Zeppelin (Part III): Pangea

When the Pteranodon kids decide to draw some maps, Don’s map of one big land mass for “the whole Mesozoic” triggers a discussion on whether the Mesozoic is “one big place that’s all connected” or comprised of a bunch of smaller, interconnected land masses. On the Dinosaur Train, the Conductor explains that millions of years ago there actually was just one big land mass called “Pangaea”! Then, over a long period of time, it started to drift apart and form separate, smaller landmasses, or continents. Our family can’t believe it! The Conductor offers to take the Pteranodons up in the Zeppelin and through a Sky Time Tunnel, back to the time of Pangaea. At the Zeppelin Station, they meet up with Tricia Troodon, who helps pilot the Zeppelin on their journey. Once in the sky and through the time tunnel, our family is able to see Pangaea, the one giant landmass, just as it’s starting to break apart. Then the family travels forward in time and views the continents separating more as oceans and seas move in between the land. Looking down at how their coastline looks in the Cretaceous, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don all agree that seeing Pangaea breaking apart is one of the coolest things they’ve ever seen!

Fun Fact: Pangaea was a supercontinent hat existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, forming about 300 million years ago. It began to break apart around 200 million years ago. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart.

Zeppelin (Part IV): Crater

As the Pteranodon kids are playing outside their nest, a few seedpods fall from a nearby tree, bonking Don on the head. This leads to a discussion about how far away things can fall from…maybe even from space?? Buddy hypothesizes that perhaps if a star came close enough, it could land on Earth! On the Dinosaur Train, the Conductor explains that things actually do fall from space. Big space rocks, called “asteroids”, sometimes land on Earth, and when they occasionally do, they make a biiiiig hole, called a crater. Don perks up at this—he’d love to see a crater! So the Conductor takes the Pteranodon Family up in the Zeppelin to see a giant crater from above! On the ground, they explore the crater and find fragments of “space rocks” from the former asteroid. As evening falls and our family flies back home, the Conductor and Mom and Dad surprise the kids with a picnic dinner on the Zeppelin—hurrah!

Fun Fact: Asteroids are rocky clusters flying around outer space, often revolving around the sun. Asteroids vary in size but, even the largest, are too small to be called planets. Many have hit earth in the past, and more may crash into our planet – and definitely into planets — in the future. That’s one reason scientists study asteroids and are eager to learn more about their numbers, orbits and physical characteristics. Asteroids form impact craters, approximately circular depressions in the surface of a planet. Craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain.