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  • 7/2/2025

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00:00Dinosaurs ruled the planet for over 150 million years.
00:15They occupied almost every corner of the globe
00:19and came in almost every shape and size imaginable.
00:24Some were truly extraordinary.
00:30We now know that T-Rex was a powerful swimmer.
00:36Velociraptors were cunning feathered hunters.
00:41And that some dinosaurs had the most bizarre behavior.
00:48But new discoveries are being made almost every day
00:52that tell us more about life on this planet 66 million years ago.
01:00This time, on Prehistoric Planet, we reveal new animals
01:08and new insight into their quest to find a partner.
01:14The challenges faced by raising a family.
01:18And their titanic battles.
01:29Journey to a time when nature put on its greatest show.
01:33This is Prehistoric Planet 2.
01:39Prehistoric Planet 2.
01:49The vast swamplands of Northeast Asia.
02:04Within this low-lying, flooded territory, there are countless islands.
02:12Each of them is surrounded by slow-moving waters.
02:22And that makes them potential sanctuaries for new life.
02:28A young pterosaur.
02:38And as dark it, just a few hours old.
02:43Being on an island means that she's able to take her first tentative steps in safety.
02:57Having found her feet, it's time to try out her wings.
03:15Getting them to work properly will take some practice.
03:26Although she's only one foot tall,
03:28she will grow into a giant with a 30-foot wingspan.
03:33And to do that will require plenty of food.
03:36Something this tiny island can't provide.
03:48She will have to leave.
03:51To feed in the swampy forests that surround her island.
03:55Maiden flights are always tricky.
04:06Especially when they're over open water.
04:12Today there is a light breeze.
04:15That will help by giving some extra lift.
04:25But this youngster is not yet strong enough.
04:38But this youngster is not yet strong enough.
04:42Sheamosuchus—15 feet long predators.
04:55This island might offer safety,
05:08This island might offer safety,
05:10but the surrounding waters certainly do not.
05:19If the take-off isn't perfect, it's difficult to gain height.
05:29And this is not high enough.
05:38Some of the stronger fliers have almost reached the safety of the forest.
05:51Others have still to make their attempt.
06:08You're not going to be a horse for anyone's time.
06:25This is a destroyer.
06:27If it's more and more,
06:30I'd rather have to get what this island has.
06:32So let's stand out for the people.
06:34A near miraculous escape, and now the chance to collect her rewards.
07:04In these rich swamp forests, there's all the food she needs.
07:32Here in the wetlands of South America, long summer days are fueling a greater feast.
07:41These swamps are teeming with animals of all kinds.
07:44And hunters are gathering.
07:56A ferocious three-foot-long garfish.
08:08Lunch for a giant austroraptor.
08:15They are relatives of velociraptors, but much, much bigger.
08:3420 feet from head to tail, and weighing over 800 pounds.
08:53And with teeth not unlike those of a crocodile, these dinosaurs are very skilled at catching
09:02fish.
09:08For most of the year, they're solitary hunters.
09:17But as the number of fish increases during summer, so does the number of austroraptors.
09:23The biggest try to keep the best fishing spots for themselves.
09:41For those not yet in their prime, it's a challenging time of year.
10:08This young male, still in his juvenile colors, has little hope of securing a good place
10:15to fish.
10:21However, there are other ways of getting a meal here.
10:30With so much food around, the adults are very wasteful feeders.
10:38They often eat only the choicest parts of the fish.
10:49And for a youngster, any leftovers will do very nicely.
10:55But it's risky.
11:08To succeed, you will have to be sneaky.
11:12Angus sorcerers.
11:13Jegus'.
11:14I'll take you all of the这些你看ers.
11:16It's risky.
11:17I'll take you all of the pears.
11:18To succeed, I'll take you all of my life.
11:21I'll take you all of my health.
11:26If you can eat some food, I'll take you all of my vessels.
11:30You'll be rich and you'll drink some food!
11:33I'll take you all of my possessions.
11:34That's it.
11:35My mother and my dad are themselves.
11:40With the adults still feasting around him, there might be another opportunity.
12:02Two adults fighting over the best fishing spot.
12:10Time for the youngster to make a move.
12:16And time to leave.
12:20Time for the youngster to make a move.
12:30And time to leave.
12:34Success.
12:39And more than just scraps.
12:44A lesson learned.
12:48And when the good conditions return next year, perhaps he'll be able to challenge for a fishing spot of his own.
12:55In northern Madagascar, conditions are already changing.
13:12The first rain in months is reviving the parched land.
13:16As pools and channels refill, the animals return.
13:29And they're not all dinosaurs.
13:50And they're not all dinosaurs.
14:03Lurking in these muddy pools...
14:08...is...
14:10...a monster.
14:20Beelzebufo, the devil toad.
14:32It's so big, it can swallow a small dinosaur whole.
14:39But this male isn't here to hunt.
14:41He is looking for a mate.
14:49Female devil toads are fussy.
14:52So he needs to find a good spot.
14:57Only then will he be able to entice them in.
15:00His deep croaks travel far and wide.
15:17This isn't quite...
15:19...what he was hoping for.
15:21...
15:27...
15:30...
15:31...
15:32...
15:36...
15:37...
15:38...
15:41...
15:43...
15:45This isn't quite what he was hoping for.
15:53Fifty foot long Rapito-sauves.
16:05They have been attracted here by the promise of a mud bath.
16:09For Beelzebufo, their timing couldn't be much worse.
16:17His pools now lie beneath seventy tons of soil powder.
16:25His pools now lie beneath seventy tons of soil powder.
16:39Time is short.
16:51Female Devil Toads will only mate at the start of the rainy season.
16:56He needs a new pool.
17:06There's one.
17:08Reaching it will be dangerous.
17:22It's dangerous.
17:52Finally, he's got there.
18:06But he's been noticed.
18:10He's not known as a Devil Toad for nothing.
18:26Time to try more singing.
18:32But he can't make himself heard above the sound of satisfied sauropods.
18:44Luckily for him, there's one thing that Rapito-saurs enjoy even more than wallowing in mud.
19:00And that is food.
19:10The hungry herd moves on.
19:14Although not without leaving something useful behind.
19:18Dozens of giant footprints.
19:26Full of water.
19:36Perfect for a Beelzebufo to continue his quest for a mate.
19:42The Devil Toad can only survive here because every year the land is flooded by seasonal rains.
20:10However, there are places where changing climate means the rains are less certain.
20:22That's the only thing that we can do.
20:26This inland basin in North America was, in the past, several feet deep in water.
20:36But after a decade of drought, it's now bone dry.
20:40I think there's a place where it's not.
20:42I think there's a place where it's not going to be.
20:44I think there's not going to be.
20:46I think there's no Baccycephalosaurus.
20:48The herd of bachycephalosaurs.
20:50They don't linger here.
21:02The herd of bachycephalosaurs.
21:06Bizarre creatures with thick, dome-shaped skulls.
21:21They prefer to feed on fruit and leaves.
21:28But now, they're forced to make do with roots and insects.
21:33The herd is led by a large male.
21:51He keeps order.
21:54So, everyone is able to search for food in peace.
22:17The trouble is brewing within the herd.
22:20The young male is slowing his weight around.
22:39It's time for the dominant male to put him in his place.
22:43Or kick him out.
22:50He flaunts his colorful headgear.
23:04Trying to intimidate the youngster.
23:07But he's not going to back down that easily.
23:12But he's not going to back down that easily.
23:16He will not be trying to catch him.
23:17That being caught up in his grave.
23:18Then you're playing.
23:19Well, let's go.
23:20That was a trap.
23:21I don't know where to go.
23:22I stay stuck, man.
23:23Not a trap.
23:24That's a trap.
23:25But he's not going to be even known for the earth.
23:26Exactly right.
23:27Not a trap.
23:28That's a trap.
23:29He has a trap.
23:30He's not going to be seen.
23:32He's not going to be seen here.
23:33And the other two of these teams.
23:35Even if he will go around.
23:36He's not going to be seen.
23:37It seems to be a trap.
23:39This is a trap.
23:40That was a trap.
23:41The dog has a trap.
23:42Alright.
23:43We're all the entire 이용.
23:4410-inch thick skulls enable them to survive powerful head-on collisions.
24:14The older male is heavier, but the younger is more agile and has more stamina, and that
24:43keeps the balance in his favour.
24:50A bellow of victory.
25:06But, too soon.
25:13The loser has to pay a heavy price.
25:28Exile.
25:44Alone, it will be a struggle to fend for himself.
25:50But life here will not be easy for the winner either, unless the water returns to this land
26:02and so on.
26:11Across this vast continent, there are over 100,000 square miles of swamplands.
26:21And most of them remain flooded all year round.
26:28Here in spring, new plant growth creates excellent feeding grounds for the gathering herds.
26:43But where there are large numbers of plant eaters, there are great hunters.
27:03The most powerful land predators on the planet.
27:24They usually ambush their prey.
27:29But with so many watching eyes, this is not the right time to attack.
27:39As darkness falls, some of the herds that had been grazing out in the open retreat into the forest
27:56for shelter.
28:01Now, the odds switch in favour of the predators.
28:18Tyrannosaurs have the largest eyes of any dinosaur,
28:24which gives them superb low-light vision.
28:29And they're able to move through the forest in near silence,
28:53thanks to cushioned pads on their feet.
28:57A group of Edmontosaurs.
29:09They lack armour, but they're as big as T-Rex and twice as fast.
29:26To catch one needs cunning.
29:33Each of the hunters carefully moves into position.
29:49Then, one deliberately makes a noise.
30:01One deliberately makes a noise.
30:03The Edmontosaurs are alarmed.
30:17They now know hunters are close, but they don't know exactly where they are.
30:33Time to spring the trap.
30:38One T-Rex rushes out.
30:42One T-Rex rushes out.
30:44One T-Rex rushes out.
30:54The herd panics and bolts to where the other T-Rex is waiting.
30:59The red people are waiting in ambush.
31:02The last T-Rex rushes out.
31:04You're waiting in ambush.
31:06Oh, my God.
31:36A perfectly executed plant by one of the greatest land predators that have ever lived in the swamps of our prehistoric planet.
32:06This is the skull of a pachycephalosaur, a 16-foot-long plant-eater.
32:29Despite years of research, we're still trying to understand why it had this bizarre-shaped head.
32:36The most distinctive feature about the pachycephalosaurs, of course, is this really weird dome that they have on their head.
32:52All around it is a series of very odd tubercles and nobbles and bobbles. They look quite dragon-like.
33:05When they first saw these very thick dome skulls, and these domes could be up to 30 centimetres in thickness, they were thought to be very strong.
33:13It was thought that maybe they were using them for headbutting each other in contests over social hierarchy.
33:20Today, animals like bighorn sheep butt heads in this way.
33:28A thickened skull helps protect their brain from impact.
33:34But does this fully explain pachycephalosaurs' domed head?
33:38A number of palaeontologists thought they should look inside the skulls.
33:47They sliced up a number of pachycephalosaur domes.
33:50And when they did that, they found out that maybe it wasn't strong enough to withstand these direct head-on impacts.
33:56However, they did discover something else, suggesting the dome had a different use.
34:04The surface was marked with a mesh of tiny fibres.
34:09Perhaps they supported brightly coloured skin, used to attract the mate.
34:15This new theory seemed to be accepted until 2013, when a new discovery was made.
34:28A pachycephalosaur was found with marks showing it had survived multiple injuries to the top of its head.
34:37And it wasn't a one-off.
34:41They went back and looked through historic museum collections,
34:44and discovered that actually there was quite a lot of evidence for these lesions in a similar place,
34:49across a whole bunch of different pachycephalosaurs.
34:53This is good evidence that they probably were head-butting.
35:01So, were the skulls strong enough to protect pachycephalosaurs' brain after all?
35:07To find out, scientists turned to the latest scanning technology.
35:17We can use CT scans to build virtual models of the bones,
35:20and then we can subject those to various engineering tests,
35:23in the same way that we do with an aeroplane part or an artificial hip.
35:28This provided the final piece of evidence.
35:32What they've shown is that pachycephalosaur domes could actually have withstood an enormous amount of force.
35:42It's the sort of force that goes through American footballers when they hit each other.
35:47We now believe pachycephalosaurs used their head both as a formidable weapon,
35:59and as a colorful display.
36:06Two ways to demonstrate who was boss in their prehistoric world.
36:11A group even if saw a world in the mid- rebirth.
36:12To me, we can also break up their fire Palpatine's anth entertainment,
36:14a great world.
36:16pachycephalhapsp
36:214u2

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