[train whistle blows] - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Once upon a time, there was a mom ♪ ♪ Her name was Mrs. Pteranodon ♪ ♪ Sitting on her nest, she heard a scratching and said ♪ - Oh, boy, my eggs are hatching!

- ♪ One by one, her kids popped free ♪ ♪ Baby Pteranodons, one, two, three ♪ - I'll name you Tiny, Shiny, and Don.

- ♪ But Tiny said ♪ - Wait, there's one more, Mom!

- ♪ The last little baby was a different size ♪ ♪ With teeth and a tail and big green eyes ♪ ♪ He didn't look anything like the rest ♪ - What am I doing in a Pteranodon nest?

- ♪ But dear old Mrs. Pteranodon said ♪ - Oh, this is your family, and I'm your mom.

You may be different, but we're all creatures.

All dinosaurs have different features.

Come on, Buddy, we'll take a vacation.

I'll get us a ticket at Pteranodon Station.

We'll travel the world in sunshine and rain and meet all the species on the... - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ We're gonna ride... ♪ - ♪ Ride, ride, ride, ride ♪ [train whistle blows] - ♪ The Dinosaur Train ♪ - [roars] - And since your dad and Shiny are off on a special "Daddy-Shiny Day," I thought it might be fun if we went on a little day trip ourselves!

- Oh, boy!

- Cool!

- So where are we going?

- And what are we doing?

- And do we need any holes?

Because if we do, I'm your guy!

- [laughs] - Well, hello, Pteranodon family!

all: Hello, Mr.

Conductor!

- And where are you off to today?

- We're going to the Qianzhousaurus Pond Station.

- Ooh, in the Late Cretaceous!

Excellent choice for a beautiful summer day!

- And why is it an excellent choice?

- That is still a surprise.

all: Aww!

- Aww...ll aboard!

[all giggling] - Oh, Mr.

The Conductor.

[train whistle blows] [upbeat music] ♪ Oh lucky pebble you're so lucky ♪ ♪ Which is why I call you lucky pebble ♪ - Tickets!

Tickets, please!

Qianzhousaurus Pond Station.

Oh, boy, are you in for a treat!

- Will someone please tell us what's so great about Qianzhousaurus Pond Station?

- Well, without ruining your mom's surprise, one thing I can tell you is that it's home to lots of Qianzhousauruses.

You know, Buddy, Qianzhousaurus is actually one of your cousins.

They're tyrannosaurs!

- Wow!

Seriously?

- Wait, Mr.

The Conductor, that Qianzhousaurus doesn't look anything like Buddy.

Are you sure they're tyrannosaurs?

- Absolutely, Mr.

The Don.

Remember, animal life is divided into groups, or families.

And within those families, there's a lot of diversity.

So tyrannosaurs are a family of dinosaurs that are all-- both: Theropods!

- Correct-amundo!

And there's lots of different kinds of theropods: Velociraptors, allosaurs, tyrannosaurs.

And the ones with similar features, we group together.

Can anyone see what the tyrannosaurs have in common?

- They've got long legs!

- And gigantic heads.

- And lots of sharp teeth for eating meat!

- That's right!

These tyrannosaurs have similar features, but they have differences too.

- The T. rex is much bigger!

- And the Qianzhousaurus has a really long snout!

- Look!

It's got a bunch of tiny horns on its snout!

Tiny horns are the best kind of horns.

- Mom, is going to meet a Qianzhousaurus your surprise?

- No.

My surprise is different.

- Woo-hoo!

Double surprise!

- Lucky pebble, you've done it again!

[chimes ringing] - Time tunnel!

Time tunnel approaching!

Next stop, Qianzhousaurus Pond Station in the Late Cretaceous!

kids: Yay!

Let's go!

- Come on!

Hurry!

- Wait, how can we hurry and go when we don't know where we're hurrying and going to?

both: Oh, yeah.

- [humming] - Hey, we should follow her.

- [screeches] Look at all the different flowers!

They're beautiful!

- Yeah.

But we're not at the Qianzhousaurus Flower Field.

We're at the Qianzhousaurus Pond.

So where's the pond?

- And where're all the Qianzhousauruses?

- Oh, oh, I know.

I'll ask the lucky pebble.

Oh, lucky pebble, where are all the--ooh.

Aww!

Is a lucky pebble still lucky if something unlucky happens to it?

- Oh, don't worry, Don!

I'll get it!

[grunts] Oh, right.

My arms are even shorter than yours.

- [sighs] If only there was someone small enough to fit in between those two rocks.

- Don't look at me.

I'm tiny, but I'm not that tiny.

- Maybe I can help.

- Hey!

You're a Qianzhousaurus!

- Yup!

Quentin Qianzhousaurus, at your service.

- Hi, Quentin!

Nice to meet you!

I'm Tiny, and this is my mom, and these are my brothers, Buddy and Don!

all: Hi, Quentin!

- Hiya, everyone!

[chuckles] What a nice family!

- Well, guess what.

You and I are family too!

- We are?

Oh, wait!

You look like a T. rex!

I've never seen one in person before.

- Well, I've never seen a Qianzhousaurus in person before.

- Neither have I!

And from the picture Mr.

The Conductor showed us, I didn't think you'd look anything like Buddy!

But now that I see you in person...I was right.

You look absolutely nothing like Buddy.

- Don!

Remember what the Conductor told us, about diversity within families?

- Right!

Members of the same families have similar features, but also have differences too!

- Would you mind if you and I compare features?

It's kind of my thing.

- Really?

'Cause that's kind of my thing too!

- Huh.

Maybe you two are more alike than it looks like you're alike.

- Okay, so we're both theropods, which means we both have long tails.

- And three-toed feet.

- We walk on two legs.

- And we both eat meat!

- But our snouts are completely different shapes.

Mine is shorter and wider.

- Mine is longer and narrower.

- And it has all those tiny horns!

Love the tiny horns!

- Plus, my teeth are smaller, and although my jaw is pretty strong, yours is going to be much stronger.

You know why?

- Is it because we eat different things?

- Yup, yup, yup!

When you get bigger-- much bigger than me-- you're gonna eat bigger animals, while I like to stick to birds and fish.

- You like fish?

- Sure do!

It's kind of my favorite.

- There's a difference!

Can't believe there's a tyrannosaur that loves fish.

- Well, Quentin, I'll make you a deal.

If you can help me get my lucky pebble back, I'll share my fishwiches with you.

- Deal!

You kids think you can separate those rocks a little, huh?

- Sure!

[all grunting] - Oh, lucky pebble!

I'm so lucky to get you back!

- Now that is one impressive snout.

- Victory!

And now... Fishwiches!

♪ La la loo!

♪ - Wonder what else you can do with your super snout.

- [sniffs] Hey, Tiny, quick question.

Did you roll around in some magnolias a little while ago?

- Yup!

I sure di-- Wait a second.

How did you know?

- I can smell them.

- Whoa!

You can still smell them on me?

- Well, yeah.

- I have a hypothesis!

When I grow up, my jaw is going to be bigger and stronger than yours, so I can eat bigger animals.

Well, since your snout is much longer than mine, I bet your sense of smell is stronger too!

- Yes, that makes perfect sense!

To me, at least.

- I say we set up a bunch of tests to see just how good Quentin's sense of smell is.

both: Yeah!

Great idea!

- But, I don't think it's-- Hey!

Where'd they all go?

- Okay, Quentin, ready?

Guess which hand the berry is in.

[whimsical music] - [sniffs] That one.

♪ ♪ [sniffs] That one.

♪ ♪ [sniff] That one.

[sniff] That one.

[sniff] That one!

- Whoa!

- Yup!

Super snout!

Okay, without getting any closer, what did I have to eat yesterday, hmm?

- [sniffs] Fishwiches!

And a leaf and berry salad that you mostly pushed around your plate.

- Impressive.

That's one strong sniffer.

- All right!

I think it's time for the ultimate test: a game of hide and sniff!

Everybody hide!

Quentin, you have to sniff us out and find us.

- Okay, but I keep trying to tell you that-- [all screech] - [sighs] Okay, super sniffer.

[sniffs] Do your stuff!

[sniffing] - Aww, you got me!

- [sniffing] - You got me too!

- [sniffing] - Me too!

Quentin, you have the best sense of smell I've ever seen!

- No, I don't.

I mean, my sense of smell is really good, but I'm pretty sure yours is as good as mine, Buddy, and I'm gonna prove it.

♪ ♪ - [sniff] That one.

[sniff] That one!

[sniffs] That one.

[sniffs] Yesterday, you had three fish, two birds, and accidentally, one dragonfly.

- You got it!

- [sniffs] ♪ ♪ [sniffs] Got ya!

[sniffs] Got ya!

[sniffs] And got ya!

- Indeed, you did.

You see that?

Your super sniffer is the same as mine.

- I guess it is.

But what about your long snout?

- Oh, well, it doesn't give me a better sense of smell.

It only affects the kinds of foods I like to eat.

You and I could live in the same place and not compete for food, 'cause you'd hunt for the bigger animals-- - And you'd hunt for the smaller animals!

Cool!

- I've got one more thing to show you kids.

I've got a feeling I know why you came here.

- You do?

- Yup.

Lots of creatures come out to the Qianzhousaurus Pond in the summer for one specific reason.

- Yup.

That's the exact reason we're here.

- Why?

Tell us, please!

- I'm gonna do better than tell you, I'm gonna show you.

Actually, Buddy's gonna show you!

- Wait, how can I show everyone what the surprise is when I don't know what the surprise is?

- [sniffing] You smell that?

Smells sweet, like flowers?

- [sniffs] Yeah, I do smell it.

[sniffs] Come on, guys!

This way!

[sniffs] Whoa!

- So did you find the sur--whoa!

- Hey, what's everybody "whoa-ing" abou--whoa!

- Kids, this is the surprise.

- Mom, this is beautiful!

What kind of flowers are those?

I want to roll around in them!

- Those are called lotus flowers, and they actually grow in the water, so rolling around in them is not a good idea.

- Oh, maybe you can't roll in them, but you can stick your face in 'em and smell them!

[sniffs] Wow.

- [sniffs] I can smell them from here!

- Love it.

- Thanks, Mom.

The lotus flowers were a great surprise.

And thanks, Quentin.

You were a great surprise too!

- Aww, you're not a bad surprise yourself, Buddy.

[both sniff] all: I love these flowers!

- Hi there, I'm Dr. Scott the paleontologist, and I'm here in the Nature Garden at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

And I am surrounded by flowers.

[light music] Now, you might not know this, but flowers first appeared during the Mesozoic era, the age of dinosaurs, but they weren't there the whole time.

Back in the Jurassic time period, Stegosaurus never saw a flower.

Allosaurus never saw a single flower.

There were no flowers.

But then in the Cretaceous, the first flowers appeared, and they were beautiful, and they changed the world.

Plants form the basis of any ecosystem.

♪ ♪ Plant-eating dinosaurs eat the plants.

Meat-eating dinosaurs eat the plant-eating dinosaurs.

So it's those plants that keep the whole thing going, plants that capture energy from the sun.

So during the Cretaceous time period, when flowering plants started to take over the world, so to speak, the dinosaurs changed with them, and the dinosaurs started to eat all these flowering plants.

So the next time you're outside and you smell a flower, or just look at their beautiful colors, remember, the very first flowers appeared during the age of dinosaurs.

♪ ♪ - Hello, folks!

It's me, the Conductor.

Today, Mom and the kids take a camping trip to try and make a real nature connection.

Wonder what they'll discover.

So come on along with me on the Dinosaur Train!

All aboard!

♪ ♪ - [screeches] I have all my nature discoveries.

- I have my nature discoveries.

- I have a whole lot of nature discoveries.

[all talking at once] - [sighs] - Great collecting, everybody.

This will be the best pretend camping trip ever.

Now as camp leader, I say-- - Wait, how come you get to be camp leader?

I made the most discoveries.

- I made my discoveries fastest.

I should be camp leader.

- I think I should be camp leader because my pile is the most fun to jump in.

- I want to jump too!

- Me too!

- What about me?

- My turn!

[laughter] - Yay!

- [screeches] Look!

I'm making leaf angels!

- [sighs] I have a funny feeling today's not the best day to clean the nest.

You know what, kids?

I have an idea.

Instead of just playing camping trip, why don't we go on an actual camping trip?

- But we usually only go camping when Dad's around.

- Well, your father's on a fishing trip, and as it happens, I have always been an excellent camper.

- Hooray!

We'll have a Mom's Camp-out!

Just us and our Moms.

Er, uh, Mom.

- Actually, Don, that's a wonderful idea.

Let's invite other moms.

- And their kids too?

- Of course.

We'll spread the word, then meet everyone at the Dinosaur Train and head off to the Big Pond.

[all cheering] - We're going camping!

Yay!

Camping!

- This was a fantastic idea.

Annie and I love camping out.

- And we're already thinking about super wild camping adventures!

- Oh, um, but not super wild, I hope.

Remember, Mikey's very, very small.

- Small won't stop me!

Little dinosaurs like me can do as much as big dinosaurs.

Right, Tiny?

- That's right, Mikey!

both: Tiny power!

- All aboard!

- Wait, Mr.

Conductor.

We can't leave yet.

Tank and his mom are supposed to come too.

Right, Mom?

- Hold the train!

Oh, please don't leave!

[panting] Tank, you go ahead.

all: Tank!

You made it!

- Hi, guys.

Sorry it took so long.

My mom had a lot to pack.

- Ooh.

Ooh!

Oh, sorry.

Oh, pardon me.

- [annoyed grumbling] - Why don't I just help you with those?

- Thank you, Mr.

Conductor.

I just couldn't leave for a camping trip without packing all the things Tank and I might need.

- You know, there is food to eat at the Big Pond.

- Well, sure.

But what if I get hungry while I'm looking for it?

- That is an excellent point.

[train whistle blows] - Tickets, everyone!

Tickets!

So heading to the Big Pond, eh?

- Yup!

For a Moms' Camp-out!

A Moms' Camp-out?

Oh, I remember when I was a wee little Troodon, I'd go camping with my mother.

- You did?

- Oh, all the time.

And she had the best ideas for camping games, like The Nature Connection Game.

- The Nature Connection Game?

What's that?

- Well, Mother always said you can't appreciate nature just by looking at it.

You need to climb around, dig in, splash about, get dirty, and look at things in a whole new way.

Then you make a real nature connection.

- Oh, that sounds marvelous!

- A-a-and dangerous.

Especially for a little dinosaur like Mikey.

- Mom!

- I don't know about getting dirty.

It sounds so...dirty.

- Oh, come on, Tank.

Getting dirty is part of the fun.

- Trudy is right.

Tell us, Mr.

Conductor.

How does The Nature Connection Game work?

- Well, it's really whatever you want it to be, as long as it gets you involved with nature.

But if you want some examples, I might have some old pictures here on the train.

all: Yes!

Show us!

Please!

- Aww, it's Little Mr.

The Conductor.

- That it is, Little Mr.

The Don.

And in this picture, Mother and I are playing a game called "Think Like An Animal."

- Think Like An Animal?

- How do you play?

- It's easy!

Each player finds an animal and pretends to be just like them.

- And if you pretend to be an animal, you probably understand why it has all of its features.

- Excellent hypothesis, Buddy.

- If we play, I can pretend to be you, Tiny.

Then I'll understand why you have all your features.

- Don, we're both Pteranodons.

We have the same features.

- Oh, yeah.

♪ La la loo!

♪ - Um, um, um, did you play any other Nature Connection Games, Mr.

Conductor?

- Why, yes we did, Mikey.

But I think it might be more fun for you kids to make up some of your own.

- I agree.

Creating Nature Connection Games sounds like the perfect way to spend time at our Moms' Camp-out.

[chimes ringing] - Time?

Did you say time?

Oh, it is time.

Time to pull into Big Pond Station.

Big Pond Station, everyone!

- I'll get our bags.

[gasps] Oh, no!

- It's okay, Mrs. Triceratops.

We'll help you clean it up.

- Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm!

Clean what up?

- The camp's all set.

- What does everyone think?

Should we play a Nature Connection Game first?

- Yes!

And I just made one up called "The Hole Truth."

Here's how you play.

Step one, dig a hole.

- After we dig a hole, what's step two?

- Oh, uh, I hadn't thought about step two.

Maybe look in the hole?

- Sounds like a great way to find some buried treasures!

Annie!

Come on!

Let's dig!

[upbeat music] ♪ ♪ - Come on, Tank.

Look what I found.

Delicious roots.

- Delicious roots?

Here comes Tank!

- [panting] - Hey, Mikey, what are you doing?

- I'm too small to dig a big hole in the ground like everybody else, so I thought that I would dig in this log.

- Which is filled with splinters.

You could get hurt.

- Mom, I'm fine.

- And you found so many cool nature treasures.

I see squirmy bugs, and beetles, and these fuzzy plants.

- Hm.

Well, that is interesting.

- You really think so?

So you'll help me dig?

- You know what, I will!

Who knows what else we'll find?

- This is amazing!

Everybody's finding so many things.

- I know!

Annie and Dolores found these shells-- seashells--in a hole!

- And Tank and Trudy found tons of different roots... which I can't show you because they ate them.

- What did you find, Don?

- A perfect place to rest.

Ahh.

[all laugh] - Oh, Don!

- Okay, everyone, the next Nature Connection Game is the one the Conductor told us about.

Think Like An Animal!

- I think you kids should play this one on your own.

- Us moms will watch.

- Okay.

Shiny, Don, and I will be the judges.

- Ready...go!

- Ribbet.

Ribbet.

Ribbet.

Look at me!

I'm a frog!

- You make a really good frog, Annie.

- But the real frog jumps so far.

How does she do that?

- I know.

It's her long legs.

I'm trying to jump as far as her, but I can't.

My legs are too short.

- So if you're an animal who jumps like a frog, you need long legs.

- And a light body.

I never knew it was such hard work being a frog.

♪ ♪ - Mmm.

- Um, Tank?

I thought you were gonna be a different animal.

- I am.

I'm being a worm.

- But you're walking and eating grass.

Isn't that what you usually do?

- Yup!

When I watched the worm, I saw that's what it does too.

Mmm.

Don't you just love nature?

- Mikey?

- Hi, Don!

I'm being a turtle in its shell.

- Oh, it's wonderful.

You look so safe under there.

Maybe I should get you a shell.

- Mom!

- [giggles] I'm flying!

I'm flying!

Hey, look!

I'm a bee!

Buzz!

♪ ♪ Mom, you're not buzzing.

You're just making a whooshing noise.

- Actually, I'm not trying to make a noise at all.

The whooshing is just the sound of my wings.

- I bet bees also make noise with their wings.

That's why they buzz.

- They also sting.

- That's true.

But if I really were a bee, I'd be so small, I bet I'd only sting because I'd need to protect myself.

- Like this.

Buzz.

- [laughs] Buzz!

- Everybody's eyes closed?

all: Yes!

- Great!

This game is called "Barking Up The Right Tree."

- When we call out a tree feature, you tell us what you feel.

Ready, bark!

- Ooh, rough.

- Smooth!

- Bumpy.

- Delicious!

- Branches!

- Leafy!

- Long!

- Pointy!

- Delicious!

- Leaves!

- Slippery!

- Huge!

- Thick!

- Delicious!

- It's weird, they're feeling the same tree parts, but they're all saying different things.

- Because every tree's different, even if they look the same.

- What's next?

I'm getting hungry for something else delicious.

[all laugh] - Oh, my.

- Well, this game is called "Making a Splash," and you have to try and make the hugest splash in the Big Pond.

- For a big splash, you need a big rock.

[grunts] [laughter] - But what if you used a littler rock, but dropped it from high up?

- Try it, Mikey.

- Yes, let's try it.

- Really?

You're not worried about it or anything?

- Well, sure, I'm--I'm--I'm worried, I'm always worried.

But you're a smart, strong, little dinosaur.

So let's give it a shot.

- Rocks away!

[laughter] - Oh, I know.

We can throw a big rock, like this one.

It's kind of muddy, though.

- What's a little mud when you're exploring nature?

Come on, Mom.

- One, two, three!

[laughter] - Our turn!

- Mom, I have an idea.

[whispers indistinctly] - Ah, I love it!

- Hey, where are they going?

both: Weeeee!

- Hooray!

- Look at them go!

- Look at that speed!

[laughter] [soft music] - Ooh!

That looks like the bee Buddy pretended to be!

Buzz!

- It's getting late, kids.

I'm afraid it's time for bed.

- [yawns] But I'm not sleepy yet.

[light screech] - We should do more Moms' camping trips.

This was the best day ever.

- I'm glad you had fun.

We did too.

- A lot of fun.

I think Mr.

Conductor would be proud.

We made a real nature connection.

- We certainly did.

And some other great connections too.

[all snoring] all: Good night, Mom.

[all snoring] - Hi, I'm Dr. Scott, the paleontologist.

Can you think of any animals you've seen sniffing around on the ground?

both: A dog.

- Right.

Dogs use their great sense of smell to find things like... - Food.

- Yeah!

And we think that tyrannosaurs also had a great sense of smell, which they used to track other animals when they were hunting.

[all sniffing] Tracking means that animals follow smells like detectives until they find where the scent is coming from.

Plenty of other animals have a great sense of smell.

For example, bears and wolves, some fishes, even moths!

In fact, most animals have a better sense of smell than humans do.

We depend mostly on our eyesight, but for many other animals, a great sense of smell is just as important as being able to see.

T. rex was probably more like a bear or a dog, relying on a great sense of smell to find its food.

Okay, keep watching for more dinosaur discoveries.

- We love playing games.

- Like "All Aboard"!

- You can play too, online, at PBSKids.org.

- And lots of other games!

- There's so much to learn about all kinds of dinosaurs.

- Go to... both: PBSKids.org.

- ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ Dinosaur Train ♪ - ♪ We're gonna ride... ♪ - ♪ Ride, ride, ride, ride ♪ [train whistle blows] - ♪ The Dinosaur Train ♪