopterygians are a group of prehistoric fish which are traditionally classed as lobe-finned fish, which in the real world include the modern day lungfish and the coelacanth, Latimeria. These are bony fish with paired rounded fins. The fin-limbs of Sarcopterygiians are so like the expected ancestral form of tetrapod limbs that they have been universally considered the direct ancestors of land vertebrates.^[32]

Sarcopterygians have modified cosmoid scales, which are thinner than true cosmoid scales, which can only be found on extinct fish. Coelacanths also have a special electroreceptive device called a rostral organ in the front of the skull, which probably helps in prey detection.

One fossilised member of this group appears in the first episode, Cutter explaining that this specimen appears in the fossil record at a time when it should have been extinct for 70 million years, and the fact that a live one appeared in the Indian Ocean. This suggests that there has been at least one anomaly in the distant past, and one outside of Britain.^[14] This was later confirmed in the Primeval spin-off novel "Shadow of the Jaguar", although its canoncity is questionable.

[edit] Scutosaurus

Primeval creature
Scutosaurus
First appearance	Episode 1
Number of fatalities caused	0
Returned to era	Episode 1: Yes 13: No. Killed in fight

Scutosaurus was a genus of armour-covered Permian period pareiasaur, loosely related to the turtles. Its genus name refers to large plates of bony scutes (osteoderms) set in the skin, as a defense against predators. But the most unusual thing about them were the heavy skulls ornamented with strange knobs and ridges. It was of a very heavy build, almost rhinoceros-like. Unlike most reptiles, held its legs underneath its body with stubby toes to support its great weight.

In the show, Scutosaurus is in fact the most commonly appearing animal, as it is seen in four episodes (compared to the future predators three). They have an important role in Episode 1 of the first series, in Episode 6 of the first series a herd if briefly seen on a hillside, in Episode 12 they are seen locked up at the rear of Leek's animal containment facility and in Episode 13 they play a more important role, being used by the team to kill two of Leek's men.

These fearsome-looking animals were in fact inoffensive herbivores, which was well adapted to the dry conditions which covered much of Pangaea at that time. A social animal, they migrated in large groups.^[3] The leaf-shaped multi-cusped teeth resemble those of iguanas, caseids, and other reptilian herbivores. This dentition, together with the deep capacious body which would have housed an extensive digestive tract. When in the past, they see several more Scutosaurus roaming a desert.^[14]

Although initially described correctly as a pareiasaur, this species is from then on called a dinosaur throughout the episode in which it appears. Although based on the heavily armour species called Scutosaurus kapinski that lived about 250 million years ago in Russia, the size of the Scutosaurus in the series is exaggerated for dramatic purposes.^[4] It is described as at least "five or six tons" in weight, about as big as an elephant. In fact the actual Scutosaurus was much smaller, no more than 3 meters in length. They appear locked up at the end of episode 13.

[edit] Silurian scorpion

Primeval creature
Silurian scorpion
Home era	Silurian
First appearance	Episode 11
Number of fatalities caused	6
Returned to era	Presumably (off-screen)

The Silurian scorpion is a prehistoric creature from the Silurian that grows to immense sizes, and is a variety of animal similar to Brontoscorpio. They have a long whip-like tail, spikes on the foreclaws and a flattened body, similar to modern day whip scorpions. The scorpions never come through the anomaly in their first appearance, but did in the second season finale, along with many other creatures from before in the series. They are probably reimagined by the producers to make them bigger and more frightening. They hunt by sensing surface vibrations and burrowing underground. Their main food source appears to be the Silurian millipedes. In reality, scorpions of this size wouldn't be able to breathe, let alone move about.

The scorpions made a reappearance in Episode 13. One of them was released onto a crowded beach by Oliver Leek to show his power, where it promtly ate a tourist and scared everyone else away. Stephen Hart set out to deal with it on his own, and succeeded in harpooning it below a bridge. The still alive creature was left to be collected at leisure.

Although the scorpions are referred to as "Silurian scorpions" in the show, they are listed as "giant scorpion" on the Primeval official websites.

[edit] Smilodon

Primeval creature
Smilodon
Home era	Pleistocene
First appearance	Episode 4 (mentioned) Episode 9
Number of fatalities caused	5
Returned to era	No, killed in fight

Smilodon is a vicious carnivorous sabre-toothed cat that lived in the Pleistocene in both North and South America. They are commonly and incorrectly called "sabre toothed tigers" where, in truth, all modern day cats evolved from a completely different line.^[33]

A fully-grown Smilodon weighed approximately 200 kilograms (450 pounds) and had a short tail, powerful legs, and a large head. The cats have two huge canine teeth, about 17 cm (7 inches) long, that is used to kill prey by suffocation.^[34] The jaws could open to about 120 degrees in order to use these fangs to deadly effect. They eventually died out due to climate change.

Smilodon was mentioned in episode 4 by Helen Cutter as "sabre-toothed killers". However, she apparently lied when she claimed they would come through at that point, and escaped through the Spaghetti Junction. They are also seen, in skeleton form, in Cutter's office. The cat made a proper appearance in the second series, rampaging through a local park. It was being looked after by a ranger named Valerie, who apparently had cared for it since it first came through, as a cub. She was later killed by it (though how she was killed is not shown, it is possible that the Smilodon ripped her throat out). This could have meant that a sabre-toothed cat did come through when Helen claimed it would, having grown up during that time period. The cat was apparently killed by a heart attack after being tranquilized. When Cutter hears of this he is puzzled, as it was a healthy cat, pointing towards other involvement. In fact, the sabre-tooth was really smuggled along with several other creatures. ^[35]

[edit] T

[edit] Thylacosmilus

Primeval creature
Thylacosmilus
Home era	Plio-Pleistocene
Appears in	"Shadow of the Jaguar"
Number of fatalities caused	40+
Returned to era	Five return, One killed by Future Bird

Thylacosmilus was a pouched carnivore, resembling a sabre-toothed cat, that lived in South America 2 million years ago. It had a long, curving chin and a large pair of sabre teeth used for killing its prey. Thylacosmilus eventually went extinct due to being outcompeted by true sabre-tooth cats such as Smilodon.

In the Primeval spin-off novel "Shadow of the Jaguar", the first known anomaly to open overseas is in a biological reserve in the Peruvian rainforest and allows a pack of Thylacosmilus access to the modern world. They proceed to go on the rampage, wiping out several small villages, killing one of the sons of a senior man to Sir James Lester (Sir Charles), killing a sloth and killing several members of the SAS. A second pride of six Thylacosmilus are followed and some are killed by the SAS. It turns out that the Thylacosmilus are under the control of a vicious predator from the future, which is using pheromones to control the pack's instinct and use them like hunting hounds. After the team disrupt the predator's control, the Thylacosmilus flee in terror back through the anomaly, just before it closes.

[edit] Titanis

Primeval creature
Titanis
Home era	Pliocene
First appearance	Some time in Series 3

Titanis is (very) briefly mentioned an interview with Adrian Hodges and Tim Haines^[36], where discussed how difficult it was to animate its feathers^[24]. It will presumably appear some time in Series 3, and is the second confirmed creature for the series.

[edit] U

[edit] Utahraptor

See Raptor.

[edit] W

[edit] Worm

Primeval creature
Worm
Home era	Pre-Cambrian
Appears in	Episode 8
Number of fatalities caused	3
Returned to era	No. All killed, most by heat caused by a thermostat.

Although many invertebrates are commonly called worms ,the Primeval worms are very large carnivorous worms from some time during the Oxygen Catastrophe, 2.7 billion years ago. They cannot survive outside their oxygen-lacking home air, and die when separated from it. The worms have long retractable mouthparts, large enough to engulf a person, for feeding. These creatures were based on marine ragworms. The worms rely on movement to see their prey, and can be fooled if a person stands still and throws an inanimate object^[27] .

In the episode, the worms cannot survive outside the "fog", which is first shown when Nick and Stephen trap the mouth parts in a door separating the fog: if sperated from their natural atmosphere, oxygen (which is highly poisonous to them) causes them to suffocate. The fog is the Pre-Cambrian atmosphere, which presumably comes through the anomaly. When they are faced with an increase of heat, they explode to spawn their young which then attempt to burrow into a living host. They can also spit a brown-coloured slime, which might be used to track or even attack their prey^[27] . This life cycle is not dissimilar to the parasite^[11] .

They hold a certain resemblance to "Carnictis" from the 2005 King Kong film.

[edit] Plants

[edit] Ambalacoque

Primeval creature
Ambalacoque
First appearance	Mentioned in Episode 4
Last appearance	Episode 4
Returned to era	All except for the seeds carried in the stomachs of the two Dodos that died.

Ambalacoque grows to 30-40 m tall with a rich white, gummy latex called chicle in its bark. The ornamental leaves are medium green and glossy. The fruit is a large, 4-8 cm in diameter and containing 2-10 seeds.

These seeds only germinate after passing through the digestive tract of a Dodo. The reason for this relationship is that 'Dodos, like many birds, need to eat stones (or Roswell keyrings) in order to make their digestive system work. The harsh conditions in its digestive system would have destroyed any delicate seeds, so variants of the Ambalacoque with hardier pits gained an evolutionary advantage. Over time, variants with extremely tough seeds became dominant and also dependent upon the Dodo's as part of their reproductive cycle as the grinding of a bird's gizzard abraded away at the stony pit so that the seed within could sprout through.^[37]

In the story, the species became extinct during the 17th Century, shortly after the first arrival of people on their native Mauritius. When the Dodos died out the trees where unable to reproduce and also became extinct.^[11][38][39]

[edit] Spaghetti Junction Grass

Primeval creature
Spaghetti Junction Grass
First appearance	Episode 4
Returned to era	N/A Never entered the present.

Grass is a common word that generally describes a group of green plants in the family Gramineae (Poaceae). True grasses include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns (turf). This group also include bamboos. Grasses have proven to be among the most versatile of life forms adapting to conditions in lush rain forests, dry deserts, and cold mountain steppes, and are presently the most widespread of all plant types.

In the otherworldly planes of Spaghetti Junction, A species of Grass dominates the landscape, forming a large central grassland which streaches in all directions for thousands of miles. This Grass also appears to be the only native species in that world, although whether or not it is native to this world or an introduced species that originally came from another world like the Dodo's and flourished there, most Grass species are highly adaptable, is an unanswered question.^[14]

In an interview, Adrian Hodges stated that the Spaghetti Junction would be revisited some time in the future. It was generally believed that it would be in Series 2, but it was never seen.^[40]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Primeval site: creatures section

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