If you’re not a parent or have kids in your life, then perhaps you’re not aware of a show on PBS Kids called, Dinosaur Train. The show is about a family of Pteranodons who at some point adopted a Tyrannasaurus Rex egg and are raising him as their own. As Buddy the T. Rex notices differences between himself and his family, they decide to go for a ride on a time-traveling train system called the “Dinosaur Train” to learn more about different kinds of dinosaurs.
It’s an educational and fun family show. (Keep that in mind as we delve into the darkness of my mind)
But, as a nerd, I have long-since been formulating theories about how the show would all fit together. There’s a lot going on here, but I think I’ve finally figured it all out.
So, if you’re not ready for a post about time-traveling dinosaurs and a fan-theory about a children’s show… turn back now.
For the rest of you nerds… Let’s take a ride on the dinosaur train!
The Start of the Problem: Love
In the Star Wars universe, the Jedi’s strayed away from love thinking that it only caused problems. Similarly, dinosaurs of different species probably should also stray away from it. In Dinosaur Train, they seem to be building a case for a romantic relationship between the T. Rex, Buddy, and Pteranodon sister, Tiny. The idea seems cute in the context of the show and that they’re all kids…
But let’s follow the logic of the show. Tiny and Buddy begin a relationship. As they grow up, Buddy’s carnivorous appetite grows as does his size. Sure, he tries to contain it and continue eating carrion (dead animals/flesh). Perhaps even Tiny starts to help Buddy find this carrion (a la Little Shop of Horrors)… eventually though, all hell is going to break loose.
In my estimation, Buddy will eventually lose his bananas and eat Tiny, and—let’s face it—probably Don too. But Buddy will feel awful about it afterward.
Shame, Time Travel and the Future
In his shame, he’ll hop on the Dinosaur Train where he’ll meet up with a herd of Tyrannosaurs in Rexville. There he’ll hook up with Annie the T. Rex who he met when he learned what kind of dinosaur he was. (S01, E07: I’m a T. Rex!). This would put him in the late Cretaceous time period, which would is a few million years in the future from Pteranodon Terrace (home of the Pteranodon Family).
Buddy won’t tell Annie what happened, but they will become a family together, and never speak of it again.
So, here Buddy and Annie are, happily living as a family. Buddy tries hard not to think about the murders in his past. He thinks back often to his time with the Pteranodon family. How great of parents they were. And one day… Annie lays some eggs. Buddy hopes to be a good father to his children.
But, as they are in the late Cretaceous period… trouble falls from the sky. A meteorite crashes into the earth, not far away from Rexville (Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction event). Annie and Buddy are hurt. Annie dies from her injuries. Buddy manages to save one egg from their nest. He rushes to the Dinosaur Train and leaves just in time through the time tunnel before the train is destroyed.
Buddy’s wound is fatal, so he knows he won’t be able to care for the child. There’s only one family he could possibly trust with his child… The Pteranodons.
Having no idea what the date actually is, Buddy sneaks the egg into Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon’s nest late at night… and falls into the sea below… dead.
The End is the Beginning
Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon wake up the next morning to find a mysterious egg next to their three eggs. After a conversation, they decide that no matter what, they will love the baby that comes from the egg as their own. It was obviously placed there for a reason.
When the eggs hatch, three young Pteranodons, so does one T. Rex… who they name Buddy. And so the cycle begins all over again.
WOAHHHHH!!! Mind officially blown. I read the article about the Dark side of the dinosaur train but I just thought that Mrs. Pteranodon was too good of a person to snatch a T-Rex egg from another family. That theory is just too brutal and outright disgusting. Yours definitely makes sense especially when you add in theories of the quantum world and the Back to the future series. When I made my kid read this his mind literally blew up, sure my 5year old is now disturbed better he knows the truth. Look, my friend all I gotta say is job well done. Wow. just wow.
I was thinking mrs pteranodon took buddy egg from his mom so her babies can eat the insides of the egg but he cracked open instead but im mind blown
Interesting theory, but there’s one fatal fail… If the baby T-Rex repeatedly lives out Buddy’s life, he will also repeatedly have a family with Annie, since Buddy brought him back in time. As this plot pans out more and more, the likely hood of the next Buddy being a healthy one is less and less. Think of it this way, what do you think would happen to your genetics if your mother birthed your son, then your grandson, and then your great grandson and so on… Gene-pools need variety in order to stay healthy. With every consecutive Buddy, the poor T-Rex would be born with deformities of growing severity. Within a handful of generations, Buddy may end up hatching with mental disabilities, or may end up sterile, effectively putting an end the vicious cycle.
THIS IS THE BEST THEORY I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!! I /LOVE/ THE DINOSAUR TRAIN SERIES WITH MY ENTIRE HEART BUT I HAVE ALWAYS ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH HOW BUDDY ENDED UP IN THE PTERANODON NEST!! I COULDN’T THINK OF ANY WAY IT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT MRS. PTERANODON BEING THE VILLIAN!!! THIS MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE……… AND IT EVEN ACCOUNTS FOR HOW BUDDY IS TOTALLY ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOLD OF HIS CARNIVOROUS INSTINCTS FOR SO LONG!!! GREAT THEORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But instead of falling off the cliff and dying couldn’t buddy become fossil fread as the bones resemble a tyrannosaur
No. It’s the same Buddy over and over and over. The cycle repeats itself continuously. Get it?
No. It’s the same Buddy over and over and over. The cycle repeats itself continuously. Get it?
My previous comments were supposed to be replies to Jalayne St. Louis. I don’t know what happened, it didn’t appear under her comment. Anyway, I absolutely love this theory z. It makes wonderful sense to me. Mind blown!!
Nah dude, I’m thinking Buddy and Tiny are just building a really close sibling-bestie relationship. That’s the only quip I have with the theory, other than that, I swear this is my head canon now
I was thinking the same thing.
This infinite time lope must really suck. How come he never eats shinny?! Probably, his guilt kicks in before he can. THARE IS ALSO A THERY MRS. P. BROGHT THAT EGG TO HER NEST SO HER BABIES COULD EAT THE INSIDES, BUT BUDDY HATCHED AN THEY DISCOVERED THE EGG WAS FERTILIZED. Have you seen this?
That would do it.
Holy fucking shit
That’s not how it ended, it ended with them going to the cenozoic era and meeting the woolly mammoth 🦣 morrice in order to find Mr. Conductor’s father in a father’s day special. They observed that after the mesozoic era the mammals get bigger. And maybe in the cenozoic era there’s the descended of Annie and Buddy: a chicken 🐔 but maybe in modern day, and in the time of the ice age there’s a red jungle fowl.
This happe ned to me one tim :/ so sadd