This is a likeness of the southern bit of South America as it was near the end of the Cretaceous, right before the event that drove the dinosaurs to extinction. The Maastrichtian Age was a geologic period named in the 1800s after chalk deposits found near the Dutch city of Maastricht. The formation is also known for big fossils of Mosasaurus, a mighty swimming reptile named for the Maas River where the fossils were found. The creature, the Dutch city, the mineral layer, and the time period were all named, ultimately, for that river.
I wonder if there’s a mosasaur swimming under the placid surface of that water surrounding those lush, green banks – shaded by the curling fronds of the tree ferns and prehistoric palms.