# You have a choice of going back in time and observing 1 of these 2 epochs. whic do you choose?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 18, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651 "2010-06-18T06:09:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/1 "2010-06-18T06:09:34Z")
You have a time machine and can go back and just observe, without being harmed or altering either the late Cretaceous or the Pleistocene. You can only pick one. In other words, go back and see dinosaurs or go back and see ice age megafauna (saber toothed cats, mammoth, dire wolves etc).
As much as I would love to see Dinosaurs i’d pick the Pleistocene. Somehow I find it more fascinating thinking of the fantastic creatures wandering North America such a relatively short time ago than I do creatures who died 60 million years ago. It would be a bonus if I could travel to Europe and see if Neanderthals had language and what things were really like between them and early humans.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/2 "2010-06-18T07:50:08Z")
If I could see Neanderthals and Hobbits, that would be really cool. But I think seeing mammalian megafauna wouldn’t be too different from what we see today, whereas dinosaurs would be something else entirely. And if I get to see the K-T impact too…
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### Author:  [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/3 "2010-06-18T18:29:00Z")
> [@Quintas](#):
>
> and see if Neanderthals had language and what things were really like between them and early humans.
Watch the movie _Quest for Fire_ and that will answer your questions, without recourse to a time machine. 😃
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/4 "2010-06-18T19:44:49Z")
I would want to go see the dinosaurs.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/5 "2010-06-18T19:47:57Z")
Yeah, Neanderthals and sabertooth tigers are cuddly and all, but come on man, dinosaurs!
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/6 "2010-06-18T19:53:45Z")
I’d have to go for the dinosaurs, just to see what they actually looked and acted like.
Who would have guessed that tyrannosaurus were actually teal green with lavender polkadots.
I’d pay extra to see the killer asteroid impact.
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### Author:  [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/7 "2010-06-18T21:37:52Z")
Yeah, I wanna see dinosaurs. I know the verdict is pretty much in on the whole feathers vs scales thing, but I need to see it with my own eyes.
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/8 "2010-06-19T04:31:21Z")
Another vote for dinosaurs. Not that I wouldn’t really enjoy seeing woolly mammoths, saber tooth cats, et al, but there’s no way I’m missing the dinosaurs.
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### Author:  [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/9 "2010-06-19T09:23:12Z")
Bring on the dinos. You can keep the giant insects and even more giant scorpions, however.
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### Author:  [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/10 "2010-06-19T13:54:47Z")
Dinosaurs, the mega fauna are variations of what we can see today, the dinos are a whole new ballgame.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/11 "2010-06-19T17:03:59Z")
Dinosaurs. I’ve seen enough big mammals.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-choice-of-going-back-in-time-and-observing-1-of-these-2-epochs-whic-do-you-choose/543651/12 "2010-06-20T03:13:48Z")
I’d pick the Pleistocene. I like dinosaurs, but I find mega fauna more interesting because you can see how different the modern versions turned out.