You are in the swamp forests of China, 125 million years ago.

The mist of the Early Cretaceous marsh was just lifting when you saw it, barely twenty paces away. At first, you thought it was some kind of prehistoric flightless crane, but then it turned, and the sunlight caught the long, downy proto-feathers covering its body.

It is a Beipiaosaurus. It was about seven feet long, with a surprisingly long neck for a theropod. Instead of terrifying jaws, it had a blunt beak, currently ripping into the tender shoots of a fern. Its strangest feature, however, was its arms; they were tucked slightly, revealing long, curved claws that looked designed for digging or foraging rather than tearing flesh.

It froze, sensing you, its head tilting sharply to the side—a purely bird-like movement. You held your breath, realizing this delicate creature was an herbivore, yet its sharp claws demanded respect.