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  • 7/3/2025

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00:00Transcription by ESO. Translation by —
00:16Surely, one of the most remarkable animals that have ever existed,
00:22and certainly one of the most famous, is a dinosaur.
00:27Tyrannosaurus rex.
00:30An animal to spark the imagination for all of us.
00:36What kind of an animal was it?
00:38What did it look like?
00:40How did it live?
00:42Now, scientific research has answered such questions,
00:46and not just about T. rex, but the other species that lived alongside it.
00:52And the latest imaging technology enables us to bring them all to life.
01:01Planet Earth 66 million years ago.
01:05The skies are filled with flying giants.
01:13In the seas, monstrous reptiles patrol the depths.
01:23And on land, dinosaurs of every kind, all facing the struggle to survive.
01:32To survive.
01:39We now know so much about a world that was ruled by the dinosaurs.
01:45This is their story.
01:46This is their story.
01:51Life is at its harshest in the far north and south of planet Earth.
01:52Life is at its harshest in the far north and south of planet Earth.
01:53Life is at its harshest in the far north and south of planet Earth.
01:54Life is at its harshest in the far north and south of planet Earth.
02:11Dinosaurs, however, have managed to colonize these polar regions.
02:14In the far north of America, this tiny hunter, a dromaeosaur, has managed to survive three months of near-total darkness.
02:15And now, at last, spring has come.
02:16And now, at last, spring has come.
02:17long and broadlyfolgy planners have found as to move up.
02:19And it goes beyond the upcoming weary is at sacramental blizzard.
02:25It goes beyond the most of the Taipei.
02:27What such, Japanese shroom?
02:29about the most black dalla 미래.
02:30Good jour!
02:31We have not got absolutely nothing to go before the world.
02:32We are not been Justice World with mildew.
02:33We are opening next toangers today's career at Lake Health Museum.
02:35The wild bee birds, a Hahmurus or a Friedol nó,
02:36and all the far north of America.
02:38This tiny hunter, a dromaeosaur, who has managed to survive 3 months of near-total darkness.
02:40And now, at last, spring has come.
02:45She has a coat of feathers,
02:55for she's able to generate heat in her body
02:57and needs to retain all she can.
03:01A challenge for all dinosaurs in these cold latitudes.
03:09As she moves quickly over the surface of the snow,
03:12she checks on the places where she has found food in the past.
03:21In this icy world, no opportunity is too small to be ignored.
03:35And to succeed, as usual, you need good...
03:42...timing.
03:51Although at this time in Earth's history,
03:53the polar regions are relatively warm,
03:57these lands are nonetheless ruled by extreme seasonal change.
04:03When the sun rises for the first time in almost three months,
04:10every animal must be ready to make the most of the daylight
04:16and the warmer days that are to come.
04:19The little dromaeosaurs must work together...
04:27...if they are to take on big prey.
04:35And here comes their first chance of the season.
04:38a herd of hadrosaurs.
04:45These duck-billed dinosaurs pass through here every year.
04:52Nomads in search of the fresh vegetation brought by the spring.
04:55They're huge.
05:08The only chance the dromaeosaurs will have is to work as a team.
05:12There's a river ahead, which the herd will have to cross.
05:18There's a river ahead, which the herd will have to cross.
05:22And the dromaeosaurs know that some never make it.
05:40And the dromaeosaurs know that some never make it.
05:44As winter slackens its grip,
06:01meltwater begins to flow with great power.
06:08The herd must wade through this deep, fast-flowing water.
06:12The leaders try to select the safest crossing.
06:26The herd follow cautiously.
06:31Young keep close to their parents.
06:35Putting a foot wrong here could cost them their life.
06:37The adults, awaiting their turn, grow nervous.
06:46And this bottleneck gives the dromaeosaurs a chance.
06:48It gives the Dromaeosaurs a chance.
07:03Their target will be the young.
07:18Panic begins to spread through the herd.
07:27What should have been an orderly crossing turns to chaos.
07:37Parents and young are separated.
07:48The
08:19A lucky escape.
08:26The column reforms and continues its journey.
08:34The dromaeosaurs seem to have missed their chance.
08:40But the river has done their work for them.
08:45There are always casualties.
08:49It's a feast and more food than these hunters have had all winter.
09:02In the ice world, seasonal opportunity is brief.
09:07Spring is short and summer will soon be over.
09:13There's a lot to be done before the challenges of winter return.
09:17Downstream, as the rivers broaden and begin to slow, they start to drop their loads of silt and a network of islands appears.
09:35Some animals have already seized the moment to assemble for the spring rituals.
09:45Spring, at last, has truly arrived.
09:58Dozens of male ornithomimus are preparing for the most important moment of their year.
10:04These strange ostrich-like dinosaurs choose the safety of these islands to scrape out shallow craters.
10:16The first stage in making a nest.
10:18When the females arrive, they will choose to mate with the males who've made the best one.
10:40Later rivals find that space is already in short supply.
10:44The only space left is on the island's margin.
10:56And finding a place to nest is only just the start.
11:02When eggs are eventually laid, they will need to be kept warm in a bed of vegetation.
11:14Finding enough nesting material is not easy.
11:31Which is why some ornithomimus resort to thievery.
11:35One advantage of arriving late is that your neighbors have already done the hard work.
11:56Hard work.
11:58An unguarded nest?
12:28It's too much of a temptation.
12:33In colonies like this, thievery can be so common that some nesting material at one time or another
12:41will have been part of almost every nest on the island.
12:46But robbery is risky.
12:52Caught in the act.
12:58A couple of hydrosaurs wander by.
13:05They will eat leafy branches.
13:11So you have to be able to defend your property.
13:18It can take several years to perfect nest building skills.
13:27But success doesn't only rely on experience.
13:33In a crowded colony, there's always another potential victim.
13:40For Ornithomimus, these river islands will provide sanctuary for both the eggs and the young when they hatch.
13:59Further north, temperatures are lower and conditions are tougher.
14:14Yet, that's where these enormous crested hadrosaurs are heading.
14:18To take advantage of one site in particular.
14:21One that has something special to offer.
14:24The long necks of these dinosaurs are particularly elegant and give them their name.
14:39A lorotitan, giant swan.
14:43Their cores are amplified by their head crests, which are hollow.
14:48They're heading for one of the world's largest volcanic regions.
15:07It's a dangerous and hostile place.
15:19But the Oloro Titans return to it year after year.
15:37Because the volcanoes keep the ground particularly well heated.
15:44So this is where they nest.
15:55They nest.
15:56Their northwest is cast.
15:58��
16:25The warm, volcanic sand serves as an incubator for their eggs.
16:34And a few weeks after the arrival of the herd, the eggs hatch.
16:56Hadrosaurs look after their young with care.
17:04They bring mouthfuls of plants for them to eat.
17:13Each nest may contain over 20 youngsters.
17:25The babies have arrived at a time of brief but rich summer plenty.
17:36Fueled by a sun that for weeks never sets,
17:41horsetails here grow fast and in sufficient numbers to feed the whole herd.
17:49These plants contain more nutrients than the luscious grass.
17:56And in the long summer days, the hadrosaurs babies grow quickly.
18:04They can reach half their adult size in their first year.
18:10Right now, these volcanic wetlands are the most productive places on the planet.
18:19Both above...
18:20and below the surface of the water.
18:28But that very productivity brings problems for the hydrosaurs.
18:35Warm, shallow pools are an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes.
18:41Every year, this paradise turns into a living hell.
18:56Hadrosaurs have surprisingly thin skin,
18:59and so have little defense against blood-sucking insects.
19:02constant irritation makes it hard to feed, and they become dangerously weakened.
19:17And babies can lose blood in life-threatening quantities.
19:21Eventually, the herd is forced to move on to escape the plague.
19:37If the young can't keep up, their mothers abandon them.
19:40As they go higher, stronger winds bring some relief.
20:01As they go higher, stronger winds bring some relief.
20:09But only for those able to walk that far.
20:12Of the hundreds of hadrosaurs babies born,
20:28only one in ten survive their first year.
20:34But those that do have a good chance of reaching adulthood.
20:39There are no predators.
20:44At best of all, people will be the most strong.
20:48They'll be the most terrible.
20:50At least not the first time they
20:52have money for the...
20:54Pick the body.
21:00the most terrible and common good.
21:03The first thing is...
21:04By nesting in this volcanic valley,
21:13the parents give their young the best possible start in life.
21:22Although the short and warm polar summer is a time of great plenty,
21:27it can also bring perils.
21:30Warm air rises and becomes charged electrically.
21:39And that creates frequent and violent lightning storms.
21:54In the north of America, the lush growth fueled by the constant sunlight
21:59has now been baked tinder-dry.
22:10Most animals flee from the flames.
22:14But for some, the disaster creates opportunities.
22:18This six-foot-long dinosaur, a truodontid,
22:27is one of the smaller members of the theropod group.
22:30It's huge eyes give it a cute sight, even in this smoky gloom.
22:49And for its size, its brain is one of the largest on the planet.
22:53It is the most intelligent, adaptable and successful hunter in the Arctic.
23:16At the far's edge,
23:17truodontids gather to prey on animals that are trying to escape the flames.
23:31Anything that spreads the fire creates more opportunities
23:35for the most ingenious Arctic hunter of its time.
23:38The fish over what moves for this tunnel souffle.
23:41It is the most common in realm.
23:43Why is this a busy hovering post came in place?
23:45What covers the daily torch,
23:46but basically sets them all up toense that happen.
23:47Tightly sets things at the Mats PVC channel.
23:50It's not that pretty much Imper Ты may have it.
23:52I've had Louisvillevemets and the member for drivet.
23:55Four seconds пошли to go over the entrance.
23:58Almost hours there.
23:59How about the shrine for pulling energy to thecranet with a multi-forum do?
24:02Success.
24:26With the short summer over,
24:28the forests that survived the summer fires
24:31start to change color.
24:39It is autumn's final flourish
24:42before the months of darkness begin.
24:53In the Antarctic,
24:56ice clings to the highest mountains
24:58even in the summer months.
25:00But now, with temperatures falling
25:05and the days shortening,
25:09the polar winter is spreading once more
25:12across the land.
25:13Animals must now prepare for its return.
25:27Animals must now prepare for its return.
25:47The southern hemisphere has its own species of dinosaurs.
25:51These three are young antarctopelter,
26:03small plant-eating dinosaurs.
26:09They're also one of this world's most heavily armored animals.
26:14Even so, youngsters are safer together.
26:33This far south,
26:34the plants on which they depend
26:36stop growing for months on end.
26:39As winter approaches, these juveniles spend more time
27:08and resting.
27:19Sheltering together conserves heat and therefore energy.
27:27With powerful front limbs, they can enlarge this winter den.
27:38But each time they return, they've grown a little bigger.
27:45Their den seems a little smaller.
27:51And the brotherly bond starts to wear a little thin.
27:57For every growing animal, this is a vulnerable time.
28:14A time when they need to separate and each take its first tentative steps
28:29to find a territory of its own.
28:33Herds of hadrosaurs are once again on the move.
28:52With little to eat, these huge herbivores return to look for food in warmer lands.
29:13Saving others to endure the freezing polar winter.
29:32Finding a suitable territory can take animals far from the place where their lives began.
29:38It's a search that many will not survive.
29:54A good territory must have a place in which to shelter.
30:01a cave, perhaps.
30:11Even in the coldest months, the temperature in most caves hardly varies.
30:20But he is not the first to be attracted by this one.
30:29This cave glows.
30:45These are the tiny lures of fungus gnat larvae
30:50that produce light to attract their insect prey.
30:54This is the perfect place for an Antarctopelter to escape the worst winter weather.
31:15He'll be safe beneath these strange living stars.
31:21While outside, snow begins to fall.
31:27In the coldest months, the far north of the Arctic can freeze into a spectacular winter wonderland.
31:45Not all dinosaurs choose to leave or to seek shelter.
31:55The largest have the strength to tough it out.
32:00Pachyrhinosaurs.
32:03Pachyrhinosaurs.
32:04Two-ton herbivores with extravagantly armored heads.
32:10They seek refuge in the forest, stripping the last leaves from dormant trees
32:17and rooting through ferns for fallen fruit.
32:19The autumn rut is over.
32:26But less dominant males still try to push their way up the social hierarchy.
32:33But they've forgotten who's in charge.
32:45This old bull is still a formidable force, and one that few dare to challenge.
32:51Battling males barely have time to eat or rest.
33:06With food now scarce, it's hard to rebuild strength.
33:10And injuries take longer to heal.
33:13To make matters worse...
33:18The Arctic's most powerful predator is always on the prowl.
33:39Nanooksaurus.
33:44A smaller relative of T-Rex.
33:47It's still just big enough to tackle a pachyrhinosaur.
34:01For these ancient adversaries, in these conditions,
34:05the battle will be resolved not by surprise, but by strategy.
34:14Amongst the trees, it's hard for the herd to stand as one.
34:30Individuals could be quickly isolated.
34:33The nervous herd makes a tactical retreat to open ground.
34:48The Nanooksaurus follow.
34:50Out here, the herd will be able to close ranks, and form an impenetrable
34:55wall of armored heads and muscle.
35:14The blizzard worsens.
35:15The blizzard worsens.
35:17The blizzard worsens.
35:19It's an uneasy standoff.
35:20An impenetrable wall of armored heads and muscle.
35:26These confrontations can last for days.
35:41It's an uneasy standoff.
35:51These concentrations can last for days.
36:11The herd should be safe as long as they stick together.
36:18But the Nanooksaws bide their time and occasionally test for weakness.
36:41The Blizzard now brings a temporary truce.
36:48But as soon as it's over, battle resumes.
36:55But as soon as it's over, battle resumes.
37:10In this test of nerve, all it takes is for one animal to break ranks.
37:27And panic quickly spreads.
37:38With the herd on the run, the predators have a chance.
37:42As the chase goes on, one tiring bull fails to keep up with the rest.
38:05Until all he can do is turn and face his attackers.
38:12One pachyrhinosaur has lost the battle.
38:33One pachyrhinosaur has lost the battle.
38:40But the war will go on all winter.
38:48The animals here now face months of total darkness before the sun returns and brings relief to the extraordinary creatures in the world of ice.
39:02Next on prehistoric planet, a flying giant the size of a giraffe hunts its prey amongst the tangled trees of a prehistoric forest.
39:21And under the canopy on this green planet, dinosaurs ambush, display, and even journey underground.
39:30To discover the science behind the stories, go now to the prehistoric planet show page.
39:51To discover theيل's