You are in the floodplains of South America, 230 million years ago.

The air in the Late Triassic floodplain was thick, humid, and smelled of volcanic ash and lush ferns. Beneath the towering conifers, a small creature about 3 feet long moved with frantic energy. It was a Eoraptor, roughly the size of a modern small dog, standing bipedally on strong hind legs, its long tail balancing it perfectly.

You watched from the safety of a high riverbank as the Eoraptor darted through the undergrowth. Its large, dark eyes scanned the ferns, likely searching for a meal. It did not walk like the slow, crawling reptiles of the era; it ran, nimble and fast.

Suddenly, the Eoraptor stopped, its narrow, lightly-built head tilted. Its large, dark eyes focused on you with a startling intelligence—a silent, intense look of sheer curiosity.