A Complete Guide to the Species of Prehistoric Planet: Season 2, Episode 5: North America

Has the sheer volume of species featured in Prehistoric Planet been overwhelming? Have names like Quetzalcoatlus, Xiphactinus, and Hatzegopteryx left you (or a loved one) confused? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this five-part series, I will be cataloguing the various species of Prehistoric Planet in order of their appearance in the show. Today’s article will list the dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals featured in episode 5, North America. Without further ado, let’s get this party started!

Alamosaurus: The biggest dinosaur on the continent during the Late Cretaceous, a herd of Alamosaurus are seen traversing the beaches of North America. While I was hoping for a Tyrannosaurus-Alamosaurus-Quetzalcoatlus cage match, seeing the three species alongside each other is more than a suitable consolation prize.

Unknown Troodontids (Stenonychosaurus?): These small predators may have been the first to reach the dead Alamosaurus, but they certainly weren’t the last. At least they could use Tyrannosaurus rex as a prehistoric can opener!

Tyrannosaurus Rex: The tyrant king of the dinosaurs gets upstaged in today’s episode over the carcass of the Alamosaurus. While many online have been offended that T. rex could ever lose a fight to another animal, its defeat at the hands of a Quetzalcoatlus pair felt realistic and not outlandish at all.

Quetzalcoatlus: Anyone who has had to deal with seagulls at the beach can empathize with the pain T. rex goes through at the hands of Quetzalcoatlus. Instead of being courteous and waiting for the T. rex to finish its meal, these giant pterosaurs steal the carcass by honking, pecking, and flapping. After second thought, perhaps they behave less like seagulls and more like the dreaded…Canadian Goose *shudders in Canadian*.

Globidens: One of many mosasaurs in the North American seas, Globidens is shown pursuing a buffet of Sphenodiscus ammonites in the Gulf of Mexico. Globidens is famous for its oddly rounded teeth associated with ammonite predation – something seen in today’s episode.

Sphenodiscus: While these ammonites manage to put on some evasive maneuvers, Globidens proves too fearsome for many individuals. But do not fret; Sphenodiscus fossils are common and found across the world, meaning the loss of a few wouldn’t have been too devastating for the population.  

Styginetta: An early species of waterfowl, these flamingo-like birds are known from North America’s infamous Hell Creek formation. While I appreciate the appearance of some bizarre ancient birds, I would have loved to see even more birds throughout the second season.

Pectinodon: Father and children Pectinodon dinosaurs are shown hunting along the shores of a toxic lake. While their father hunts after the Styginetta, baby Pectinodon hunt after the swarms of insects at the lake, subtly demonstrating a humorous form of niche partitioning within the species.

Triceratops: The most famous ceratopsian, groups of male Triceratops congregate to fight for the right to mate. The winning male’s gargantuan horns are a callback to Yoshi’s Trike, a subadult Triceratops with some of the largest horns known to science. The loser calls back to Walking with Dinosaurs, where a similar duel between Torosaurus results in the loser missing a large portion of his horn like the Triceratops.

Ornithomimus: It’s impressive how the comb-over of Ornithomimus remains perfect even after being chased by Nanuqsaurus. These dinosaurs lived up to their namesake, being able to run at blistering speeds that put every other dinosaur to shame.

Nanuqsaurus: Despite its relative pygmy status (for a Tyrannosaur, at least), Nanuqsaurus makes up for it with its ferocity. In season one, a pack of Nanuqsaurus successfully took down the ceratopsian Pachycephalosaurus; in this season, a mother takes down an Ornithomimus (albeit on two attempts). Her babies provide a rare instance where babies aren’t murdered in the series, a fitting end for the series’ second season. 

Thank you for reading today’s article and the Prehistoric Planet Species List! If you want to read more about Prehistoric Planet, including my official review of the second season and earlier parts of the species guide, I suggest you check out the following link!

I do not take credit for any images found in this article. All images are credited to Apple TV