Sahara was most dangerous place in Earth's history
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Dangerous Places - Level 4
Fossil experts found what they think is the most dangerous place in the history of Earth. It is not a crime-ridden area or a war zone. It is an area of the Sahara Desert near the Morocco-Algeria border. It was a scary place 100 million years ago. The experts said it was full of terrifying and ferocious predators, like those from Jurassic Park. They said it was the "most dangerous place in the history of planet Earth". They base this on fossils found in ancient rocks.
A professor called the research, "the most comprehensive piece of work on fossil vertebrates from the Sahara in almost a century". He said: "This place was filled with absolutely enormous fish...five times larger than today's." He said they had "fearsome" teeth. Dr Nizar Ibrahim, lead author of the report, said it was a very inhospitable place, "where a human time-traveller would not last very long". It provides "a window into Africa's age of dinosaurs".
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Dangerous Places - Level 5
Paleontologists have found what they think is the most dangerous place in the history of the Earth. It is not a crime-ridden, inner-city area or a war zone. It is an area of the Sahara Desert that 100 million years ago was a scary place. The team of fossil hunters said an area near the Morocco-Algeria border was home to terrifying and ferocious predators, like those from Jurassic Park on steroids. The paleontologists have dubbed the area as the "most dangerous place in the history of planet Earth". They base this on an array of fossils found in ancient rocks in the Sahara called the Kem Kem group.
A professor wrote about the significance of the study, calling it, "the most comprehensive piece of work on fossil vertebrates from the Sahara in almost a century". He said: "This place was filled with absolutely enormous fish...probably four or even five times larger than today's....There was an enormous freshwater saw shark...with the most fearsome of teeth." Dr Nizar Ibrahim, lead author of the report, said it was a very inhospitable place. He said it was, "a place where a human time-traveller would not last very long". He said the study provides "a window into Africa's age of dinosaurs".
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Dangerous Places - Level 6
A team of paleontologists has uncovered what they believe was the most dangerous place in the history of the Earth. It is not a crime-ridden, inner-city ghetto or a hellish war zone. It was an area of the Sahara Desert in Morocco that 100 million years ago was a scary place to be. The team of fossil hunters said an area near the Morocco-Algeria border was home to a terrifying array of ferocious predators - rather like the beasts from Jurassic Park, but on steroids. The paleontologists have dubbed the area as being the "most dangerous place in the history of planet Earth". Their claim is based on the discovery of an array of fossils found in ancient rock formations called the Kem Kem group deep in the Sahara.
Professor David Martill wrote about the significance of the study. He said: "This is the most comprehensive piece of work on fossil vertebrates from the Sahara in almost a century." He added: "This place was filled with absolutely enormous fish...probably four or even five times larger than today's....There was an enormous freshwater saw shark...with the most fearsome of teeth. They are like barbed daggers, but beautifully shiny." Dr Nizar Ibrahim, lead author of the report into the research, said it was a truly inhospitable habitat. He said it was, "a place where a human time-traveller would not last very long". He said the study provides "a window into Africa's age of dinosaurs".
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson