^ AND Tribbles.
That is my (joke) SoCF theory. It was a carrier full of Tribbles. Once again, the Enterprise had a Tribble overload, so they put them in a container and sent them backwards in time. I'm silly.
I've changed my Rainbow Face theory, though. Instead of being aliens/Kirk and insert-female-crew-mate-here, they could just be oddly smart and inquisitive dinosaurs that do a ton of traveling, hence their extensive knowledge that even Mr. Thicknose can't top.