Dinosaur Train: Episode Descriptions
- Episode 101
"Valley of the Stygimolochs"
Buddy wonders if he'll grow horns when he gets older, so Mrs. Pteranodon takes him to visit some dinosaurs called Stygimolochs, who have really impressive horns. - Educational Objective: Stygimoloch had amazing horns on their head. By studying modern animals with horns like the mountain goat, scientists can make a hypothesis about how the stygimoloch might have used their horns.
"Tiny Loves Fish"
After Mr. Pteranodon teaches the kids his fishing method, Buddy and Tiny work together as a team to catch fish in the Big Pond. Related Game: Pteranodon Fishing- Educational Objective: Scientist have compared the skeletons of modern day Pelicans and Pteranodons and found striking similarities. This information has lead them to believe that they also fished in the same manner, by diving into the water and scooping up the fish in their mouth.
- Episode 102
"The Call of the Wild Corythosaurus" The family surprises Mom with a birthday trip to a concert given by Cory and her family of Corythosaurus, who play music through the crests on their heads. - Educational Objective: The giant duck-billed hadrosaur known as Corythosaurus had a large head crest that would have been a great visual signal, and yet could also have been used to hoot and toot. A great analogue for the crest of Corythosaurus would be a French horn, where the sound goes through a long rounded tube and is amplified as a result.
"Triceratops for Lunch" The Pteranodon family eats lunch with their friend Tank Triceratops and discovers that he and his family are all plant-eaters. Related Game: Hungry, Hungry Herbivores Related Lesson Plan: Hungry Herbivores- Educational Objective: By studying the teeth and jaws of dinosaurs, scientists can tell what kind of food they ate. Triceratops teeth show that they were herbivores.
- Episode 103
"Beating the Heat" Buddy and Tiny travel to the Jurassic to make a new friend, Morris Stegosaurus, and discover how this huge dinosaur keeps cool in the heat. - Educational Objective: Animals have to be careful not to get too cold or too hot. Scientist believe that the stegosaurus used it's plates to regulate their body temperature. In the morning they would turn their plates toward the sun to warm up and later in the day toward the wind to cool off.
"Flowers for Mom" The kids go to the Big Pond to look for flowers to give to Mom on her special Mother's Day. They find many different flowers while following a very busy bee.- Educational Objective: What are flowers for? Rather than simply being pretty things put there for our benefit, flowers fulfill an important role for plants, helping them reproduce with the help of pollinating insects and therefore keeping the cycle of life in motion.
- Episode 104
"I'm a T. Rex!" Buddy travels to Rexville on the Dinosaur Train and meets Delores Tyrannosaurus and her daughter Annie. When he sees that he shares all the same features, Buddy learns that he is a Tyrannosaurus Rex! - Educational Objective: In this episode we explore the features of the Tyrannosaurus rex, including the small arms with two-fingered hands, the rather large and broad head, and the huge teeth and its exceptional sense of smell, which would have been useful both for hunting and scavenging.
"Ned the Quadruped" Buddy and Tiny tour the Dinosaur Train and earn their Junior Conductor hats while their friend Ned, a four-legged, long-necked Brachiosaurus and regular Train rider, tags along.- Educational Objective: Brachiosaurus were quadrupeds, meaning they walked on all four legs. Some paleontologists think that some sauropods, particularly those with long front limbs like Brachiosaurus, could rear up on their hind legs, perhaps to feed.
- Episode 105
"One Smart Dinosaur" Buddy and Tiny want to test their memory, so they ride the Dinosaur Train and spend some time with the Conductor, since he's a Troodon with a great memory. The kids get to meet the Conductor's mom, Mrs. Conductor. - Educational Objective: Troodon is considered to possibly be the most intelligent of all dinosaurs. Like a man, the size of its brain was fairly big when compared to the size of the rest of its body.
"Petey the Peteinosaurus" Buddy and Tiny ride the Dinosaur Train to meet Petey Peteinosaurus, a "flying lizard," who is fun, funny, and friendly, and has some features similar to both Buddy and Tiny!- Educational Objective: Peteinosaurus was a small flying reptile that lived alongside the dinosaurs. These Pterosaurs were small and lived on a diet of insects.
- Episode 106
"Fast Friends" Buddy, Tiny, and Mom ride the Dinosaur Train to meet Oren and Ollie Ornithomimus, some of the fastest dinosaurs ever! They love meeting the fast-moving and fast-talking twins. - Educational Objective: Ornithomimus was a bipedal dinosaur that resembeled an ostrich. It is thought they they could run up to 40 miles per hour, faster than humans, as fast as an ostrich! They are thought to be one of the fatsest dinosaurs.
"T. Rex Teeth" When Buddy loses a tooth, Mom takes him to Rexville to ask his Tyrannosaurus friends all about T. Rex teeth. They explain that he'll grow new teeth to replace the old ones.- Educational Objective: T.rex’s teeth were the size and shape of big bananas! By carefully observing the shape of a dinosaur’s teeth, you can make predictions about what that dinosaur probably ate, which in this case is meat.
- Episode 107
"Now with Feathers!" Dad gives Tiny and Buddy a mystery feather and the kids become "detectives," riding the Dinosaur Train to meet Valerie Velociraptor, who shows our kids what life is like covered with beautiful feathers. - Educational Objective: Our knowledge about dinosaurs sometimes changes based on new evidence. In the case of Velociraptor we see that they were in fact covered in feathers. Although these dinosaurs could not fly their feathers did keep them warm.
- "A Frill a Minute" Buddy and Tiny help Tank Triceratops overcome his awkwardness having a huge head by showing him how cool and amazing his features are, especially his frill.
- Educational Objective: Triceratops had a huge, bony frill on the back of its head, giving it the larges skull of any land animal. The frill was used to identify (a visual signal) the species to other species (and other Triceratops) and also to show off and look bigger, scarier, more puffed up.
- Episode 108
"One Big Dinosaur" Tiny and Buddy visit a dinosaur family called Argentinosaurus, some of the biggest land creatures ever! They find out there are great things about being really big, and that it’s also great being their own size. - Educational Objective: There has been considerable debate over which sauropod was the biggest of them all, and thus the biggest of dinosaurs and land-living animals. Argentinosaurus is a gigantic herbivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Argentina that inhabited an environment dominated by arid plains.
"Play Date with Annie" Buddy is excited that his friend Annie Tyrannosaurus is coming to the Pteranodon nest to visit and play with them. After Tiny feels left out, Buddy and Annie show her that they can all be friends.- Educational Objective: Buddy and Annie Tyrannosaurus further compare their similar T. rex features. A lesson about including a third friend is learned, and the dynamics of equal play are tested.
- Episode 109
"Armored Like an Ankylosaurus" The kids travel on the Dinosaur Train with Mr. Pteranodon to see his hero, Hank Ankylosaurus, play a game of Dinoball. Afterwards, they even get to play with Hank and learn what it’s like to be a dinosaur that's covered with armored plates and a mighty club for a tail. - Educational Objective: Animals use a varity of methods to not become a meal. Ankylosaurus was covered with bony plates that formed armor and featured hard spikes for protection. In addition, it had a club tail that when swung was a powerful weapon.
"Campout!" The Pteranodon family goes to the Big Pond for their first overnight camp out and meets a small frog with a big voice!- Educational Objective: To learn about nocturnal life at their area Big Pond. To discover the features and way of life of early pre-historic frogs (whose attributes are very similar to present day frogs.) An objective is to show how young kids adapt to sleeping outside in a new environment.
- Episode 110
"Laura the Giganotosaurus" Buddy spends time with Laura Giganotosaurus, a large dinosaur who always rides the Dinosaur Train and, like Buddy, is a three-toed theropod! Buddy also discovers that Laura is an avid bird-watcher. - Educational Objective: There is a lot of diversity amongst Therapods. Giganotosaurus is a large therapod that shares many features with Tyrranosaurus rex and even birds. They all have 3 toed feet!
"Dinosaur Poop!" Buddy and Tiny learn that all creatures poop, even really big dinosaurs. - Educational Objective: Dinosaur poop can gives us clues if the dinosaur that produced it was a plant-eater, meat-eater, or omnivore.
- Episode 111
"Derek the Deinonychus" Buddy, Tiny and Mom visit a family of Deinonychus, dinosaurs with large, sharp toe-claws. They meet a kid named Derek who uses his toe-claws to not only hunt with but to carve great art! - Educational Objective: Deinonychus, meaning terrible claw, had a powerful hindlimb tipped with a large claw that was likely used for stabbing prey.
"Don's Dragonfly" Don makes a new friend with red feet, a dragonfly named Howard. - Educational Objective: The dragonfly is a very old species that many kids (and adults) will be surprised to learn have been on Earth millions of years before the first dinosaur. And, the dragonflies features and daily life has changed very little after so many years.
- Episode 112
"One Small Dinosaur" Mrs. Pteranodon takes Buddy and Tiny to visit a Mikey Microraptor, one of the smallest of dinosaurs ever. Tiny is annoyed that Mikey is even smaller than she is, but Mikey looks up to Tiny as a role model. - Educational Objective: Microraptor was amongst the smallest dinosaurs, measuring only 2-2.5 feet from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. It is one of the few known bird precursors to sport both flight feathers on its fore and hind legs, leading us to believe that these ancient birds glided from tree to tree.
"T. Rex Migration" Buddy and Tiny go to visit their friend Annie Tyrannosaurus and discover she isn’t home, so they follow clues and find her on a migration with her family. - Educational Objective: Migration: Giant carnivores have to eat a lot of meat to survive. This means that they often have to cover considerable distances to find food, sometimes following the movements of herds of plant-eaters.
- Episode 113
"Hootin' Hadrosaurs!" Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don meet Perry Parasaurolophus, a dinosaur with a crest on his head who teaches them a new way to hoot some hip music. - Educational Objective: To teach about a dinosaur that made noise (to communicate) with its big crest. The Parasaurolophus was a plant-eating duck-billed dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous.
"Hatching Party"Buddy, Tiny and Mrs. Pteranodon attend an egg hatching party and meet their friend Cory Corythosaurus’s new brothers and sisters. - Educational Objective: To bring different species together in a friendly environment to compare and contrast their unique features. During the party they also learn about trains.
- Episode 114
"The Theropod Club" Buddy's Theropod Club meets with other dinosaurs that walk on two legs, eat meat, and have three toed feet. But Tiny feels left out until the Club invites her to join too! - Educational Objective: Not all dinosaurs lived at the same time, but through the different time periods, dinosaurs with similar features existed. Allosaurus was one of the dominant carnivores in North America at the close of the Jurassic.
"Surprise Party" Shiny, Tiny and Don throw a surprise party for Buddy on the Dinosaur Train and invite a whole caboose full of his friends! - Educational Objective: All dinosaurs (even the biggest) were egg-layers and like birds, many also took care of their young.
- Episode 115
"The Old Spinosaurus & the Sea" Dad takes the kids on the Dinosaur Train to fish in a new place, where they meet a huge, grumpy old dinosaur, called a Spinosaurus, that doesn't want the kids in his Sea. Eventually the kids befriend him, and they teach each other their own unique way to catch fish. - Educational Objective: Predators sometimes eat a variety of foods in order to get their fill of meat. The Spinosaurus was very well-suited for catching fish.
"A Spiky Tail Tale" Buddy and Tiny help settle an argument between Morris Stegosaurus and Alvin Allosaurus, two very big dinosaurs – one with a very spiky tail, the other with a mouthful of sharp teeth.- Educational Objective: To teach about difference and similarities between dinosaur features… and survival techniques. Each dinosaur, including the Segosaurus used their individual features – in this case its spiky tail – to fight and hunt and protect.
- Episode 116
"Night Train" Dad, Buddy and Tiny take a special ride on the Dinosaur Train at night, learning about animals that are active after dark, culminating at the Big Pond for a nature walk under the full moon. - Educational Objective: Many animals are most active at night, usually as a means to avoid detection by predators or to aid in hunting (depending on the animal). This lifestyle may have applied to some dinosaurs as well, including Troodon.
"Fossil Fred" Buddy, Tiny and Don play "detective" and search around the Big Pond for fossils. The kids end up finding an entire skeleton of a Jurassic dinosaur.- Educational Objective: Fossils have been around since the time of the dinosaurs, so even dinosaurs would have seen fossils. Becoming a fossil is a RARE thing. And finding an entire skeleton of a large dinosaur is even rarer! Fossils are old bones that become rock hard over the time.
- Episode 117
"Dinosaurs in the Snow" Buddy and his Pteranodon family ride the Dinosaur Train to the North Pole – where it's cooler out and the skies are dark all winter long! The kids get to play in the snow and slide on a frozen pond for the first time. - Educational Objective: Troodon lived in a wide range of environments, including the cold, dark, snowy northern polar regions of the Earth.
"Cretaceous Conifers" The whole Pteranodon family has fun celebrating Mom's favorite holiday, Winter Solstice. They learn about large conifer (evergreen) trees and help decorate them at a holiday party.- Educational Objective: It’s pretty amazing to consider that while many types of animals and plants have become extinct, yet some trees—like the conifer—have survived for millions of years.
- Episode 118
"The Burrowers" The Pteranodon family rides the Dinosaur Train to meet a family of amazing, burrowing dinosaurs that live in holes and put on a "Cirque de Soleil" kind of acrobatic show every evening! - Educational Objective: Most kids and parents will be very surprised to learn that some dinosaurs had underground homes (burrows) and took care of their young.
"Shiny's Sea Shells" The whole Pteranodon family has fun celebrating Mom's favorite holiday, Winter Solstice. Shiny, with help from Buddy, Tiny and Don, looks for the shiniest sea shells she can find, but ends up making a new friend named Henry, a hermit crab who lives in his own shell on the beach at the Big Pond.- Educational Objective: Just as today, a great variety of shelled sea creatures lived in the oceans during the Age of Dinosaurs. To provide their bodies with structure, and protect their internal organs from damage, many of these animals have exoskeletons or like the hermit crab “borrowed” their shells for protection.
- Episode 119
"King Cryolophosaurus" Buddy, Tiny, Don and Mom meet a reclusive, singing dinosaur named King who has a big swooping crest on his head. - Educational Objective: Cryolophosaurus ("cold crest lizard") was a large theropod dinosaur with a bizarre crest on its head that looked like a pompadour. We teach that there were dinosaurs that even lived in cold environments.
"Buddy the Tracker" Buddy and Don are "footprint detectives" as they track and find creatures they know at the Big Pond. The plot thickens when they discover fossilized tracks that are millions of years old!- Educational Objective: Animals often leave tracks that can be used to tell us something of the trackmakers. Dinosaurs left plenty of tracks, and many thousands of these are still preserved today. Paleontologists use fossil trackways to learn all kinds of things about dinosaurs (e.g., posture, speed, group living, environments).
- Episode 120
"The Old Bird" Buddy, Tiny and Mom make a play date with Petey Peteinosaurus to ride the Dinosaur Train to meet Arlene Archeopteryx, a bird from the family of the oldest birds ever! The kids are excited to learn that Arlene is a bird and a dinosaur. - Educational Objective: New Species: Archaeopteryx, as the earliest known bird, is a great exemplar of the close relationship between birds and dinosaurs. It is the oldest known bird dating from the Jurassic and has a mix of dinosaur and bird features.
"Home With Shiny & Don" Shiny and Don stay at home and we get to see that just because they don't always ride with Buddy and Tiny on the Dinosaur Train doesn't mean that they are not having fun. An adventure into a local caves leads to a marvelous and brilliant discovery.- Educational Objective: Virtually all the same diamonds and gems that we know of today were also present in during the Mesozoic. The type of minerals that are present during their formation will give each gemstone its particular color.
- Episode 121
"Dinosaur Camouflage" Buddy and Tiny learn about camouflage when they meet a shy dinosaur, Leslie Lesothosaurus, who is very good at hiding. The kids end up persuading Leslie to stop hiding and come out to play with them. - Educational Objective: We know that modern day animals use a variety of colors to make it hard for predators to zero in on them. So why wouldn’t dinosaurs have used this same coloration? Defensive camouflage would have been a form of protection to help hide their body or break up their silhouette.
"Family Scavenger Hunt" The Pteranodon family travels to the Big Pond for a Scavenger Hunt. Using clues and rhymes, the kids solve word puzzles and finally glimpse a bug-eating plant they thought was mere make-believe. - Educational Objective: Exposing children to rhymes and riddles helps them to develop their vocabulary and form ideas.
- Episode 122
"Have You Heard About the Herd?" Buddy, Tiny, and Mom ride the Dinosaur Train to the Cretaceous Picnic Grounds. They meet Ernie Einiosaurus, who shows them what it's like to live in a herd of horned Ceratopsians. - Educational Objective: Many animals live and move in large groups, largely as a means of dealing with predators. This "strategy" was used by many kinds of dinosaurs including Einiosaurus.
"Jess Hespernornis" The Pteranodons venture to the Big Pond to find out if dinosaurs can live in the water. Their quandaries are quenched when they meet Jess Hesperornis, who turns out to be not only a water-dwelling dinosaur, but a bird as well! - Educational Objective: To further teach about the wide variety of dinosaurs that once lived. Hesperornis was a flightless, diving bird that lived in North America’s inland sea during the Cretaceous. Hesperornis represent the only dinosaurs that had a truly aquatic lifestyle.
- Episode 123
"Triassic Turtle" Don mistakes a shell for a rock and meets Adam Adocus, a turtle with a head he can retract into his shell for self-defense. The Pteranodon family travels to the Triassic and meets Pauline Proganochelys, another kind of turtle who shares her own methods of defending herself. - Educational Objective: Many groups of animals we are familiar with today, including turtles, lived alongside the dinosaurs, but were not dinosaurs themselves.
"Tank's Baby Brother" Tank Triceratops has a new baby brother that everyone dotes on, making Tank feel left out. Buddy, Tiny, and Tank play with some older kid Triceratops, and Tank learns the perks of being a big brother. - Educational Objective: Children often act out when a new sibling comes along fearing they are no longer the baby of the family. With a little encouragement they soon realize that with their new position comes new responsibilities and exciting opportunities as the older brother or sister.
- Episode 124
"Erma Eoraptor" Buddy, Tiny, and Mrs. Pteranodon go on an expedition all the way back to the Triassic Time Period to meet Erma Eoraptor, one the first species of dinosaur that ever lived. They ride to the end of the line to find Erma, and then bring her back for a ride on the Dinosaur Train! - Educational Objective: Many kids and adults may think that all dinosaurs lived at the same time. By talking about the “first” dinosaurs, we can emphasize that scientists believe there was a distinct beginning of dinosaurs, with Eoraptor being one of them.
"Under the Volcano" Buddy, Tiny and Dad take the Dinosaur Train to see Old Smoky, the local volcano. It’s such a spectacular sight that they go back for the rest of the family, only to discover they've already gone to see the volcano! The merry mix-up concludes as the whole family meets up just in time to catch Old Smoky erupting.- Educational Objective: Volcanoes have been active since before the Age of Dinosaurs. The interior of the Earth is very hot, so hot in fact that it’s made mostly of melted rock (magma), which sometimes breaks through to the surface (as lava) through mountain-like openings called volcanoes. And yes, Volcanoes were erupting right alongside the dinosaurs!
- Episode 125
"Pteranodon Family World Tour" The entire Pteranodon family embarks on a roaring, exploring, World Tour adventure! They meet the Conductor's nephew, Gilbert, who acts as their tour guide to meet Martin Amargasaurus, a spine-spangled quadruped with an intimidating sail.- Educational Objective: Amargasaurus was a long-necked, four-legged, plant-eating dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous of South America. It had two large parallel rows of large bony spines on its neck and back that may have been used for communication, defense or thermoregulation.
"Gilbert the Junior Conductor" The Pteranodon family continues on its World Tour on the Dinosaur Train. During their first full day on the train, the kids play with Gilbert, the Conductor's nephew. Don gets jealous of Gilbert’s friendship with Buddy.- Educational Objective: Group dynamics with kids can be touchy but there's always a solution when a new kid comes along to play. By encouraging your child to express their feelings, you’re building a trusting relationship that will help in years to come.
- Episode 126
"Confuciusornis Says" The next stop on the Dinosaur Train World Tour takes the Pteranodon family to Confuciusornis Gardens, where they meet a very wise old dinosaur. They try some new foods and even learn to meditate.- Educational Objective: Many, many dinosaurs and other creatures were found in what is now China. Confuciusornis was a crow-sized bird from the Cretaceous Time Period. It had a toothless beak and had long tail feathers. This theropod dinosaur lived in what is now Asia, and is believed to have been an omnivore, eating a mix of small animals, insects and fruit and seeds.
"Tiny's Tiny Doll" During a stop on the Pteranodon family’s World Tour, Tiny accidentally leaves her beloved Tiny Doll behind in Velociraptor Valley. Knowing Tiny can't sleep without it, Valerie and Velma Velociraptor enlist the help of a wide-winged Pterosaur named Ziggy to fly Tiny's doll back to the train.- Educational Objective: Good friends can often surprise you in a difficult situation when they come through with what you need the most.
- Episode 127
"Iggy Iguanodon" The Pteranodon family continues their World Tour and meets Iggy Iguanodon, a large, four-legged chap who shows them his unique way of walking while leading them to some famous white cliffs.- Educational Objective: The Pteranodon family continues their World Tour and meets Iggy Iguanodon, a large, four-legged chap who shows them his unique way of walking while leading them to some famous white cliffs.
"Shiny Can't Sleep" Shiny gets homesick while the Pteranodon family continues on their World Tour. She tries to fall asleep in their Sleeping Car, but can’t, so Dad takes her for a walk around the Dinosaur Train, where they observe the night activities of nocturnal creatures.- Educational Objective: Children may seem excited to have their first sleepover but often are filled with anxiety when trying to fall asleep away from the comforts of home. With attention and the right nurturing, their fears fall away and soon they are fast asleep.
- Episode 128
"Kenny Kentrosaurus" As the Pteranodon family’s World Tour continues, they travel to Africa to meet a Stegosaur named Kenny Kentrosaurus. He teaches the kids about his plates, spikes, and big, thumping tail, which leads to a fun drumming party.- Educational Objective: As the Pteranodon family’s World Tour continues, they travel to Africa to meet a Stegosaur named Kenny Kentrosaurus. He teaches the kids about his plates, spikes, and big, thumping tail, which leads to a fun drumming party.
"Don and the Troodons" The Pteranodon family oversleeps and has to hurry to make another guided walk on their World Tour! Don asks to stay back on the train, where he ends up having a great day with the Conductor and his mom, Mrs. Conductor!- Educational Objective: Establishing bonds with older generations can be beneficial to kids. They can be great role models and positive influences, providing children cultural and family history. Kids will probably even learn a fun game or two!
- Episode 129
"New Neighbors" Mr. Pteranodon is annoyed when some hadrosaurs move in next door! The new neighbors are a family of Lambeosaurus, who have crests that hoot – and too loudly, as far as Dad is concerned. After a rocky start, the Pteranodon and Lambeosaurus families agree on terms they can both live with and become fast friends.- Educational Objective: Lambeosaurus was a giant, plant-eating hadrosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. It is best known for its hatchet shaped crest that is believed to have produced bellowing sounds.
"Don's Collection" Don and new neighbor, Lily Lambeosaurus, stay at Pteranodon Terrace while the other kids take a day trip to the Big Pond. Don shows off his knowledge of the area to an admiring Lily as they search for more items for his collection.- Educational Objective: Ecosystems are a dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganisms that all share the same habititat. One cannot exist without the other.
- Episode 130
"Long Claws" Buddy, Tiny, Don and Mrs. Pteranodon head to the thicket to ask a Therizinosaurus family about their colossal claws. They demonstrate how they use their claws for self-defense, while the daughter, Teri, shows the kids her favorite practice spot.- Educational Objective: Therizinosaurus was a feathered, long-clawed, plant-eating dinosaur from the Cretaceous Time Period. This sloth like dinosaur weighed about as much as an African elephant and is believed it used it long claws to gather food and protect itself from predators.
"Tank's Sleep Over" When Tank spends the night at Pteranodon Terrace, the last thing he wants to do is sleep. But as the night wears on, the other kids nod off, leaving only Buddy to try to stay awake with Tank. Buddy realizes that Tank is just nervous about sleeping in a strange place, so he and Mom help Tank feel at home so he can finally get to sleep.- Educational Objective: Animals sleep in a variety of habitats and a variety of ways. Some Sleep standing up, some sleep in burrows, some sleep in nexts and some even sleep under water.
- Episode 131
"The Wing Kings" The Pteranodon family stretches their wings at Quetzalcoatlus Canyon, where Mr. Pteranodon flew when he was younger and nicknamed the "Wing King." The family meets Quincy Quetzalcoatlus and his Dad, a huge flying Pterosaur. Together, the two "Wing Kings" wow their kids with some sensational aerial acrobatics.- Educational Objective: Quetzalcoatlus was a giant flying reptile that lived in the Late Cretaceous in North America. Quetzalcoatlus was one of the largest pterosaurs ever discovered, with a wingspan as large as a small spitfire airplane.
"The Big Mud Pit" There's big trouble at the Big Pond Larry Lambeosaurus gets stuck in a mud pit, and then Dad tries to get Larry out, and ends up getting stuck himself. Buddy and Leroy Lambeosaurus have to think quickly to pull their dads out before some big meat-eater finds them!- Educational Objective: There is evidence from groups of fossil remains that suggests that dinosaurs might have been mired in the mud when attempting to drink from a muddy pond and were unable to free themselves.
- Episode 132
-
"Buck-Tooth Bucky" When Don finds a mystery tooth in Dad's old tooth collection, Dad decides to take the kids on an investigation. They discover that the tooth belongs to a dinosaur called Masiakasaurus, a creature with a mouthful of protruding buck teeth! - Educational Objective: Masiakasaurus was a small, carnivorous dinosaur that lived on the island of Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous time period with an odd set of buck-teeth. Teeth sometimes vary in shape and function even within the same animal, including us!
"Tiny's Tiny Place" Tiny gets upset when she finds a miniature mammal named Cindy Cimolestes has moved into her "Tiny Place," a hole in a tree near the family nest. Buddy ends up using his sharp eyes to help Cindy find a new home that more perfectly fits her small size.- Educational Objective: Most people do not realize that mammals lived during the age of dinosaurs. Their small size gave them a great advantage in escaping from large predatory dinosaurs. Cimolestes, which means "bug thief", is an example of one such mammal that hid out in the trees and lived off bugs and insects.
- Episode 133
"An Armored Tail Tale" The Pteranodons tag along as Hank Ankylosaurus visits the Big Pond to scout a Dinoball talent named Eugene Euoplocephalus. Eugene is a smaller version of Hank, an armored dinosaur with a giant tail-club. Hank and Eugene really hit it off, and after they all play Dinoball, Hank recruits Eugene to play on his team! - Educational Objective: Euopolocephalus was a smaller version of its bigger-bodied, later-occurring relative, Ankylosaurus. The similarities between these two dinosaurs supports the theory that dinosaurs, like modern day animals, belonged to “families” and can be thought of in groups.
"Pterosaur Flying Club" Tiny and Shiny practice their swoop-de-loops and other flying moves in anticipation of their play-date with fellow Pterosaurs Petey Peteinosaurus and Quincy Quetzalcoatlus. With Buddy helping with the choreography, the Pterosaur Flying Club puts on a flying show!- Educational Objective: By comparing and contrasting the size and wing span of different pterosaurs, scientists can study how different wing size and shape affected the way each creature flew. Some pterosaurs could flap their wings and others were merely gliders.
- Episode 134
-
"Great Big Stomping Dinosaur Feet!" Tiny is very worried after she loses Shiny's favorite shiny shell, and enlists Dad and Buddy to help find a new one. As Tiny becomes more frantic, she begins stomping with frustration. Then the kids meet Daphne, a Daspletosaurus kid who shows them how to make stomping a fun dance instead of a temper tantrum. - Educational Objective: Daspletosaurus is a smaller-bodied, more ancient cousin of Tyrannosaurus that lived about 75 million years ago in the Cretaceous time period. Like T. rex, It too was the top predator of its time.
"Diamond Anniversary" Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon decide to surprise each other with gifts on their anniversary. Despite some close calls, the kids help each of them to keep their gifts a secret until the perfect moment when the whole family can celebrate.- Educational Objective: We learn about how caves (especially sea caves are formed.) We learn that nothing is permanent, even rock. Along the world’s coasts, wave action can cause the formation of remarkable sea caves which literally erode away the rock. Dealing with the misconception about the permanence or rock is a great misconception to deal with for a pre-K audience. Also, not all caves have stalagmites and stalactites.
- Episode 135
"The Good Mom" “Mom’s” the word when Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom Millie Maiasaura, who is a little too over-protective of her kids. The two moms compare mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond. - Educational Objective: Maiasaura, meaning "good mother lizard", was a large duck- billed dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. There is evidence that Maisaura lived in large nesting colonies and that the parents diligently cared for their young.
"Hornucopia!" At the Big Pond, Tank introduces the Pteranodon family to his friend, Stacie Styracosaurus, a fellow Ceratopsian with a crown of elaborate horns on her head. Everyone attends Stacie’s “Hornucopia” celebration, where she reveals her new big horns and then performs a moonlit shadow show with her Styracosaurus family.- Educational Objective: Animals use lots of different features for display, or “showing off,” but within a group, these variations tend to focus on the same kinds of features. The species called Cceratopsians (horned dinosaurs) include Styracosaurus, a creature with the most elaborate horns and frills that they employed to show-off to other dinosaurs.
- Episode 136
"Elmer Elasmosaurus" The Pteranodon family travels on the Dinosaur Train with the Aquacar to an underwater train station to transport Elmer Elasmosaurus back to his home in the ocean. At first Buddy is not enthusiastic about travelling underwater, but quickly becomes a convert when he sees the spectacular sights under the sea. - Educational Objective: Just as Pteranodon solve the problem of catching fish in one way, Elasmosaurus solve it in another, perhaps locating schools of fish and attacking from the darkness below with their long necks. In short, when it comes to animal diversity and evolution, there’s more than one way to catch a fish.
"Dinosaur Block Party" The Pteranodon family hosts a block party to introduce their new neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, to all the other neighborhood creatures. The different species all join together to fly, dive, fish, race and especially, to rock the block!- Educational Objective: Just as Pteranodon solve the problem of catching fish in one way, Elasmosaurus solve it in another, perhaps locating schools of fish and attacking from the darkness below with their long necks. In short, when it comes to animal diversity and evolution, there’s more than one way to catch a fish.
- Episode 137
"Carla Cretoxyrhina" On this underwater excursion, the Pteranodon family meets up with Carla Cretoxyrhina, a young shark who turns out to be much nicer than her reputation suggests. She introduces the family to her dad, bringing them face to face with the "Big Fish in the Sea." - Educational Objective: The Age of Dinosaurs included some truly giant animals, most of which are now gone. But at least one kind of giant animal around at that time is still with us today. Giant sharks plied the Mesozoic seas as one of the top predators and descendants alive today look almost identical.
"Train Trouble" The speedy dinosaur brothers Oren and Ollie join our kids on a train trip to Troodon Town, but unplanned engine trouble sends Oren and Ollie sprinting the Roundhouse to bring back another engine to save the day!- Educational Objective: The kids learn about making the most of a situation when something goes wrong. Through team effort and recognition of each others strengths, they problem-solve and get the job done.
- Episode 138
"The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers" The Pteranodon family travels deep underwater on the Dinosaur Train to view two backwards-bounding brothers named Max and Mitch Michelinoceras. The kids are delighted to see that Max and Mitch put on a synchronized swimming show. - Educational Objective: Carnivores come in many shapes and sizes. Some don’t even have back bones! Michelinoceras comes from a long line of squid-like nautiloids that lived before the dinosaurs and long after most of the dinosaurs went extinct. It lived in the Triassic seas, where it was a major predator.
"Dads' Day Out" Buddy, Tiny, and Mr. Pteranodon join Annie Tyrannosaurus and Leroy Lambeosaurus and their dads for a Dads’ Day at the Big Pond. It’s all fun and games until it starts to rain, and they all have to take cover in a cave they’ve never noticed before.- Educational Objective: The weather is unpredictable. No matter where you are or what you are doing, if you enjoy the company of the ones you are with you will always have a good time.
- Episode 139
"Paulie Pliosaurus" The Pteranodon family takes the Dinosaur Train underwater to visit a marine reptile called Paulie Pliosaurus, a creature known as the "T. rex of the Ocean." Buddy and Paulie compare features and find that they actually have a lot in common. - Educational Objective: Just as there were giant predators on land like T. rex, so too were there giant predators in Mesozoic seas. Among them was Pliosaurus, a giant fearless carnivore well suited to a marine existence.
"Elmer Visits the Desert" Our Pteranodon family takes their ocean friend Elmer Elasmosaurus on the Dinosaur Train to a place he’s never been before: the desert! Once there, the kids compare the sandy terrain to Elmer’s ocean, and they meet a local lizard named Percy who tells the tale of his desert home.- Educational Objective: During the earth's history there is evidence that supports the fact that ocean levels have risen and fallen. What once was covered in water may be dry land today and full of fossils from the past.
- Episode 140
"Junior Conductor Jamboree" Our kids ride the Dinosaur Train from one end of the line to the other, through all three Time Periods -- from the Cretaceous, through the Jurassic, to the Triassic. All along the way, they pick up friends who join them for a Junior Conductor Jamboree! - Educational Objective: The kids learn about the three different time periods of the Mesozoic Era. They compare and contrast the flora and fauna of the Triassic, Jurrasic and Cretaceous time periods while travelling on the Dinosaur Train from one end of the Age of Dinosaurs to the other.
"Troodon Train Day" The Pteranodon family rides to Troodon Town to celebrate Troodon Train Day, where the main event is a concert by King Cryolophosaurus, giving his first performance in years! When King comes down with some last-minute jitters, Buddy and Tiny help him overcome his stage fright and he sings a medley of his hits, including the Dinosaur Train theme song!- Educational Objective: The kids learn about how a train's steam engine works.
Visit PBS KIDS and PBS Parents to extend the learning with Dinosaur Train educational games and parent-child activities.
Support for pbs.org provided by: