126 million years ago in what will one day be Northwest China, the sun is just about to roll over a hill and blanket a Cretaceous forest with light and warmth. Among the trees, a small band of dinosaurs forage in the undergrowth for food. 4 members of the amiable mob inspect the earth below them in search of tasty morsels while a 5th stays alert, ready to sound the alarm in case of danger. One member; a young male, manages to find a rather large and hard seed pod that has dropped from the upper branches of the tree above him. Carefully he maneuvers it in place with his forelimbs and uses his specialized front teeth to break it open, unleashing the sweet insides along with seeds that he will later excrete, allowing for new trees to grow and produce food.
Suddenly a twig snaps in the distance and the group's watcher lets out an alarming chirping noise, he and the others run for cover, breakfast will have to wait a little while longer.
--Please enjoy this look at my process and the final version of this illustration--