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Frozen Worlds

2019 Nature HD

The polar regions of our planet may seem beyond the reach of most of us, but they are not beyond our influence. We, unintentionally, are changing these frozen worlds, and these changes will not just affect the poles but the whole planet. On the unforgiving frontier of climate change, polar bears, walruses, seals and penguins find their icy Ed ...ens in peril. Show More

Series: Our Planet

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

2024 Science HD

For decades, scientists have sought to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA, a fragile genetic blueprint that rarely survives millions of years. Danish biologist Eske Willerslev had a groundbreaking idea: instead of searching for DNA in fossils or ancient tissues, he looked to frozen sediment. Initially dismissed as impossible, his work led to t ...he recovery of genetic traces from over two million years ago, revealing lush ecosystems that existed before the Ice Age. These discoveries offer unprecedented insights into long-extinct species that thrived in warm, verdant Arctic landscapes.
Willerslev’s perseverance revolutionized DNA research, enabling scientists to reconstruct vanished ecosystems and uncover the genetic secrets of ancient worlds. By examining the DNA of past climates, researchers are paving the way to better understand Earth's deep history and adapt to current environmental challenges. This landmark breakthrough demonstrates that ancient DNA acts as a "time machine," allowing humanity to explore its distant past and draw lessons for the future. Show More

I Antarctica

2019 Nature

Millions of years ago incredible forces ripped apart the Earth's crust creating our seven continents - each with its own distinct climate, its own distinct terrain and its own unique animal life. From the colourful paradise of South America to the scorching heat of Africa, ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ showcases the true character of each contin ...ent in turn and reveals just how it has shaped all life there. Be surprised by unexpected stories. Marvel at iconic landscapes. And be awestruck by spectacular wildlife. This series is an eye-opening journey around a world you thought you knew.
The snowy shores and icy waters of Antarctica are home to some of the most amazing and unusual wildlife in the world. However, even here, many species face extinction due to rapid climate change and overhunting. Show More

Series: Seven Worlds One Planet

Ice Worlds

2007 Nature

The Arctic and Antarctic experience the most extreme seasons on Earth. Time-lapse cameras watch a colony of emperor penguins, transforming them into a single organism. The film reveals new science about the dynamics of emperor penguin behaviour. In the north, unique aerial images show a polar bear swimming more than 100km. Diving for up to tw ...o minutes at a time. The exhausted polar bear later attacks a herd of walrus in a true clash of the Titans. Show More

Series: Planet Earth

In the Grip of the Seasons

2015 Nature

The second episode looks at the challenges of hunting in the Arctic, the most seasonal place on Earth. To a predator, seasonal change is a problem. It means that all the parameters of the hunt - the conditions, the strategies, the prey - change too. The only option for the Arctic's top predators, the wolf, the Arctic fox and the polar bear, i ...s to continually adapt to their changing world, exploiting the good times and enduring the bad. Show More

Series: The Hunt

Last Killers

2011 Science

In late Cretaceous Canada, in what will be known as Dinosaur Provincial Park, a Daspletosaurus stalks a Chasmosaurus in a forest, but loses the element of surprise and is forced to retreat. The Chasmosaurus comes across a younger Daspletosaurus, before being ambushed by a group of the tyrannosaurids. The episode then cuts to the high Arctic, ...where Edmontosaurus are hunted by a large species of Troodon. The theropods attack at night, separating a juvenile from the herd and severely wounding it, only to be driven away by an adult. In the morning, they return to eat the carcass of the juvenile, which died during the night. The episode returns to the Daspletosaurus, who chase and bring down the Chasmosaurus. The larger adults bully the youngsters off the carcass, forcing them to wait until they have finished. The episode then cuts to Madagascar, where a mother Majungasaurus (an Abelisaurid) and her two offspring chase a group of Rahonavis off a carcass. However, they are temporarily driven off themselves by a male Majungasaurus. But, after he steals some food from one of the young, the female attacks him, before she and her young cannibalise his body. The episode returns once again to North America, where the Daspletosaurus are waiting for the annual migration of Centrosaurus. They attack during a rainstorm, killing some of the ceratopsians. The Centrosaurus make it to a flooded river and begin to swim across, and although many make it to the other side, some are caught by giant crocodilians or are severely wounded by floating debris and thus drown, or drown for unseen reasons. In the morning, the carcasses attract scavengers, including the Daspletosaurus. A montage is then shown of Daspletosaurus and Majungasaurus, the narrator saying that together, the tyrannosaurids and abelisaurids were the last of the killer dinosaurs. Show More

Series: Planet Dinosaur

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