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Documentary, Walking with Dinosaurs Ep 2 The River Dragon
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00Over 66 million years ago our world was ruled
00:28by dinosaurs.
00:39The largest animals that have ever walked the earth.
00:50Today dinosaur experts across the globe are uncovering the bones they left behind.
00:57Allowing us to imagine how these extraordinary creatures may have lived.
01:09So that we can tell their story.
01:17And they can walk again.
01:29And they can walk again.
01:45Nine million square kilometres of parched sand.
02:01The Sahara Desert is one of the most inhospitable environments on earth.
02:13But for dinosaur hunters like Dr Nizar Ibrahim, it's a gateway to a lost world.
02:29Deep in a remote part of the desert known as the Kem Kem, Nizar and his team are excavating
02:47the remains of one of the largest predatory dinosaurs that ever lived.
03:05A Spinosaurus.
03:15Using the team's discoveries, we can imagine how it lived and died.
03:23One hundred million years ago.
03:39One hundred million years ago.
04:03One hundred million years ago.
04:07In the late Cretaceous period.
04:08Africa has just broken away from South America.
04:10And the land that will become the Sahara, is a river system.
04:18And the land that will become the Sahara is a river system.
04:34Its waters support acres of scrub and forest that provide shade from the intense Cretaceous
04:42Sun, perfect for an afternoon nap.
04:58This is Sobek, the Spinosaurus.
05:09Eleven meters long, his powerful jaws packed with teeth.
05:21Disturbing this monster's sleep could have deadly consequences.
05:36Let's go.
05:48The ship is the last one.
05:51The ship is the last one.
05:56Let's go.
06:26but this isn't lunch it's one of his babies
06:40so that is a father like some species of modern birds once the eggs are laid the job of looking
07:01after the kids boys to him
07:22so that must keep his young family alive until they can fend for themselves
07:29a hundred million years later looks like fun you got the location mark all right
07:50nizar and the team are starting to uncover evidence that could shed light on how spinosaurus
07:58raised their young same off any luck on that side bones that show sobek wasn't built like
08:09other dinosaurs so Marco you see this nice little curvature here I think this is certainly a vertebra
08:18it's a little fragile this one this vertebra was part of sobex six meter tail all right
08:29let's get it out and let's see if we can find more in total the team has recovered more than 40 tailbones
08:40and for nizar and fellow paleontologist francesca borky they reveal something unique
08:56what I think what I think is really remarkable is like you get close to the tip of the tail and you still
09:02have these really long spines spines like these are not found on the tail bones of other predatory
09:11dinosaurs once you see the shape of the spines is quite narrow yes and and flat basically just a giant paddle
09:23yeah the more we collect the more aquatic this thing because for nizar a thin flat tail can mean only one thing
09:36spinosaurus was a swimmer
09:43under water sobek is in his element using his huge tail to power it through the water
10:05he's guarding a nursery pool the place he and his babies call home
10:23and with dad's back turned the kids take to the water
10:33under water
10:40this secluded backwater is the perfect learner pool
10:44so while sobex patrolling the babies hone their hunting skills
10:58but it's not long before one of them gets into trouble
11:13but it's not long before one of them gets into trouble
11:20if it doesn't get help soon
11:25this baby
11:28will drown
11:30So
11:31what's the baby
11:32we're not going to die
11:33but we're not going to die
11:35we're not going to die
11:37we'll drown
11:39so
11:40we'll drown
11:41it
11:43we'll drown
11:45Dad, to the rescue.
12:15Dad, to the rescue.
12:45Dad, to the rescue.
12:50With everyone safely back on the bank, the family settles down to sleep.
13:06But they must soon leave the safety of the nursery pool and travel somewhere Sobek knows
13:14they can catch far more substantial prey.
13:23And the journey ahead will be fraught with dangers.
13:36Because although the dig site is barren and lifeless today...
13:46Nizar and the team have evidence that when Sobek was alive, the Kemkem was far more perilous.
13:53Yes.
13:54Lots of big predatory fish.
13:57This is a nice jaw.
13:59Absolute monster.
14:01Its rivers teemed with massive carnivorous fish.
14:05Oh, this is nice.
14:08And enormous crocodiles.
14:10Look at that.
14:13Okay.
14:14Tip of the snout, right?
14:16This is where the nose end is essentially.
14:20This will be the size of the biggest crocs today.
14:22Big nasty Ilosuchus.
14:24Ilosuchus is an extinct species of croc with jaws over a metre long.
14:32This tooth is very nice.
14:33It's still here.
14:34This tooth is very nice.
14:35It's still here.
14:36Yeah, they're pretty robust.
14:39If the rivers were dangerous...
14:44Carcharodontosaurus tooth.
14:47..the land was home to an even more deadly predator.
14:53Yes, it's very well preserved.
14:56I can see all of the simulations here.
14:58Like a steak knife, right?
15:00Carcharodontosaurus was the T-Rex of Africa.
15:07Three metres tall and armed with more than 50 flesh-cutting teeth.
15:13We've got several T-Rex-sized predatory dinosaurs,
15:16or even bigger than T-Rex.
15:17Big crocs, giant fish.
15:20Nowhere is safe.
15:21Yeah.
15:22You know, there are really many different ways to die.
15:26These lambs were once home to more large predators
15:31than anywhere else in Earth's history.
15:42A fearsome collection of carnivores.
15:45But Sobek must navigate.
15:48If he's to feed his family.
15:52And there's danger lurking at every turn.
16:07Hidden from view,
16:19the murky waters are patrolled by at least eight species
16:25of ferocious crocodile.
16:43But that's the least of their worries.
16:47Because the family has just entered the territory.
16:50of Carcharodontosaurus.
17:06This fearsome six-ton killing machine
17:12is also on the hunt for food.
17:15It doesn't lookabolical.
17:16Let's go.
17:46Time to get the babies to safety.
18:10With so many deadly predators around, it will take everything Sobex got to reach his destination.
18:16Without his family becoming someone else's meal.
18:37And not far from the dig site, on a remote plateau, the team has discovered signs of another monster.
18:52You good?
18:53I'm ready to go whenever you are.
18:55Evidence that's best seen from the air.
18:59So how many pictures are we taking in total?
19:12About 500, 600.
19:13So we start down that ridge and then work our way over and do that whole site.
19:27The photographic survey reveals what's hidden here.
19:48Arranged in rows, these aren't just boulders.
19:53They're footprints.
20:00This is a dinosaur trackway.
20:07And to identify which dinosaur made it, Nizar and colleague Dr Roy Smith take a closer look.
20:16You've got this edge here and then quite a nice shape around that side as well.
20:21Yeah, very nice.
20:22Each footprint is a cast of the foot that made it.
20:27So the claw over there, right?
20:28Yeah.
20:29That's me.
20:30I think there's two more there.
20:31Yeah.
20:32The back of the foot.
20:33Yeah.
20:34And at over a metre across, they're some of the biggest ever found.
20:40No.
20:41This is really impressive.
20:42There's a bit missing.
20:43It would have been even bigger.
20:44It would have been even bigger.
20:45We've got a giant here.
20:46Yeah.
20:47Yeah.
20:48These footprints were made by one of the largest dinosaurs that's ever lived.
21:08Titanosaurs.
21:09Huge, long-necked dinosaurs, 14 meters high.
21:23At more than 60 tons, each one weighs as much as a herd of elephants.
21:37But for one elderly member of the group, this has become its final resting place.
21:49And it could provide Sobek with the food he needs for his hungry babies.
22:04But they're not the only ones on the lookout for a free lunch.
22:23An adult carcharodontosaurus has already laid claim to the carcass.
22:42Sobek with his babies to look after, Sobek can't risk injury.
22:49So he must now decide if it's a prize worth fighting for.
22:59Sobek is bigger.
23:00But one bite from these jaws could be fatal.
23:21Sobek's fearsome claws could give him the advantage.
23:28But crucially, the carcharodontosaurus is built for hunting on land.
23:35Sobek's fearsome claws could give him the advantage.
23:42But crucially, the carcharodontosaurus is built for hunting on land.
23:50So, Sobek backs down.
24:07His family won't eat today.
24:26If they can survive their journey, a much bigger prize awaits.
24:45As night falls, Nizar and the team examine an astonishing fossil.
24:52The place where this was found was so narrow, you could only just crawl on your belly, essentially.
25:00Discovered close to the dig site, it's the remains of an extinct species of fish.
25:08This is the head of Oncopristus.
25:12The brain case, the blade-shaped snout, it's all there.
25:19Oncopristus is commonly known as a sawskate because of the long snout lined with barbs it used to stun its prey.
25:29This would have been a fairly slow, bottom-dwelling, skate-like animal.
25:35And with Spinosaurus so at home in water, Nizar has a theory.
25:49So this would have been one of the primary food sources for Spinosaurus.
25:54Incredible.
25:55My God, it's amazing.
25:57Wow.
26:05Sawskate could grow up to four metres in length.
26:12So a single fish would make a sizeable meal.
26:32But once a year, like rays do today, it's thought they gathered to breed.
26:42In their thousands.
26:49Providing an incredible feast.
26:54That awaits Sobek and his family.
27:05But in this predator-infested land, danger can strike at any time.
27:15And a hundred million years ago, there weren't just predators on land and in the water.
27:36They were also in the air.
27:41So this is a lower jaw of Alanka.
27:46This is a Chemchem pterosaur.
27:48It is a pretty remarkable specimen.
27:51Wow.
27:52Alanka was a huge flying reptile with a seven metre wingspan.
27:58Twice that of any bird alive today.
28:05Essentially what we're looking at here is the skull would be going back.
28:11You know, like this.
28:12Yeah, something like this.
28:13A metre more or less.
28:14Yeah.
28:15Pretty big.
28:16Yeah.
28:17It's probably the largest Chem pterosaur.
28:19Its jaws reveal what this flying monster would have eaten.
28:28It's got this really interesting raised structure here.
28:31It's got like a Y shape.
28:33There's a corresponding matching part in the upper jaw.
28:37And so maybe this was something that was used to crush hard-shelled prey.
28:47Although it's adapted to eat shellfish, Alanka was so big, it didn't need to be piggy.
28:56It's possible that these things were catching little things on the ground, you know.
29:00Yeah.
29:01When they walked on the ground.
29:02Maybe little dinosaurs, little crocs, amphibians, whatever they could catch.
29:08Yes.
29:09Yes.
29:10With Alanka about, no small creature was safe.
29:21To reach the sauce gate breeding ground, Sobek must lead his young family through the forest.
29:51It's their final challenge, but the most deadly.
30:20For a Lanka, a young Spinosaurus would make a tasty meal.
30:30And the dense foliage provides perfect cover for an ambush.
30:52And the dense foliage provides perfect cover.
30:59For an ambush.
31:06To be continued...
31:13To be continued...
31:21To be continued...
31:28To be continued...
31:36To be continued...
31:59To be continued...
32:06To be continued...
32:12To be continued...
32:13To be continued...
32:22To be continued...
32:23To be continued...
32:24To be continued...
32:25Losing one of his babies is a huge blow.
32:39But if Sobek is to keep the others alive, he must keep moving.
32:55As the family emerges from the forest, their journey's end is in sight.
33:13The Source Gate breeding ground.
33:18And the promise of plentiful food for Sobek and his family.
33:25But for his babies to eat, Sobek will have to fight his way to the front of the queue.
33:38And at the dig, Nizar and paleontologist Dr. Gabriele Bindellini have evidence that could reveal how Spinosaurus settled their differences.
33:56So I think this is the tallest we've got.
33:59And it still missed a good portion at the tip.
34:02Yeah.
34:03I mean, I think we're missing 30, 35, maybe 40 centimeters.
34:07Which makes it super long.
34:08Yes.
34:09I'm going to take this end.
34:10I'll hold it here.
34:11Over a meter and a half long.
34:12This is one of the 15 bones that rose up from Sobek's back.
34:15Supporting his enormous sail.
34:16This is a good portion at the tip.
34:18Yeah.
34:19I mean, I think we're missing 30, 35, maybe 40 centimeters.
34:22Which makes it super long.
34:23Yes.
34:24I'm going to take this end.
34:25I'll hold it here.
34:26Mm-hmm.
34:27Over a meter and a half long.
34:28This is one of the 15 bones that rose up from Sobek's back.
34:42Supporting his enormous sail.
34:44I've tried to visualize all of these other spines.
34:49I mean, it's a massive structure.
34:52Spinosaurus' sails are so big, they must have had an important function.
35:05It's probably, like, primarily a display structure.
35:08To be seen from the distance.
35:10Yeah, like...
35:11Peacock.
35:12Yeah, like a peacock's train.
35:14But unlike a peacock, Nizar believes the main function of Spinosaurus' sail might not have
35:21been to find a mate.
35:23So you're one Spinosaurus, and you're coming close to another Spinosaurus territory.
35:28Yes.
35:29And what you're going to see, you're going to see this big sail, right?
35:32And just by looking at the sail, you can go, like, ooh, there's a really big Spinosaurus.
35:35I better not get close to this guy.
35:37Stay away from here.
35:38I think it would be very efficient at scaring off other predators or rivals.
35:43Sobek's intimidating sail could be just what he needs to win a prime fishing spot.
36:12If you run the gauntlet of Kem Kem predators, there's now only one thing standing between
36:19him and feeding his babies.
36:28A rival Spinosaurus.
36:33Sobek must try to intimidate this older male, and take his place on the bank.
36:54So, he initiates a ritual dance.
37:04Showing off his sail.
37:07But as a young male, Sobek's sail is smaller, and not intimidating enough.
37:34Forced from the bank, where the fish are easier to catch, the job of feeding his hungry babies
37:55has just got much more difficult.
38:02Sobek can we get some measurements?
38:03Yes.
38:04Marco.
38:05But evidence from the dig...
38:09140.
38:10...suggests Sobek may have been well equipped for the challenge.
38:16It's something we haven't really seen before.
38:17Something new.
38:18Yeah.
38:19One of the missing foot bones.
38:20Yeah.
38:21Yeah.
38:22Sobek's foot bones.
38:23Yeah.
38:24Sobek's foot bones are similar to those of him.
38:26Waterbirds.
38:27Meaning his feet could have been webbed.
38:30Yeah, maybe they're going to wrap it in this.
38:31Tape it.
38:32Yeah.
38:33Sobek's foot bones are similar to those of waterbirds.
38:37Helping him to swim after his prey.
39:02Helping him to swim after his prey.
39:11Where's the box?
39:14And if he caught it, Sobek had another adaptation.
39:19My teeth are really amazing.
39:22That made him a formidable underwater predator.
39:28If I didn't know Spinosaurus was here,
39:32I would say this is a crocodile tooth.
39:35Looking at it, the shape is basically the same, you know?
39:40Unlike the broad, blade-like teeth of other predatory dinosaurs,
39:45Spinosaurus teeth are smooth and conical like a crocodile's,
39:50because they both eat the same food.
39:56This is basically your main piece of anatomical weaponry,
40:01if you're going after fish.
40:03Oh, yeah.
40:04Big fish, stabbing slippery prey.
40:07With more than 60 of these teeth in its long jaws,
40:11Spinosaurus was able to tackle the largest fish.
40:16Imagine having to hold on to a big sauce gate fighting for its life.
40:24Yeah.
40:25It definitely wasn't an easy catch.
40:27Yeah.
40:28I mean, they put up a real fight.
40:29You need these kind of killing tools, right,
40:32to hold on to the prey.
40:33Webbed feet and spiky teeth are critical adaptations
40:39that Sobek will need to make a catch.
40:45But even so,
41:02success
41:05is far from guaranteed.
41:12Although Sobek is faster,
41:21the source gate is more agile.
41:34Time for a change of tactics.
41:36Attacking from below.
41:51Like a shark.
41:53Like a shark.
41:53Like a shark.
41:55Like a shark.
41:57Like a shark.
42:03Like a shark.
42:05Like a shark.
42:18Like a shark.
42:18Like a shark.
42:19Like a shark.
42:20Like a shark.
42:20Like a shark.
42:20Like a shark.
42:21Like a shark.
42:26But getting his catch to his family won't be easy.
42:31This time, Sobek is in no mood to give up his kill.
43:01By leading them to this land of plenty, Sobek has ensured his baby's survival.
43:31But his moment of triumph has come at a terrible cost.
43:53So, these are small parts of the femur of the thigh bone of our spinosaurus.
44:03Wow.
44:04It's really nice, right?
44:05Slices cut through Sobek's bones have a disturbing story to tell.
44:10We looked at some of the sections.
44:12We looked at the growth lines under the microscope, trying to look at the age.
44:18They came out pretty nice.
44:19You know, it's not as easy as reading growth lines on a tree, but we can narrow it down
44:25to an age of 17 to 19 years at death.
44:30OK, so he wasn't that old.
44:32Yeah, like a young adult-ish, you know.
44:37Other large predatory dinosaurs are thought to have had a lifespan of about 30 years.
44:44But Sobek's bones reveal he was barely an adult when he died.
44:52So maybe he could have lived a little bit longer.
44:54Yeah.
44:55If we assume a similar kind of lifespan for spinosaurus, you know, late 20s, early 30s,
44:59it's a life cut short.
45:05The evidence hidden within his bones suggests Sobek may not have lived to see his family grow up.
45:35In providing for his babies, he has paid the ultimate price.
46:05Sobek's bones bones.
46:06And finally, we have to fix that.
46:07They were curious, if they might have gone close to his grave,
46:08they might have been a SAS minor.
46:09They did not avoid that.
46:10I thought they were also curious.
46:11It was just a armor that got lost.
46:12Because it had found the
46:13A lot of fun.
46:14It was very curious.
46:15A lot of fun is to break.
46:16A lot of fun.
46:17A lot of fun.
46:18You know, they've also carried it out to the Penguins and a lot of fun.
46:19A lot of fun.
46:20A lot of fun.
46:21Like this, this, I've never seen him in the past.
46:22A lot of fun.
46:23Like an amount of fun."
46:24You know, they've been using it.
46:25A lot of fun.
46:26And now this has the two walks.
46:28And as the great river ebbs and flows it covers his body with layer upon layer of
46:58sediment, preserving Sobek's story beneath the desert's shifting sands, until he is
47:15eventually found one hundred million years later.
47:28Next time, a gang of armored dinosaurs, battles to reach adulthood, hunted by one of the most
47:42fearsome predators that's ever lived.
48:12Okay.
48:13Yeah.
48:16Okay.
48:17Okay.
48:19Bye.
48:20Bye.
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