Nigel's plan of saving lots of extinct species from extinction is growing. Herds of sauropods, bipedal dinosaurs, Chalicotheriums, and Diprotodons have continued to live side by side peacefully. Packs of Thylacines and Thylacoleos in separated exhibits are regaining their former strength. Many of the species Nigel had already saved like Carboniferous Arthropods, T-rexes, Triceratops, and others are settling in very well.
But Nigel is now focusing on saving on of humanity's early ancestors. He shows a picture of a fossilized skeleton of an ape-like animal. "This is one of our ancestors, Australopithecus, which was on of the earliest of its kind, it was probably only as smart as chimpanzees of today and was very ape-like, except for one thing, and we don't need to explain that for now." Nigel said, as he gets ready to leave for Pliocene Africa.
As Nigel had set up a time portal, he travels through and goes into Africa some 3 million years ago. Back then, Africa looked similar, except that there are no modern humans or their man-made structures, many of today's endangered species like rhinos aren't endangered yet, so rhinos and other species are thriving, and the most unique differences from today is that there are also many extinct species living in Africa.
As Nigel saw some large Chalicotherium-like animals, which walked like today's okapis, rather than on their knuckles as the park's Chalicotheriums, Nigel knew what these animals are as he said "These are small herds of Ancylotherium, they were one of the last group of Chalicotheres, being found only in Africa. These are built more like goats than our current Chalicotheriums, and they don't walk on their knuckles as Chalicotheriums do. I'll try to come close to one to pet it." as he came close. Just like its relatives, the Chalicotheriums, Ancylotheriums showed no aggression and seem tame towards Nigel.
But as Nigel gets close to the Ancylotherium, herds of elephant-like animals charged towards towards Nigel. After the chase, Nigel sighed a relief as the elephant-like animals walked away and Nigel says "I'm pretty sure what these things were. These were elephant-like animals called Deinotheriums, which were the largest animals of the recent times, even larger than today's elephants, which is not their ancestors, since Deinotherium left no descendants alive today, but were very closely related. Unlike elephants however, Deinotheriums lacked tusks in upper jaws, instead they have two downward-facing tusks for striping bark of the trees they feed on." As the herds of Deinotheriums left the area, Nigel went on to search for the Australopithecus.
Back in the park, the staffs had brought back some species that Nigel encountered but didn't save, including a pair of Incisivosaurus, herds of Toxodons, herds of Parasaurolophuses, and a pair of Crassigyrinus (which are now living in their own swampy aquarium), with Parasaurolophuses and Incisivosauruses roaming freely in the park.
Back in Pliocene Africa, Nigel had finally found Australopithecuses, which are resting with Ancylotheriums living with them, as Nigel said "Yes, these are what we have been looking for. These apes have been known to survive in forests and open spaces as their fossils have suggested. Look at this one here." as one of them started to stand on its hind legs like a human. "This is what makes these apes unique from other apes like chimpanzees and gorillas, these apes walked upright like their descendants including humans, which allowed them to travel farther, able to see more clearer in tall grassy areas, and raising more of their young, as their locomotion changed and allowed them to walk upright, it also allowed their sex organs to adjust to their movement, which might have also allowed them to breed more frequently" Nigel said, as he set up the time portal.
But as he did, an African lion stalks and tries to kill the entire group of these Australopithecus. "Move! Hurry!" Nigel said, as he had lured Australopithecuses and Ancylotheriums with fruit they loved to eat.
Back at the portal, Nigel had saved an Australopithecus family and a herd of Ancylotherium from extinction.
Later, the Australopithecuses were located into their own exhibit, which matches that of their native habitat of their time, while the Ancylotheriums had now been released to roam freely with Chalicotherium, their closest relatives, and they are getting along for now.
Next time on Prehistoric Park, Nigel will travel back to about 220 million years ago during the beginning of the dinosaur's age to save some early dinosaurs, but also encountering some other reptiles and other species.
Animals Saved From Extinction:
11 Australopithecuses (7 males and 4 females)
7 Ancylotheriums (3 males and 4 females)