6 Dancing with Dinosaurs 65 Million BC

CHAPTER 6 DANCING WITH DINOSAURS

There's a loud splash and we look out to find ourselves floating in the middle of a vast grey ocean. 'Well, that's just great,' I say. 'Right time, wrong place.' 'Actually, I think you'll find it's the wrong time as well,' says Terry. 'We've travelled to 65 million years ago.' 'Oh dear,' says the inspector. 'Sixty-five million years ago? That's when a giant asteroid smashed into Earth and killed off the dinosaurs. We are in one of the unsafest times ever in the Earth's history!' 'Maybe the asteroid has already hit,' says Terry. 'I can't see any dinosaurs, can you?' 'Nah,' I say. 'But I'd really like to! Let's paddle to shore and see if we can find any there.'

We paddle as fast as we can, but when we get to shore all we can see is a bunch of little monkey-like animals playing in a group.

'Ah,' says the inspector. 'They look like Plesiadapis tricuspidens.' 'Are they dinosaurs?' says Terry. 'No,' says the inspector, 'they're some of the earliest mammals to live on Earth.'

'They're so cute!' says Terry. 'We should take one back for Jill.' 'That's not a good idea,' says the inspector. 'They need to stay here so they can evolve into the ancestor of apes, monkeys and humans.'

'Monkeys?' says Terry. 'I hate monkeys.' 'Me too,' I say, 'but that doesn't mean we don't share a common ancestor with them.' 'Ugh! Speak for yourself,' says Terry. 'I don't.' 'I wouldn't be so sure about that, Terry,' I say, 'because that one looks a little bit like you.' 'You're right,' says Terry. 'And that one looks a lot