=><=
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "orange")[####ZAC Investigators]
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "orange")[####and the]
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "orange")[####Case of the Dinosaur Tracks]
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "grey")[#####By David Bradshaw]
<==
When Zee finds some strange footprints in the mud down by the creek, it is up to Zac Investigations to get to the bottom of it. Who made them, and where did they come from? Is there really a dinosaur roaming around the streets? Find out, as Zee and Charlie embark on the Case of the Dinosaur Tracks.
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[[Start->Saturday]]
(set: $br to "
")
It was a sunny Saturday morning, and Zee and Charlie were out playing in the park near the school. It was one of their favorite places to play. Actually, they had a lot of favorite places to play.
Charlie was climbing on the giant spider web. "Zee!" he called out. "Look at me, I'm almost at the top!" There was no answer. Charlie looked around and could not see his sister anywhere. He was going to keep playing but he remembered that their parents said they had to stay together. Mummy did not like them to wander off alone.
"Zee!" Charlie called again. "Where are you?" Still there was no answer. Charlie was starting to get a little worried as he climbed back down the web. He was going to tell his sister off for going away by herself.
------
* [[Continue.->Intro-02]]Suddenly Zee came running towards him from the direction of the creek. Her face was flushed with excitement. "Charlie! You're never going to believe this. I found some dinosaur tracks!"
"Where have you been?" demanded Charlie as he climbed down from the web.
"Over by the creek. I was looking for those cute little ducklings we saw the other day, but then I saw some strange footprints in the soft ground. It looks like a dinosaur!"
"Are you sure it's not just a duck?"
"No, don't be silly," said Zee. "Whatever made those footprints is huge. Bigger than Daddy, for sure."
------
* [[Continue.->Intro-03]]"We need to find those tracks quickly," said Zee. She knew that the longer it took them to get to the scene, the more chance that the evidence would be lost. "Remember part of being a super investigator is that we don't disturb the evidence by walking all over it. We have to be careful when we get there and keep our eyes open."
"And we always look for what the evidence tells us. That's the way we solve cases. Oh, I do hope nobody has walked over the tracks," said Charlie.
When they arrived they were puffing from exertion but very excited. "Over here!" yelled Zee.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-02]]
(set: $clue0 = 0)
(set: $clue1 = 0)
(set: $clue2 = 0)
(set: $clue3 = 0)
(set: $clue4 = 0)
(set: $br to "
")
"The library has all sorts of books on dinosaurs," said Charlie. "We should go there and find some that show us what their footprints look like. Then we would know if it really is a dinosaur." The library was not far away, just on the other side of the shops. They started walking.
Zee nodded. "And they might even tell us what kind of habitat they live in, so we would know where to find it. It would be amazing if there was a real dinosaur living right here in our creek. Then again, it might not be a dinosaur. There might be other kinds of animals that have footprints like that."
"The library would have books about those too," agreed Charlie. "And we could look on the Internet. There's all sorts of information on the Internet."
In no time at all the children had arrived at the library.
------
* [[Continue.->Library-02]]
(set: $library1 to 0)
(set: $library2 to 0)
(set: $library3 to 0)Zee led Charlie to the place where she had found the tracks. It had rained yesterday afternoon and made the ground soft, but the morning sun was quickly drying out the earth. "Look, the rain has already dried up. We're not even leaving any footprints. So that means that those tracks must have been made yesterday when the ground was still very soft."
"Or they could have been made this morning by something very heavy," added Charlie.
"Good point," said Zee. "Take a look at those prints. It's certainly not a duck."
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-03]]
(set: $clue0 = 1)Zee and Charlie headed into the library. Their school did not have its own library, so instead whenever they had library lessons the teachers took the children over to the local library. That meant that Zee and Charlie had no trouble finding their way around because they came here often. There were of course many books, and also computers at desks with tall swivel chairs, a printing station with a photocopier, an information desk, some board games, and sports equipment.
"I'll use the computers to search the Internet for websites about dinosaurs," said Zee. "I always bring my library card with me just in case."
"And I'll look in the catalogue to see what books they have here," said Charlie.
-----
* [[Search the Internet for dinosaur webpages.->Library04a-01]]
* [[Look at dinosaur books in the library.->Library04b-01]]Charlie updated his notebook with the clues they had found so far.
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "orange") [ {
(set: $text0 to "* The creature left the tracks after it rained yesterday.")
(set: $text1 to "* The creature has big feet with flat heels.")
(set: $text2 to "* Nobody saw the creature here early in the morning.")
(set: $text3 to "* The creature was heading towards the bridge.")
(set: $text4 to "* The creature has three toes that end in points.")
}
{
(if: $clue0 is 1)[ (link: "...$br")[$text0(set:$clue0 to 2)] ](if: $clue0 is 2)[$text0]
(if: $clue1 is 1)[ (link: "...$br")[$text1(set:$clue1 to 2)] ](if: $clue1 is 2)[$text1]
(if: $clue2 is 1)[ (link: "...$br")[$text2(set:$clue2 to 2)] ](if: $clue2 is 2)[$text2]
(if: $clue3 is 1)[ (link: "...$br")[$text3(set:$clue3 to 2)] ](if: $clue3 is 2)[$text3]
(if: $clue4 is 1)[ (link: "...$br")[$text4(set:$clue4 to 2)] ](if: $clue4 is 2)[$text4]
} ]
"What shall we do now?" asked Zee.
------
(if: $clue1 is 0)[ * [[Study the strange tracks some more.->Creek-04a-01]]
](if: $clue2 is 0)[ * [[Ask around if anybody saw what made the tracks.->Creek-04b-01]]
](if: $clue1 >= 1 and $clue3 is 0)[ * [[Follow the tracks to see where they lead.->Creek-04c-01]]
](if: $clue3 >= 1 and $clue4 is 0)[ * [[Search under the bridge.->Creek-04d-01]]
](if: $clue4 >= 1)[ * [[Go to the library to find out about dinosaur footprints.->Library-01]] ]Charlie had forgotten all about telling his sister off for wandering away by herself. Now he was excited. "Well, this looks like a case for ZAC Investigators."
"Yay!" cheered Zee. "We'll call it the 'Case of the Dinosaur Tracks'."
"Well, we don't know yet that they are actually dinosaurs."
Zee pulled at her brother's arm. "Let's go and check them out. You'll see."
Charlie hesitated. "Maybe we should do some research first on dinosaurs and animal tracks, then we'll know what to look for."
------
* [[Run over to the creek straight away to check out the strange tracks. ->Creek-01]]
* [[Head to the library first to find out more about dinosaurs. ->Library-01]]Zee asked a couple of joggers and some boys playing with a frisbee, but none of them had seen a dinosaur by the creek. The boys playing frisbee said they had been here all morning and had not seen any dinosaurs.
Then she saw a man walking quickly towards her with his hand held to the side of his face. Zee could tell immediately from his skin and facial features that he was from India.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-04b-02]]
"Let's follow the tracks to see where the dinosaur went," said Zee. "It's just like the movies. Maybe we'll find the dinosaur's home. Do dinosaurs live in caves, or do they make nests like birds?"
Charlie didn't know either. "We'll be the first to find out. We could be famous. And mummy could come and take a photo of us in the dinosaur's cave, or nest, or wherever they live." Mummy liked taking photos.
"Be careful not to step on the tracks and ruin them," said Zee.
"Right," agreed Charlie.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-04c-02]]"Excuse me, have you seen any dinosaurs around here?" asked Zee politely.
"Yeah, yeah, I saw one at the shops," said the man.
Zee was excited. "Really? There's one at the shops too?"
The man continued, "Sure, I'll pick one up for you when I get some milk on the way home."
"Milk? But I don't need any..." Her voice trailed off as the man walked straight past without even looking at her. It was than that Zee realised he was talking to somebody else on his mobile phone.
Starting to feel a bit discouraged, Zee headed back to find Charlie.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-03]]
(set: $clue2 to 1)The two children bent down close to the ground and started following the tracks. They had seen a movie once about some Indigenous trackers who had helped the police to find people who had become lost in the Northern Territory. They copied the trackers from the movie.
The tracks in the soft ground near the creek were fairly easy to make out because most people stayed up on the path. They started near the school and followed the footprints towards the bridge. The creature's footprints disappeared when it reached the gravel path.
"Oh no," said Zee. "We've lost the tracks when the dinosaur went onto the path. How will we find it now?"
"It looks like it went onto that path that goes under the bridge," surmised Charlie.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-03]]
(set: $clue3 to 1)"Let's look around under the bridge," said Charlie. "Maybe the dinosaur is still here."
They searched all around the area. There were paths on both sides of the creek to go under the bridge. The shade was a welcome relief from the warm sun. All this investigating certainly was tiring.
------
* [[Continue.->Creek-04d-02]](if: $library2 is 1)[ Meanwhile, ]Zee found a computer that wasn't being used and logged on using her library card. The library computers had a timer that made them log off after one hour, so Zee knew she needed to use her time wisely. There was so much information on the Internet that the problem was finding what she wanted amongst all the possible websites.
She opened a search engine and typed in "dinosaurs".
The search screen said "About 15,200,00 results." That was more than fifteen million websites. "I'll never be able to read all those websites," thought Zee. "I need to try something else."
------
* [[Continue.->Library04a-02]](if: $library1 is 1)[ Meanwhile, ]Charlie went to the computer catalogue and searched for dinosaurs. There were hundreds of books about dinosaurs. He scanned through some of the entries:
* Looking at Protoceratops : a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period
* Dinosaur Bob and his adventures with the family Lazardo
* Dragons, dinosaurs, monster poems
* Dinosaur detectives
* Oh say can you say di-no-saur?
There were plenty of books to choose from, but Charlie could see that many of them were kid's books. Zee and Charlie were Investigators so kid's books would not do, even though kid's books had more interesting pictures. He decided that he needed to find something else.
------
* [[Continue.->Library04b-02]]The children got together to talk about what they had found.
Zee told Charlie about //paleontology// and //ichnology//, and Charlie told Zee about crocodiles and komodo dragons. (if: $clue4 is 0)[They had each found some pictures of footprints, but they didn't have anything with which to compare them.
"We need to find a really good footprint and take a copy of it," said Charlie. "Then we can compare it properly to these pictures."](else:)[They had each found some pictures of footprints, but they were not allowed to take them out of the library to compare with the footprint they had found at the creek.
"We need to make a copy of that footprint we found under the bridge," said Charlie. "Then we can compare it properly to these pictures."]
"You're right," agreed Zee. "But how do we do that?"
------
* [[Continue.->Library06]]Charlie went to the reference section and found an encyclopedia. He took out the volume labelled "D". It was very thick, and very heavy. He flipped through until he found the heading "Dinosaur." It was fascinating, even though he did not know what all the words meant. He found one section particularly useful.
//The name dinosaur comes from the Greek for "terrible lizard," and the term actually includes those vertebrates of the class Reptilia, subclass Archosauria ("ruling reptiles"), which also includes crocodiles and pterosauria.//
The encyclopedia said that dinosaurs were extinct, that is, they all died many years ago. Pterosaurs were also extinct, but crocodiles were still alive. Charlie wondered whether it might be a crocodile, not a dinosaur, that made the footprint. He had seen documentaries on the television about crocodiles, and he knew that they had strong jaws and big teeth. He wasn't too happy about the thought of a crocodile hiding in their creek.
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* [[Continue.->Library04b-03]]Then Charlie had another thought. Maybe there were other kinds of big lizards still alive that had similar feet. He did some more searching and found a book with a picture of a Komodo Dragon, which was a huge lizard that lived in Indonesia. The book said that the same kind of big lizards had lived in Australia a long time ago, so he wondered if maybe one of them was still alive and living in the creek.
By this time Charlie was getting tired of reading and needed to stretch his legs, so he put all the books back on the shelf and went to find Zee.
------
(if: $library1 is 0)[ * [[Meanwhile...->Library04a-01]]
](else:)[ * [[Meet up to compare notes.->Library05]]
](set: $library2 to 1)She typed "dinosaur footprints" in the search engine.
The results said "About 400,000 results." That was better but still an awful lot to read. Zee looked through some of the search results. There were some fascinating pictures showing footprints and the dinosaurs that made them. She found a webpage about dinosaur footprints that some people found in Western Australia.
//The existence of dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point, near Broome in Western Australia, has been known (to western science at least) since 1952, although the first detailed published report was not until 1967 with the naming of Megalosauropus broomensis, based on theropod prints 53 cm in length.//
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* [[Continue.->Library04a-03]]Zee giggled when she saw that they had named the dinosaur after the place it was found. She wondered whether she and Charlie would get a webpage about their dinosaur. They could name the dinosaur //Megasaurus Mawsonlaksis//. That would be fun.
By this time Zee could see that the timer on the computer had almost expired. Even though she didn't understand all of the words, she had learned some interesting things. "Paleontology" was about dinosaurs and other animals that lived a long time ago. "Ichnology" was about footprints. People studied these things at university for years and years to be able to identify dinosaur footprints properly, but she only had five minutes left. She quickly looked at a few more pictures of dinosaur footprints and then logged out.
------
(if: $library2 is 0)[ * [[Meanwhile...->Library04b-01]]
](else:)[ * [[Meet up to compare notes.->Library05]]
](set: $library1 to 1)Just then one of the librarians walked past. She was a friendly young lady who sometimes helped the children to find books for their school projects. "You kids look like you've been busy today," she said.
"We're researching dinosaur tracks," said Zee.
"But we don't know how to make a copy of one," said Charlie.
"Oh, do you mean like the Plaster of Paris footprints that they have at the museum?" asked the librarian.
"That's it!" said Zee and Charlie in unison. They thanked the lady and raced out of the library.
------
* [[Continue ->Library07a]]The children stopped off at the shops on the way back to the creek. The craft shop had both Plaster of Paris and modelling clay.
Zee beamed. "We can use the modelling clay make a mould of the footprints, and then set it in the plaster of Paris. That will give us a perfect copy."
Zee and Charlie ran towards the creek with the clay and plaster.
------
(if: $clue4 is 1)[ * [[Continue ->Mould-01]]
](else:)[ * [[Continue ->Creek-01]] ]
(set: $library3 to 1)Thankful for the cool shade under the bridge, the children took out the modelling clay. They gently pressed it into the dinosaur print in the mud, making sure that they massaged the clay all the way into the corners and crevases. The process had to be done carefully so that they did not ruin the footprint while they were doing it.
Finally they were finished. Charlie poked some sticks into the clay and they used them to lift it out of the footprint intact. Zee slid a shopping bag underneath.
The modelling clay was in the exact shape of the dinosaur footprint.
"We did it, we did it!" said Zee, doing a little dance.
"That's teamwork. We had better get back home so we can make our plaster cast. Besides, I'm getting hungry. It must be lunch time by now."
------
* [[Go home.->Mould-02]]Zee and Charlie arrived back home with the clay mould still intact. They sat down to lunch with Mummy and Daddy and told them all about their adventures. Mum said she was proud of them for sticking together, and Dad said he was proud of them for being so clever. The children told their parents how they were going to make a plaster cast of the footprint.
"Daddy, can we take the plaster cast to the museum tomorrow and compare it to the dinosaur footprints?" asked Charlie.
"Yes Daddy, please," chimed in Zee. "The museum is even better than looking at books. We can see the real thing."
------
* [[Continue.->Mould-03]]Daddy looked at Mummy, who smiled. "Yes, we can do that. If --" Daddy held up a finger. "If you do all your chores this afternoon without whining. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time while you wait for the plaster to set."
"Oh yes, we promise we won't whine. You're the best!"
"Are you all ready for the performance on Monday night?" asked Daddy.
Zee nodded. "We had a practice on Friday afternoon."
"We get to dress up as sailors," said Charlie.
"We're looking forward to seeing you dance," said Mummy.
------
* [[Continue.->Mould-04]]After lunch the children headed to ZAC HQ, which was in the garage. It was here that they stored all their equipment and kept the case notes for the cases they had investigated. They worked busily through the afternoon with the plaster of Paris, setting the modelling clay in a shallow plastic container and then pouring the plaster over it. It was hot in the garage, so they took turns taking trips to the kitchen for iced water. Mummy even gave them some home-made muffins.
With the plaster in place, they set to work on their chores around the house while it set. It would take all night to dry enough to take it out without breaking it. They didn't whine at all about their jobs, and they were finished in no time at all. When Mummy called them to dinner and then to bed, they were exhausted but happy.
"I can't wait to go to the museum tomorrow," said Zee.
------
* [[Continue.->Sunday]]After church on Sunday morning, Mummy and Daddy took the whole family into the city to visit the museum, just as they had promised. Daddy parked the car by the river and they walked through the university and up the big flight of stairs.
The plaster cast of the dinosaur footprint had turned out beautifully. It was nice and hard after drying overnight. Charlie carried the plaster cast in a box, and boy was it heavy. By the time they reached the museum he thought his arms were about to fall off.
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* [[Continue ->Museum-02]]
(set: $museum1 to 0)
(set: $museum2 to 0)A nice young man greeted them at the museum information desk. Charlie plonked the boxed down on a bench with a groan.
"Would you please tell us where the //patonogy// department is?" Zee asked.
The man looked confused for a moment, until Daddy chimed in. "She means the //paleontology// department."
Zee nodded. "Yes, the //pal-eon-tol-ogy// department. The one with the dinosaurs. We found some footprints that look like dinosaur tracks and we made a clay mould and turned it into a plaster cast so we can find out what kind of dinosaur it is."
The man looked impressed. "Do you mind if I have a look?"
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* [[Continue ->Museum-03]]Charlie opened the box. "Or it might not be a dinosaur. It could be a crocodile or even a komodo dragon. We want to compare it to the animals here in the museum."
"That's one mighty fine specimen you have there," said the man. "If you go down that hall on the left, it will take you to the paleontology department. There are all sorts of dinosaurs there, and each one has a plaque showing its footprint. You could see if you can match them up to the footprint you have there."
Mummy nodded and said, "You go ahead, we'll meet you there."
"Thank you!" said Zee and Charlie together as they ran off.
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* [[Continue ->Museum-04]]Daddy smiled at the man. "You know, they'd be absolutely thrilled if a real paleontologist had a spare minute to look at their specimen."
"I'll see what I can do," said the man, as Mummy and Daddy walked down the hall to catch up with the children.
------
* [[Look at the dinosaurs.->Museum-05]]
* [[Look at the reptiles.->Museum-06]]There were pictures of all kinds of dinosaurs in the paleontology department of the museum. Little dinosaurs the size of a chicken, dinosaurs that swam, dinosaurs that flew, and huge dinosaurs as big as a house. Each skeleton on display had a plaque next to it with information about the dinosaur's height, weight, habitat, and footprint.
Zee and Charlie compared their plaster cast to all of the plaques in the room, but it did not match any of them. They were having too much fun to be disappointed though.
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(if: $museum2 is 0)[ * [[Look at the reptiles.->Museum-06]]
][ * [[Meet up with Mummy and Daddy.->Paleon-01]] ]
(set: $museum1 to 1)The reptiles department was close by the paleontology department. The room was filled with stuffed snakes and lizards. A big crocodile took up most of one wall. Both Zee and Charlie hoped that there were no crocodiles living in the creek back home, because this one looked very big and very scary. The information panel next to the display had a map. The map showed that in Australia the crocodiles lived mostly up north, and did not go down south. Charlie was relieved.
There were no komodo dragons in the museum so Charlie could not compare the plaster cast to a komodo dragon footprint. Still, there were plenty of other interesting reptiles to look at and the time flew by as they went from one display to the next.
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(if: $museum1 is 0)[ * [[Look at the dinosaurs.->Museum-05]]
][ * [[Meet up with Mummy and Daddy.->Paleon-01]] ]
(set: $museum2 to 1)The children met up with their parents again once they had finished looking. An older lady was chatting with them, and she smiled at the children as they approached.
"There's somebody here to meet you," said Mummy. "This is Professor Tate, she's a paleontologist, somebody who studies dinosaurs."
"And you must be Zee and Charlie. Your parents have told me all about your research. It's wonderful to meet children like you who are so inquisitive."
"Did you have to go to school for a long time to be a Professor?" asked Charlie.
Professor Tate chuckled. "Oh yes, a very long time. And I learned so many interesting things. Now, your parents told me that you've brought in the cast of a footprint."
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* [[Continue ->Paleon-02]]"Yes, ma'am," said Zee. "We've been trying to match it to the dinosaurs here so we can figure out what kind it is."
"Let's take a look then," said the Professor. She took a pair of glasses from a delicate chain around her neck and put them on. Bending down, she examined the plaster cast for a long time, tapping it and poking it with the end of a pen. "Now this is some fine field work. You've outdone yourselves."
"Is it an allosaurus?" asked Zee.
"Is it a komodo dragon?" asked Charlie.
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* [[Continue ->Paleon-04]]"Hmm, I'm pretty sure it's neither of those."
"If it was an allosaurus it would have much longer toes and sharp claws. We've found several different allosaurs, but most of them lived in North America about 150 million years ago. That's quite a long time. They did walk on two feet though, just like I suspect your specimen does."
"If it was a komodo dragon it would have a little toe on the side and a funny looking pad on its heel. Komodo dragons live in Indonesia, which is not quite so far away as North America, and they are still alive today, but they walk on four feet and you would have noticed distinctive swishes from the tail."
"So what is it?" asked the children. "Please tell us."
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* [[Continue ->Paleon-05]]"Tell me, what have you discovered about the creature so far?" asked the Professor.
"Well, we worked out that it is not very heavy, because it didn't sink far into the mud when it was wet. It presses more on the heel when it walks because that part was deeper in the mud," said Zee.
"And we can't find any footprints here that match it," added Charlie.
"That's some good detective work. I believe you are correct," said the Professor. "I can say for certain that it's not from any of the dinosaurs in this museum. I should know, I've been here a very long time."
"What is it then?" asked Charlie.
------
* [[Continue ->Paleon-06]]"Judging from this cast and what you've told me, whatever made this footprint weighs somewhere around 25 kilograms, give or take a bit. It walks on two feet, so it's a biped not a quadruped, and I'd say it stands, oh, just a bit smaller than you, Zee."
"Wow! You can tell all that just from one footprint?"
"It's amazing what you can discover about an animal when you know what to look for, and you make a few educated guesses. Now, here's a mystery, and I'm not going to tell you the answer. You have to figure it out for yourselves. Normally we'd expect an animal with a footprint this big to be very large, maybe even as big as a ceratosaurus. But the creature you're looking for is nowhere near that size. So why would there be such a large footprint on a small animal?"
"Won't you tell us?" asked the children.
------
* [[Continue ->Paleon-07]]The Professor smiled again. "That's for you to figure out. With such smart brains on the case, I know you'll have it figured out in no time. Keep your eyes open and your brains thinking. Now, I had better get back to work. It's been a pleasure to meet you children. You've really made my day."
"It's great to meet you too," said Charlie.
"Thank you so much for you help," said Zee.
Zee and Charlie talked incessantly all the way back to the car about the museum and what Professor Tate had said. They tried to come up with answers to the Professor's question, but to no avail.
------
* [[Go home.->Notes-01]]When they arrived home the children went straight to ZAC HQ to write up their case notes. The notes included a page about the dinosaur they were trying to find, using the scientific names that they had found in their research at the library.
(font: "segoe print") + (text-colour: "orange") [* Name: (link: "...")[//Megasaurus Mawsonlaksis//]
* Order: (link: "...")[//Dinosauria//]
* Class: (link: "...")[//Reptilia//]
* Height: (link: "...")[Approx 1.2 m]
* Weight: (link: "...")[Approx 25 kg]
* Movement: (link: "...")[Biped (link: "...")[(walks on two feet)] ]
* Habitat: (link: "...")[Lives under the bridge near the creek]
* Features: (link: "...")[Large footprint compared to body size]
]
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* [[Continue.->Notes-02]]They traced the footprint onto a large sheet of paper and included it with the case notes, along with the other details of how they found it and the investigations they had done so far. Then they each drew a picture of what the dinosaur might look like. The encyclopedia had called these "artist impressions."
Once they were all done, they put the case notes in a manilla folder and put the folder in their filing cabinet.
"I've had so much fun today, but we haven't solved the case," said Zee.
"I know," agreed Charlie. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open in case the dinosaur turns up again."
------
* [[Continue.->Monday]]In the morning the children walked to school with their mother as usual. "Can we go along the creek instead of the main road, please Mummy?" asked Zee. "Just in case the dinosaur is there again."
"All right," replied Mummy.
They did not see the dinosaur on the way to school, and during school time they were not allowed to go past the path that marked the boundary of the school.
When they told their classmates about what they had done on the weekend, the other kids didn't believe that they had found a dinosaur footprint and they didn't believe that they had talked to a real paleontologist at the musuem. Zee and Charlie didn't mind though, because they knew what they said was true.
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* [[Continue.->School-02]]Soon the children had forgotten about the dinosaur because they were busy getting ready for the school play that evening. Each class had to dress up and do a dance or a short skit.
Zee and Charlie's class were dressed up as sailors to do a dance while other kids dressed as birds flew around them. In the afternoon they had their final rehearsal, and then went home early because they were all coming back later that evening to do the grand performance for their parents.
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* [[Later that evening...->School-03]]Later that evening, Zee and Charlie sat with their parents in the audience while the younger grades did their performances first. There was a group of butterflies doing a dance, then some kids playing in an orchestra with oversized cardboard instruments. The next act started with a pair of tigers followed by a kid wearing a green costume.
Charlie nudged Zee. She saw it too. The green costume had big floppy feet with three toes, and they were stained brown with dried mud.
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* [[Continue.->School-04]]"It's //Megasaurus Mawsonlaksis//!" said Zee and Charlie in unison.
The two children laughed. "All this time we thought it was a dinosaur," said Zee.
"Well, it is a dinosaur, of sorts," said Charlie.
Just then the green dinosaur tripped over on his big floppy feet and sprawled on the stage. A few people in the audience giggled, and some of the other kids pointed and laughed. The dinosaur started crying and ran off the stage in tears. More people laughed.
"Oh, that poor kid," said Mummy. "That's terrible." Mummy never laughed at people when they hurt themselves.
------
* [[Continue.->Search-01]]The tigers continued their dance without the dinosaur, and at the end of their act it was time for Zee and Charlie's class to get ready because it was their turn soon. They headed over behind the stage with the rest of their class to change into their costumes.
The side room was packed with children and parents and teachers, rushing this way that that. The tigers coming off stage collided with a trio of piglets trying to get on stage. It was mayhem.
Amongst the chaos a mother pushed through the crowd calling out, "Toby! Toby! Where are you?"
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* [[Continue.->Search-02a]]
(set: $search1 to 0)
(set: $search2 to 0)
(set: $search3 to 0)The frantic lady grabbed a teacher and Zee overheard her saying, "Have you seen Toby? He's wearing the green dinosaur costume."
The teacher shook his head, and went to ask two more teachers. Soon there were half a dozen teachers in a huddle trying to work out where Toby had gone. His mother looked more and more worried by the minute.
"They're looking for the dinosaur kid," said Zee. "We should help them find him."
"You're right," said Charlie. "Let's have a look around."
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* [[Search the classrooms.->Search-03a-01]]
* [[Search the carpark.->Search-03d-01]]The classrooms were not far from the school hall. They were all locked up and dark inside. Zee and Charlie searched around each building calling for Toby but there was no answer.
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* [[Continue.->Search-02b]]
(set: $search1 to 1)The park was close by, so the children ran across to check for Toby. "Maybe he came here to play on the play equipment," mused Zee.
Toby was not at the playground, nor at the tennis courts, nor at the oval.
"Let's head back," said Charlie. "Obviously we're not looking in the right place."
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* [[Continue.->Search-02b]]
(set: $search3 to 1)"Under the bridge!" said Zee and Charlie in unison.
"Where else would we find //Megasaurus Mawsonlaksis//?" asked Zee.
"It's all right there in our case notes," said Charlie.
The two children raced across the park, past the playground to the creek on the other side. They slowed as they approached the bridge. They could hear the sound of a young boy crying.
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* [[Continue.->Search-04]]Zee led the way to the carpark. It was full of cars, with even more cars parked in the street. One of the teachers was on duty watching over the carpark. "Excuse me, have you seen Toby come this way?" asked Charlie. "He's dressed as a green dinosaur."
"No, I haven't seen him. Is he missing?"
"Yes. He ran off during the performance and now his parents can't find him anywhere. All the teachers are looking for him."
"I'll stay here and keep an eye out for him. Thanks for letting me know, Charlie. I'll bring him straight back if he comes this way."
"We have to try somewhere else," said Zee.
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* [[Continue.->Search-02b]]
(set: $search2 to 1)"We can't just keep searching randomly," said Charlie. "We need to think about this and come up with a plan. If we knew why he ran off we could figure out where he would have gone."
"Well, if I fell over and those people laughed at me, I'd run and hide somewhere far away," replied Zee.
"That's it!" said Charlie. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Zee nodded. "Stay here for a second, Zee. I'll tell Daddy where we're going, otherwise they'll get worried and start looking for us too."
Charlie returned a few moments later. "Ok, let's go!"
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(if: $search1 is 0)[ * [[Search the classrooms.->Search-03a-01]]
](if: $search2 is 0)[ * [[Search the carpark.->Search-03d-01]]
](if: $search3 is 0)[ * [[Search the park.->Search-03b-01]]
][ * [[Search the bridge.->Search-03c-01]] ]
"Are you alright, Toby?" asked Zee. The boy kept wimpering.
"I'm Zee, and this is Charlie. We thought you did really well tonight."
The boy's words came out in a rush. "I hate this costume. I hate these feet. I always trip over and everyone laughs at me. It's not fair. Why do I have to be a dinosaur? Mikhael got to be a tiger."
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* [[Continue.->Search-05]]"We think you make an excellent dinosaur. In fact, I saw one of your footprints the other day and thought it was a real dinosaur footprint," said Zee.
"Really?"
"For sure."
"You thought I was a real dinosaur?" asked Toby. He gave his best immitation of a dinosaur a roar.
"The best kind," agreed Charlie. "Let's go and show your Mum what a great dinosaur you are."
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* [[Later that night...->Search-06]]Later that night Mummy and Daddy put Zee and Charlie to bed.
"We're very proud of you for what you did tonight," said Mummy. "You helped to find that missing boy and bring him back to his parents."
"And you used your brains to solve the mystery of the dinosaur tracks," added Daddy. "You know your Mum and I love you very much, and we think you're wonderful."
"I love you too," said Charlie.
"Me too," said Zee. "This is the best day ever."
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* [[Continue.->End-01]]The footprints were indeed large, as far across as two hands stretched out. The heel was wide and flat, and left a clear imprint. The imprint of the toes was smudged and hard to make out.
"Hmm," said Charlie. "These are definitely interesting, but with the grass here it's hard to make them out properly. It would be great if we could find some clearer prints."
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* [[Continue.->Creek-03]]
(set: $clue1 to 1)"Look over here," called out Zee. Right under the middle of the bridge, near the edge of the water, was a clear dinosaur print in the mud. The mud had already started to dry as the water receded from the recent rains.
They children could clearly make out the rounded heel pressed firmly into the mud. There was also the fainter imprint of three toes which ended in points.
"Wow!" exclaimed Charlie. "This is a superb footprint. We should be able to use this to identify what kind of animal it is."
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(if: $library3 is 0)[ * [[Continue.->Creek-03]]
](else:)[ * [[ Use the modeling clay to make a copy.->Mould-01]] ]
(set: $clue4 to 1)
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[[The End->Title]]
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**[[Saturday->Intro-01]]**
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**[[Sunday->Museum-01]]**
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**[[Monday->School-01]]**