All language subtitles for River.Monsters.S07E03.Prehistoric.Terror.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

I'M JEREMY WADE.

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS,

I'VE BEEN INVESTIGATING
UNDERWATER MYSTERIES...

IT'S A FISH!

...AND UNCOVERING
NIGHTMARISH BEASTS.

AAH!

BUT IF I THOUGHT
I'D SEEN THE WORST,

I'D BE WRONG.

HALF A BILLION YEARS
OF EVOLUTION

HAS SEEN MILLIONS
OF FISH COME AND GO,

AMONG THE MONSTERS THAT WERE
STRANGER, DEADLIER, AND BIGGER

THAN ANYTHING ALIVE TODAY.

BUT WITH THE EVIDENCE
LOCKED IN STONE,

IT'S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE

FOR ME TO PURSUE
THESE PREHISTORIC PREDATORS.

NOW, HOWEVER,
BREAKTHROUGHS IN TECHNOLOGY

MEAN I'VE FOUND A WAY
TO UNLOCK THEIR SECRETS.

IT'S AMAZINGLY CLEAR.
YOU'VE GOT UPPER JAW, LOWER JAW.

AND NOW THAT THE DOOR TO
THE PREHISTORIC PAST IS OPEN,

I HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
I'VE BEEN SO CLOSE

TO SUCH A LARGE PREDATOR.

I'M GOING ON AN EPIC JOURNEY

AROUND THE GLOBE
AND BACK IN TIME

TO HUNT DOWN THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTER THAT EVER LIVED.

-- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

IN 30 YEARS
OF TRACKING DOWN MONSTERS,

I'VE ALWAYS RELIED ON
A FISHING LINE TO GET RESULTS.

THEY DO EXIST.
THEY DO EXIST.

BUT THIS MISSION
IS DIFFERENT.

I NEED TO FIND A WAY
TO CONNECT WITH ANOTHER TIME...

...BECAUSE THE MONSTERS
I'M HUNTING NOW...

...LIVED MILLIONS --

EVEN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF YEARS AGO.

I'M GOING TO HUNT THE SPECIAL
LIVING RIVER MONSTERS

THAT STILL CARRY ECHOES
OF THE DISTANT PAST.

THEY'RE GOING TO HELP ME FIND

THE BIGGEST, BADDEST
RIVER MONSTER OF ALL TIME.

WHERE BETTER TO BEGIN

THAN WITH
THE ULTIMATE INSTRUMENT

OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?

THIS IS A CAST OF A TOOTH THAT'S
AROUND 260 MILLION YEARS OLD.

IT BELONGED TO
THE VERY FIRST RIVER MONSTER.

ONE WAY TO HELP ME PICTURE
MY PREHISTORIC CONTENDERS

IS TO DRAW THEM OUT IN SAND --
LIFE SIZE.

THIS 10-FOOT-LONG
SERPENTINE SWAMP MONSTER

WAS A LETHAL AMBUSH PREDATOR
KNOWN AS THE XENACANTH,

OR EEL SHARK.

THESE WERE THE FIRST
PREHISTORIC PREDATORS

TO TAKE OVER FRESH WATER.

IN TEXAS, YOU STILL FIND
THEIR FOSSILS

AND SIMILAR HABITAT TODAY.

SO THAT'S WHERE
I'M STARTING MY INVESTIGATION.

THESE FRESHWATER SHARKS
WERE HUNTING.

I WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE
THE VEGETATION.

IT WOULD BE QUITE DIFFERENT
TO WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE.

BUT THE GENERAL FEEL,

THE GENERAL HABITAT
WOULD BE QUITE SIMILAR.

YOU HAVE THESE CHANNELS,
BUT THEN OFF THESE CHANNELS,

YOU HAVE LOTS OF TREES
STANDING VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.

EEL SHARKS
WERE THE TOP PREDATOR

OF WARM SWAMPS AND RIVERS LIKE
THESE IN THE PREHISTORIC PAST.

AND AMBUSH HUNTERS
ARE DEFINED BY THEIR HABITAT.

IF I CAN FIND THE TOP PREDATOR
HERE TODAY,

THEN MAYBE IT CAN SHED LIGHT

ON THE RISE OF
THE VERY FIRST RIVER MONSTER.

NORMALLY,
I TEND TO FISH WITH ONE ROD,

AND I TEND TO HOLD THAT ROD
OR HAVE IT VERY CLOSE TO ME.

WITH MORE THAN ONE LINE,
I CAN COVER A LOT MORE WATER.

I'VE JUST TAKEN
20 YARDS OR SO.

IT'S STILL GOING.
IT'S MOVING RIGHT TO LEFT.

THERE.

IT'S STILL GOING.
IT'S GOING ACROSS THE RIVER NOW.

GOT TO TIGHTEN UP
AND GO, OKAY?

YEP, THIS IS
A GOOD-SIZE FISH.

THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS.

Man: GOT HER, GUYS.
FANTASTIC.

IT'S AN ALLIGATOR GAR,
A LIVING FOSSIL

THAT'S BEEN UNCHANGED
FOR MORE THAN 60 MILLION YEARS,

AND IT'S CLOSE TO THE SIZE
OF THE PREHISTORIC EEL SHARK.

TAKE IT TO THE BEACH HERE,

WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY JUST
GENTLY SLIDE IT UP ON THE SAND.

BUT I'M WARY

OF ANY PREDATOR THAT WEIGHS IN
AT OVER 120 POUNDS.

THIS FISH'S BODY
IS PACKED WITH MUSCLE

TO LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS,

JUST AS I IMAGINE
THE EEL SHARK'S WAS.

ALL RIGHT,
THIS CREATURE IS VERY MUCH

THE TOP PREDATOR
IN THE WATER THESE DAYS.

AND THAT'S A DOUBLE ROW OF TEETH
IT'S GOT ON THE UPPER JAW.

BUT THE EEL SHARK
TOOK ITS HARDWARE

TO AN EVEN MORE
DEVASTATING LEVEL.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE SOMETHING

WHERE EVERY TOOTH
HAS TWO PRONGS...

THEN ANY ATTEMPT
TO WRIGGLE FREE

WOULD SHRED THE PREY ALIVE.

THIS 10-FOOT-LONG
PREHISTORIC PREDATOR

WAS THE LARGEST
FRESHWATER FISH OF ITS TIME

AND GREW BIGGER THAN ANY FISH
IN THESE WATERS TODAY.

THE XENACANTH,
AN EEL-LIKE SHARK,

WOULD HAVE BEEN 3 1/2-FOOT
LONGER THAN THIS.

EEL SHARKS DOMINATED
THE WORLD'S SWAMPS AND RIVERS

FOR MORE THAN
100 MILLION YEARS,

HUNTING THE SAME WATERS
AS THE ANCESTORS OF THE GAR.

EEL SHARKS
WERE THE KINGS OF STEALTH,

FRESHWATER SWAMP MONSTERS

THAT AMBUSHED THEIR VICTIMS
AT CLOSE RANGE.

BUT MANY FACTORS
MAKE FOR A SUCCESSFUL PREDATOR,

LIKE STRENGTH,
SIZE, AND SPEED.

EVIDENCE IS EMERGING

OF A FAST-SWIMMING,
OPEN-WATER PREDATOR

WHICH DEFINITELY
TICKS ALL THESE BOXES,

AND IT'S BEING EXCAVATED
FROM LANDLOCKED KANSAS.

I'M ON AN EXCAVATION SITE

WHERE THIS LIGHTNING-FAST
PREDATOR HAS BEEN FOUND,

BUT ITS EXACT LOCATION
IS SECRET

SO THAT THE SITE'S
NOT LOOTED.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT LIES I
N THE SMOKEY HILLS OF KANSAS

IN THE HEART
OF TORNADO ALLEY.

NORMALLY, WE CAN'T SEE WHAT'S
BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH

WITHOUT DIGGING A HOLE,

BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE

IS THAT NATURE, IN THE FORM
OF WIND AND WATER,

HAS DONE
THE EXCAVATION FOR US.

AND AS I WALK DOWN INTO THESE
CHALK DEPOSITS, LAYER BY LAYER,

IT'S LITERALLY LIKE
TRAVELING BACK IN TIME.

AND JUST ABOUT
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK,

EMERGING INTO THE LIGHT FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN 85 MILLION YEARS,

ARE THE REMAINS
OF EXTINCT CREATURES.

AND THEY'RE MOSTLY
THINGS LIKE THESE CLAMS
THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.

BUT THERE WERE ALSO
PREDATORS.

THIS TOOTH BELONGED TO
A LIGHTNING-FAST RIVER MONSTER

CALLED XIPHACTINUS.

SOME OF THE BODIES EXHUMED
FROM THIS ANCIENT SEA BED

HAVE REACHED
MORE THAN 17 FEET LONG.

TO GET MY FIRST GLIMPSE
OF THIS DEADLY SPEED MERCHANT,

I'M GOING TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN
DINOSAUR RESOURCE CENTER,

WHERE ITS FOSSILS
ARE CLEANED, CAST,

AND THEN RECONSTRUCTED INTO
THREE-DIMENSIONAL SKELETONS.

NOW THAT I CAN SEE THE WHOLE
THING IN THREE DIMENSIONS,

THERE ARE PARTS OF IT
THAT REALLY DO REMIND ME

OF FISH THAT I'VE SEEN
IN THE FLESH.

THE WAY THE JAWS OPERATE

IS UNCANNILY LIKE
THE GOLIATH TIGERFISH.

AND THE SHAPE OF THE BODY
IS SOMEWHAT LIKE A GIANT TARPON.

THE TARPON USES
THIS STREAMLINED BODY DESIGN

TO CUT THROUGH THE WATER
WITH MINIMAL DRAG.

IT'S EXPLOSIVE ON THE LINE

AND REACHES WEIGHTS
OF 350 POUNDS.

YEAH, YEAH,
YEAH, YEAH.

BUT XIPHACTINUS
COULD TOP A TON.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST COMPLETE
SPECIMEN OF XIPHACTINUS

THAT'S EVER BEEN FOUND.

HERE'S THE TAIL, DORSAL FIN,
AND ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE,

GIVING A TOTAL LENGTH
OF 18 1/2 FOOT, THE HEAD.

AND THERE ARE BONES
FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS

THAT SUGGEST THEY
COULD HAVE GROWN EVEN BIGGER.

THE SHAPE OF ITS SKELETON,

ESPECIALLY THE DESIGN
OF ITS PECTORAL FINS AND TAIL,

IS VERY CLOSE

TO ANOTHER OPEN-WATER PREDATOR
LIVING TODAY.

I'M HEADING SOUTH OF THE
EQUATOR TO THE INDIAN OCEAN

TO TRY TO CATCH A SAILFISH,
THE FASTEST FISH ON THE PLANET,

WHICH IN TERMS
OF SHEER SPEED,

COULD BE A VERY CLOSE MATCH FOR
THE TORPEDO-LIKE XIPHACTINUS.

THE LARGE EYE SOCKETS
ON THE XIPHACTINUS SKULL

SUGGEST TO ME THAT
IT WAS A SIGHT PREDATOR,

JUST LIKE THE SAILFISH.

WE HAVE SOME TEASERS
OFF THE BACK,

IN ADDITION TO THE WAKE
OF THE BOAT.

AND THERE ARE BAITS SWIMMING
FAST ACROSS THE SURFACE.

I'M WAITING FOR SOMETHING
TO HIT ONE OF THOSE.

OH, HERE.

I THINK IT'S OFF.

NO.

OH.

I'M ON A MISSION

TO HUNT DOWN THE BIGGEST,
MOST TERRIFYING RIVER MONSTER

THAT EVER LIVED.

MY LATEST CONTENDER
IS THE XIPHACTINUS,

WHOSE GIANT,
STREAMLINED FOSSILS

SUGGEST A PREDATOR
ENGINEERED FOR SPEED.

TO HELP ME CONSTRUCT A MENTAL
PICTURE OF A LIVE XIPHACTINUS,

I'M AFTER THE FASTEST FISH
ALIVE TODAY -- THE SAILFISH.

OH, YES.

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS,

I'VE NEVER TRIED TO BRING IN
A FISH THAT CAN SWIM THIS FAST.

THAT'LL HAPPEN
VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

IT'S JUST JUMPING THERE
IN THE DISTANCE.

I'M GONNA COME TO THAT SIDE.

HERE WE GO.

THIS FISH CAN STRIP LINE
IN EXPLOSIVE BURSTS,

APPROACHING
70 MILES PER HOUR.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL
GET SOME LINE BACK IN.

JUMPS.
JUMP, JUMP, JUMP, JUMP, JUMP.

AND AGAIN.

I'M GONNA GO RUN TO
THE FRONT, RUN TO THE
FRONT, RUN TO THE FRONT.

IF I CAN
KEEP IT ON THE HOOK,

IT SHOULD TIRE ENOUGH
FOR ME TO BRING IT IN.

SLOWLY GAINING LINE.

SAILFISH HAVE BEEN KNOWN
TO IMPALE FISHERMEN

DURING THE STRUGGLE
TO BRING THEM ONBOARD.

THIS IS A REAL FIRST FOR ME.

SAILFISH.

THAT'S THE REASON
IT'S CALLED THAT.

THIS FISH IS SAID TO BE

THE FASTEST FISH
ON THE PLANET TODAY.

CLOCKED AT NEARLY
70 MILES AN HOUR.

THE SAIL
IS A BIT OF A MYSTERY.

SOME SAY IT'S USED
TO CORRAL SMALLER FISH.

OTHERS, THAT IT IMPROVES
MANEUVERABILITY.

BUT WHEN IT'S DOWN,
I CAN SEE HOW CLOSELY

THIS FISH SHARES
A BODY PLAN WITH XIPHACTINUS.

IT'S JUST THIS STREAMLINED,
TUBULAR SHAPE BUILT FOR SPEED.

VERY
CHARACTERISTIC-SHAPED TAIL,

LIKE A BIT OF
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING.

IT'S ALMOST IDENTICAL
TO THE GIANT FOSSIL TAIL.

SO, TOO,
ARE THE PECTORAL FINS.

BUT THAT'S WHERE
THE SIMILARITIES END.

XIPHACTINUS HAD JAWS THAT COULD
BITE FISH LIKE THIS IN HALF.

THE XIPHACTINUS WAS THE BIGGEST
FISH OF THIS GENERAL BODY DESIGN

THAT'S EVER LIVED.

IT GREW UP TO
ABOUT 20 FEET LONG.

85 MILLION YEARS AGO,
XIPHACTINUS HUNTED OPEN WATERS

FOR FAST-SWIMMING FISH
AS BIG AS I AM.

AND THOSE PREY FISH
HAD TO BE FAST

BECAUSE IN THE OPEN OCEAN,
THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE.

IN TERMS OF
SPEED, SIZE, AND HARDWARE,

XIPHACTINUS
HAS TO BE UP THERE

AS ONE OF THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTERS

THAT'S EVER LIVED.

BUT ONE PREHISTORIC LEVIATHAN
GREW TO THREE TIMES ITS LENGTH.

AND WITH MONSTERS,
SIZE COUNTS FOR A LOT.

AND THERE'S ONE
MODERN-DAY BEHEMOTH

SHARING THESE WATERS
WITH THE SAILFISH,

WHICH CAN GIVE ME
A SENSE OF THAT SCALE.

I'VE NEVER TRIED
TO GO AFTER A FISH THIS BIG,

AND I'M STARTING TO WONDER
IF I SHOULD.

A DARK SHADOW BETRAYS
A GIANT BENEATH THE SURFACE.

EMERGING FROM THE GLOOM IS
NOT A WHALE BUT A WHALE SHARK,

THE LARGEST FISH
ON THE PLANET TODAY.

THAT THING IS JUST MASSIVE.

IT'S A GOOD 20-FOOT LONG.

BUT THAT'S A SMALL ONE. THEY
GROW TO ABOUT TWICE THAT LENGTH.

THAT IS THE SIZE AND WEIGHT
OF A SCHOOL BUS.

BUT COMPARED
WITH WHAT CAME BEFORE,

THE WHALE SHARK
IS SMALL FRY.

INCREDIBLE.

HUGE AS THESE THINGS ARE,
EVEN A FULLY GROWN ONE

IS SMALLER THAN THE BIGGEST FISH
THAT EVER LIVED.

THAT WAS ABOUT
THE SIZE OF A TRAIN CAR.

THIS PREHISTORIC,
SHADOWY BEAST

HAS TO BE A CONTENDER

FOR THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTER EVER.

IT PATROLLED
OUR PLANET'S WATERS

LONG BEFORE GIANTS
LIKE WHALE SHARKS OR WHALES

CAME ON THE SCENE.

THE SHEER SCALE OF THE
BIGGEST-EVER RIVER MONSTER

IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ONLY
BE APPRECIATED OUTDOORS.

NORMALLY,
WHEN I GO TO THE BEACH,

I'M THERE
TO BRING IN A MONSTER.

I NEVER GET
TO PLAY IN THE SAND.

TODAY I'M GOING TO CREATE
MY OWN LIFE-SIZE IMAGE

OF THIS CONTENDER
FOR THE ULTIMATE RIVER MONSTER.

FROM THE TIP OF THE SNOUT
TO THE END OF ITS TAIL,

WE'RE TALKING
MORE THAN 50 FEET.

SO, YOU COULD LINE ME UP
EIGHT TIMES ALONG ITS LENGTH.

AND AT UP TO 12 FEET LONG,

YOU COULD LINE UP
TWO OF ME ALONG EACH FIN.

THIS FISH WAS LIKE
A GIANT OCEAN GLIDER.

THEN, THERE'S
ITS ENORMOUS MOUTH.

IT HAD A HUGE GAPE.

I COULD PRETTY MUCH
WALK INTO ITS MOUTH.

BUT I WOULDN'T FIND
ANY SAVAGE FANGS IN THERE.

THIS GIANT ATE PLANKTON, LIKE
THE LARGEST WHALES DO TODAY.

LONG BEFORE WHALES
CAME ON THE SCENE,

LEEDSICHTHYS WAS THE FIRST
PLANKTON-EATING LEVIATHAN.

NO BONY-SKELETONED FISH

HAS EVER GROWN
NEAR THIS SIZE AGAIN.

IT MAY HAVE TOPPED 20 TONS,

YET IT FLEW THROUGH PREHISTORIC
OCEANS LIKE A GREAT GLIDER.

AND ONCE
LEEDSICHTHYS VANISHED,

IT WOULD BE
MANY MILLIONS OF YEARS

BEFORE ANY OTHER
PLANKTON FEEDER

APPROACHED
ITS PHENOMENAL SIZE.

THERE'S NO DENYING

THAT THE LEEDSICHTHYS
IS AN UNSURPASSED GIANT,

BUT DESPITE
ITS MONSTROUS SIZE,

I THINK THE ULTIMATE
RIVER MONSTER

HAS TO BE A PREDATOR,
A DEADLY HUNTER.

THAT STILL LEAVES XIPHACTINUS

AS THE STRONGEST CONTENDER
SO FAR.

BUT I'VE JUST FOUND OUT

THAT ONE OF THE MOST FEARED
FRESHWATER FISH ALIVE TODAY,

THE PIRANHA...

[ MAN SCREAMS ]

...HAD A GIANT,
EVEN MORE HORRIFIC

PREHISTORIC RELATIVE.

ENTER MEGA PIRANHA.

MY HUNT FOR THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTER THAT EVER LIVED

HAS UNEARTHED A SINISTER AMBUSH
PREDATOR, AN AQUATIC LEVIATHAN,

AND A FANGED TORPEDO.

NOW I'VE DISCOVERED EVIDENCE
FOR WHAT MIGHT BE

MY MOST BLOODTHIRSTY CONTENDER
SO FAR.

THESE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW A UNIQUE
AND VERY DISTURBING FOSSIL

FROM THE BANKS
OF THE RIO PARANá IN ARGENTINA.

IT'S PART OF A FISH'S JAW
WITH THREE TEETH.

BASED ON THE SIZE AND CURVATURE
OF THIS JAW FRAGMENT,

ITS OWNER WAS A GIANT PIRANHA
THREE FEET LONG.

IF IT WAS SWIMMING
ALONGSIDE ME,

IT WOULD EXTEND
FROM MY HEAD TO MY WAIST.

AND IF
THE MEGA PIRANHA SHARED

THE AGGRESSIVE PACK-HUNTING
BEHAVIOR OF THESE GUYS...

[ MAN SCREAMS ]

...THEN THE MEGA PIRANHA
IS A TRULY TERRIFYING CANDIDATE

FOR THE BADDEST
RIVER MONSTER OF ALL TIME.

BUT WITH
NOTHING ELSE TO GO ON,

HOW CAN I
BRING THIS BEAST TO LIFE?

I'M GOING TO SCALE UP
THE PIRANHA'S BODY

TO MATCH SCIENTISTS' ESTIMATES
OF MEGA PIRANHA.

I'VE ALSO HAD THE PIRANHA'S
SKULL LASER-SCANNED,

THEN SCALED UP
AND 3-D-PRINTED.

THE BIGGEST PIRANHA
THAT'S EVER LIVED,

WITH THE DEADLIEST SMILE
I'VE EVER SEEN.

THIS COULD TAKE A HAND OFF,
AND THAT'S JUST FOR STARTERS.

I CAN SCARCELY
BEGIN TO IMAGINE

WHAT A PACK OF HUNGRY MEGA
PIRANHAS MIGHT BE CAPABLE OF.

EVEN A SCHOOL
OF RED-BELLIED PIRANHAS,

THE MOST FEARED FISH
IN THE AMAZON TODAY,

WOULDN'T STAND A CHANCE
AGAINST MEGA PIRANHA.

BUT WE ONLY HAVE
A SINGLE, SOLITARY FOSSIL

FOR THIS ENTIRE SPECIES.

WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT ITS BEHAVIOR.

IF IT WAS A PACK HUNTER,

THEN I PITY
ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WATER.

BUT NOT ALL PIRANHAS
HUNT IN PACKS.

SO, DESPITE
ITS HORRIFIC TEETH,

I'M GONNA PARK THIS ONE
UNTIL MORE EVIDENCE TURNS UP.

WHICH IS EXACTLY
WHAT HAS HAPPENED

WITH ANOTHER FIERCELY ARMED
PREHISTORIC PREDATOR.

I'VE HEARD FROM A SCIENTIST

WHO'S JUST SOLVED
A FIENDISH, CENTURY-OLD PUZZLE

ABOUT A MUCH BIGGER,
STRANGER,

AND POSSIBLY
MORE DEADLY CONTENDER.

THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT
FROM MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO

OF A GREAT DISCOVERY
BY A RUSSIAN SCIENTIST --

ALEXANDER KARPINSKY.

AND THIS IS THE STRANGE FOSSIL
AT THE HEART OF THE PUZZLE.

AT FIRST SIGHT,

THIS FOSSIL LOOKS LIKE
THE FAMILIAR AMMONITE,

BUT IN KARPINSKY'S FOSSIL,
THESE ARE TEETH.

KARPINSKY NAMED
THE MYSTERY FISH HELICOPRION,

WHICH MEANS "SPIRAL SAW."

TO PUT THAT
INTO MORE MODERN LANGUAGE,

LET'S CALL IT
THE BUZZ SAW KILLER.

TO BUILD A BETTER PICTURE
OF THIS KILLER CONTENDER,

I'M HEADING TO IDAHO,

WHERE THESE WEIRD WEAPONS
KEEP TURNING UP.

THE SITE
OF THIS PHOSPHATE MINE

IS NOW MORE THAN 600 MILES
FROM THE COAST,

BUT ONCE, IT WAS AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE SEA OF PHOSPHORIA,

A SHALLOW,
VIRTUALLY LANDLOCKED SEA,

WHICH WAS HOME
TO A POPULATION OF HELICOPRION.

AND LAST YEAR,

DR. LEIF TAPANILA
FROM IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY,

SOLVED THE CENTURY-OLD MYSTERY

OF HOW THESE LETHAL
BLADE SPIRALS WERE USED

BY ANALYZING A UNIQUE
AND NOW-PRICELESS SPECIMEN.

SO, THAT IS IT.
THAT IS THE FOSSIL.

LOOKING AT THIS, THE FIRST THING
I THINK YOU THINK OF IS,

"IT LOOKS
LIKE A SAW BLADE."

BUT THIS FOSSIL ISN'T UNIQUE
FOR WHAT'S ON THE SURFACE,

BUT FOR WHAT LIES BENEATH.

DR. TAPANILA USED C.T. X-RAYS
TO SCAN THE FOSSIL

AND REVEALED,
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME,

THE CARTILAGE JAWS THAT HELD
THE BIZARRE TOOTH WHIRL.

THE NEXT STEP

WAS TO BRING THESE JAWS TO LIFE
WITH 3-D PRINTING.

AND THIS IS THE RESULT.

THIS IS AN EXACT
ONE-TO-ONE REPLICATION

OF WHAT'S
IN THE ROCK, TO SCALE.

LIFE SIZE.
LIFE SIZE.

YOU'RE HOLDING A HELICOPRION
THAT NO ONE EVER HAS TOUCHED.

THE ONLY THING THAT'S
MISSING FROM THIS NOW
IS THE TOOTH WHIRL.

THIS ANIMAL
IS MEANT TO EAT MEAT.

BUT NOT BONE.

VERY LITTLE WEAR
HAS BEEN FOUND ON ANY TEETH,

SUGGESTING
THESE TOOTH WHIRLS

WERE DESIGNED TO EAT BONELESS
PREY, LIKE SQUID OR SHARKS.

THIS WHIRL BELONGED
TO A BUZZ SAW KILLER

THE SIZE OF A GREAT WHITE,

BUT THEY GOT
A LOT BIGGER THAN THAT.

WE HAVE SPIRALS THAT GO UP
OVER 2 1/2 FEET IN DIAMETER,

WHICH MEANS THE SKULL IS NOW
PUSHING US UP TO FOUR FEET

AND GIVES US AN ANIMAL
THAT REACHES WELL PAST 20, 25,

MAYBE EVEN UP TO 30 FEET
FOR THE LARGEST HELICOPRIONS.

WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE,

I'M ABLE TO IMAGINE
SUCH A BEAST IN ACTION,

PERHAPS ON A MOONLIT NIGHT,

WHEN ANCIENT SQUID,
CALLED BELEMNITES,

GATHER NEAR
THE SEA BED TO MATE.

ANY FISH ARMED
WITH A WEAPON LIKE THIS

HAS TO RANK VERY HIGHLY

ON THE LIST OF THE DEADLIEST
RIVER MONSTERS EVER.

FOR ME, SHEER SIZE
AND INCREDIBLE WEAPONRY

PUSH THE BUZZ SAW KILLER
WAY AHEAD OF THE XIPHACTINUS.

BUT NOW MY CHALLENGE
IS TO FIND OUT

IF THERE'S ANYTHING BIGGER,
BADDER, OR EVEN MORE TERRIFYING

THAT CAN POSSIBLY RIVAL IT.

I'M ON AN EPIC MISSION
AROUND THE WORLD

TO HUNT DOWN THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTER THAT EVER LIVED.

LET ME TAKE YOU ON
A JOURNEY BACK THROUGH TIME.

IF THIS LINE HERE
REPRESENTS TODAY

AND THIS LINE HERE REPRESENTS
400 MILLION YEARS AGO,

THEN ALL THE MONSTERS
THAT I'M HUNTING

ARE SOMEWHERE
IN THIS SPACE.

NOW, THE VAST MAJORITY
OF FISH ALIVE TODAY

ARE THE SO-CALLED
RAY-FINNED FISH.

THEY'VE GOT VERY OBVIOUS
BONY RAYS IN THEIR FINS.

THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF THESE SPECIES,

INCLUDING PIRANHAS,
TIGERFISH, AND CATFISH.

THIS GROUP IS ALSO HOME TO
XIPHACTINUS, THE LEEDSICHTHYS,

AND MEGA PIRANHA.

BUT WHEN YOU DIG BACK
INTO THE FOSSIL RECORD,

THE NUMBER OF RAY-FINNED FISH
STEADILY DIMINISHES

UNTIL THERE ARE NONE AROUND.

THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT GROUP
OF FISH AROUND TODAY

ARE THE SHARKS
AND THEIR RELATIVES.

SHARKS ORIGINATED
SIGNIFICANTLY FURTHER BACK

THAN THE RAY-FINNED FISH.

THIS WAS THE ERA
OF THE EEL SHARK

AND THE BUZZ SAW KILLER.

BUT THERE WAS
ANOTHER GROUP OF FISH.

THEY WERE ON THE SCENE
FOR MORE THAN 50 MILLION YEARS,

BUT THEN THEY ALL
BECAME EXTINCT.

THERE ARE NO DESCENDANTS
ALIVE TODAY.

THESE WERE THE PLACODERMS,
OR PLATE SKINS,

ANCIENT ARMORED FISH THAT
STARTED A MONUMENTAL ARMS RACE.

NOT ONLY WERE THEIR HEADS
ENCASED IN BONY ARMOR,

BUT THESE WERE ALSO
THE PREHISTORIC FISH

THAT PIONEERED AND PERFECTED
BITING JAWS.

AND ONE ARMORED FISH

GREW INTO A GARGANTUAN
BONE-CRUNCHING GIANT...

...THE DUNKLEOSTEUS.

AND THIS IS HOW BIG
ITS HEAD ARMOR WAS.

SOMEHOW, I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT
WHETHER THIS LONG-EXTINCT BEAST

IS THE GREATEST RIVER MONSTER
THAT EVER LIVED.

THERE'S ONLY ONE LIVING FISH
I KNOW THAT EVEN APPROACHES

THE ANCIENT ANCESTRY,
GIANT SIZE, AND ARMOR PLATING

OF THE DUNKLEOSTEUS.

IT LURKS
IN THE DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE

OF CANADA'S FRASER CANYON IN
THE WILDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

BUT FISHING HERE
IS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.

THIS IS TREMENDOUSLY DEEP,
POWERFUL, TURBULENT WATER.

AND EVEN THOUGH I'VE
BEEN FISHING A LONG TIME,

I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF
THAT IT'S POSSIBLE

FOR CREATURES TO LIVE AND HUNT
IN WATER LIKE THIS.

WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD BE DOWN
AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS WATER?

YEAH, SO, WE'RE ALL SET.
BAITS ARE DOWN.

JUST WAITING NOW.

BELOW ME,
THESE CHURNING WATERS

PLUNGE IN TO MORE THAN
150 FOOT OF DARKNESS.

BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT,

THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
LINE MOVEMENT AND ROD MOVEMENT.

BUT WHEN A FISH
TAKES ONE OF THOSE BAITS,

IT SHOULD BE
FAIRLY UNMISTAKABLE.

HERE.

THAT'S A GOOD SIZE,
I THINK.

LET'S DO THAT ONE.

I'M GOING BACK
MILLIONS OF YEARS

TO UNEARTH THE GREATEST
RIVER MONSTER OF ALL TIME.

IN CANADA'S FRASER CANYON,

I'M SEARCHING FOR THE ONLY
ARMORED GIANT ALIVE TODAY

THAT CAN SHED LIGHT

ON WHAT COULD BE MY
STRONGEST CONTENDER SO FAR --

...THE DUNKLEOSTEUS,
OR BONE CRUSHER.

[ REEL CLICKING ]

Wade:
HERE WE GO, A CHANCE TO GET
A LITTLE BIT OF LINE BACK.

[ GRUNTS ]

I THINK IT MIGHT BE
APPROACHING THE SURFACE.

HERE WE GO. HERE WE GO.
HERE WE GO. HERE WE GO.

YEP, HERE WE GO.

AHH!

THERE IT IS. THERE IT IS.

IT'S A 140-POUND
WHITE STURGEON,

THE LARGEST FISH
IN NORTH AMERICAN RIVERS.

STURGEON BELONG
TO THE MOST ANCIENT GROUP

OF RAY-FINNED FISH
AROUND TODAY.

AND THEY'RE INCREDIBLY
LONG-LIVED.

184 1/2.

THAT'S JUST OVER SIX FOOT,
ISN'T IT?

HEAVY FISH. TWO OF US STRUGGLING
TO HOLD THIS UP BRIEFLY.

BUT BY STURGEON STANDARDS,
THIS ISN'T BIG.

THEY GROW UP TO THREE TIMES
THE LENGTH OF THIS --

HARD TO BELIEVE.

THAT'S AROUND THE SAME
SIZE RANGE AS THE BONE CRUSHER.

THE STURGEON'S BONY PLATES
ARE UNUSUAL IN LIVING FISH,

AND ITS BODY
HELPS ME IMAGINE

THE STRENGTH AND POWER
OF THE BONE CRUSHER'S BODY.

IT REALLY
IS A STRANGE-LOOKING BEAST,

BUT BACK WHEN THESE
STARTED TO EMERGE,

THIS LOOK WAS ACTUALLY
VERY COMMON -- ARMOR PLATING.

AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW
REMNANTS OF THAT AGE

THAT SURVIVES
TO THIS DAY.

THIS STURGEON
HAS GIVEN ME LIVING CLUES

TO A LOST ARMORED PREDATOR.

IT'S GOING. IT'S GOING.

BUT TO FIND
THE LAST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE,

I'M HEADING
BACK TO THE U.S.,

TO THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY,

TO COME FACE-TO-FACE
WITH THE VERY FIRST

OCEAN-GOING APEX PREDATOR --
THE DUNKLEOSTEUS.

AND THIS IS IT.
THIS IS DUNKLEOSTEUS.

AND I HAVE TO SAY,
I'M HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE

BELIEVING THAT THIS
WAS ACTUALLY A FISH.

IT'S UNLIKE ANYTHING
I'VE CAUGHT OR SEEN

OR ANYTHING THAT'S ALIVE
ON THE PLANET TODAY.

BASED ON THE REMAINS
OF CLOSE RELATIVES,

EXPERTS HERE
THINK THE BONE CRUSHER

REACHED LENGTHS
OF AROUND 20 FEET.

AND YOU JUST CAN'T FAIL
TO NOTICE THESE HUGE FANGS.

THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY TEETH,
BUT SHARPENED, BARE JAWBONES.

IT'S ESTIMATED
THAT THE BONE CRUSHER

COULD SLAM ITS JAWS SHUT

WITH A FORCE OF AROUND
8,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH

INSIDE 5/100ths OF A SECOND --

POSSIBLY THE STRONGEST
FISH BITE EVER

AND HORRIFICALLY MORE POWERFUL
THAN ANY CREATURE ALIVE TODAY.

AND WHAT
ALL OF THIS TELLS US

IS THAT THIS WASN'T A FISH
THAT MERELY GRABBED PREY,

WHICH HAD TO BE SMALL ENOUGH
TO SWALLOW WHOLE.

THIS COULD SLICE THROUGH
FLESH AND BONE,

WHICH MEANT IT COULD
GO AFTER MUCH LARGER PREY

AND BITE CLEAN MOUTHFULS
OUT OF THEM.

AND THIS TOOK PREDATION
TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

AS A CONTENDER FOR THE ULTIMATE
PREHISTORIC RIVER MONSTER,

THE BONE CRUSHER
IS HITTING HARD.

BUT THERE'S ONE MORE
GROUP OF FISH

WITH EVEN MORE
FORMIDABLE ROOTS.

THE ARMORED FISH WEREN'T THE
ONLY OTHER GROUP OF ANCIENT FISH

THRIVING BACK HERE
IN PREHISTORY.

THERE WERE ALSO
THE LOBE FINS.

THEY ARE STILL
HANGING ON BY A THREAD.

THERE'S ONLY
A HANDFUL LEFT,

AND THE MOST FAMOUS
IS THE COELACANTH.

IT WAS THOUGHT
TO BE EXTINCT

UNTIL ONE WAS FOUND IN
THE INDIAN OCEAN IN THE 1930s.

WHEN IT WAS FIRST FOUND,

THE COELACANTH
WAS NICKNAMED "OLD FOUR LEGS"

BECAUSE OF ITS STRANGE,
FLESHY, PAIRED FINS,

WHICH LOOKED LIKE
SIMPLE LIMBS.

IT'S A NICKNAME THAT'S VERY APT
BECAUSE WAY BACK IN PREHISTORY,

SOME LOBE FINS BRANCHED OFF
TO EVENTUALLY BECOME

ALL MODERN-DAY
FOUR-LIMBED VERTEBRATES,

INCLUDING US.

AND ONE PREHISTORIC
LOBE-FINNED COUSIN

WAS A GARGANTUAN HEAVYWEIGHT,
A 23-FOOT, 4-TON RIVER MONSTER.

THE RHIZODONT --

...A PREDATORY
FRESHWATER FISH

THE SIZE AND WEIGHT
OF A KILLER WHALE.

330 MILLION YEARS AGO,

THEY HUNTED
LAKES AND RIVERS IN SCOTLAND.

THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO THE
HUNTERIAN MUSEUM IN GLASGOW,

IT WAS TO SEE THE PLESIOSAUR,
THE REPTILE SOME BELIEVE

IS BEHIND THE BIGGEST AQUATIC
MONSTER MYTH OF ALL TIME --

LOCH NESS.

BUT I'VE HEARD THAT MASSIVE
RHIZODONT TEETH FOUND NEAR HERE

LEAVE THE PLESIOSAUR'S
DEADLY HARDWARE IN THE DUST.

RHIZODONT
MEANS "ROOTED TOOTH,"

AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE
FROM WHERE THE ENAMEL ENDS

THAT FULLY HALF OF THIS WEAPON
WAS BURIED IN THE JAWBONE.

THIS TUSK
WAS CLEARLY DESIGNED

TO DRIVE INTO FLESH AND BONE
AND RIP PREY APART.

NOW, THE SIZE OF THE TEETH
SUGGESTS LARGE PREY.

AND AT 23 FEET LONG, THIS FISH
HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH MUSCLE

TO TAKE ON ANYTHING ELSE
IN THE WATER.

BUT APART FROM ITS HUGE TUSKS
AND FANGS, MOST OF ITS REMAINS

ARE THE BONY SCALES THAT MADE UP
A SUIT OF FULL-BODY ARMOR.

THERE'S NO FISH ALIVE TODAY
THAT COMES ANYWHERE NEAR

THE RHIZODONT'S SIZE,
APPEARANCE, AND AGGRESSION.

BUT IN AUSTRALIA, THERE IS
A RIVER MONSTER THAT DOES --

...THE ESTUARINE CROCODILE.

TO COMPLETE
THIS NIGHTMARISH PICTURE,

I'LL STARE
INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH

TO BRING THE GARGANTUAN
RHIZODONT TO LIFE.

MY WORLDWIDE HUNT

FOR THE BIGGEST, BADDEST
RIVER MONSTER OF ALL TIME

HAS FINALLY BROUGHT ME
TO THE RHIZODONT.

THE SIZE OF A KILLER WHALE
AND ARMED WITH 10-INCH TUSKS,

NO FRESHWATER FISH
COMES CLOSE

TO THE RHIZODONT'S
SCALE AND POWER.

BUT THE WORLD'S
LARGEST REPTILE DOES.

HIS MISSING LIMBS

ARE THE PRICE A TOP PREDATOR
PAYS TO STAY AT THE TOP.

AT 18 FEET LONG, CHOPPER
IS THREE TIMES MY LENGTH,

BUT THE GIANT RHIZODONT

COULD HAVE BEEN
ANOTHER FIVE FEET LONGER.

WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO SORT OF
CALM MYSELF DOWN A LITTLE BIT

AND GET INTO
PROPER OBSERVATION MODE.

THIS GIANT AQUATIC PREDATOR

DEPLOYS THE SAME AMBUSH
STRATEGY AS THE RHIZODONT,

AND THE POWER OF THAT STRIKE
IS ROOTED IN THE TAIL.

IT'S HALF THE BODY LENGTH, SO
ON AN 18-FOOT ANIMAL LIKE THIS,

YOU'VE GOT A 9-FOOT TAIL.

AND THAT'S JUST SOLID MUSCLE.

IT WORKS IN THE SAME WAY
AS A FISH'S TALE,

AND IT'S ALL ABOUT PROPULSION.

JUDGING BY SIZE ALONE,
THE RHIZODONT'S MASSIVE TAIL

MUST HAVE PACKED MORE THAN
TWICE THE CROC'S MUSCLE POWER.

IT'S AN UNCOMFORTABLY
CLOSE VIEW I'M GETTING

OF THE TEETH AND JAW
OF THIS ANIMAL.

THESE CROCS HAVE
THE STRONGEST RECORDED BITE

OF ANY ANIMAL ALIVE TODAY --

CLOSE TO 4,000
POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH

FOR A BEAST THIS SIZE.

A 23-FOOT, 4-TON RHIZODONT

MIGHT PACK
MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT.

CHOPPER HAS GIVEN ME
A VISCERAL INSIGHT

INTO THE AWESOME
KILLER POTENTIAL

OF THIS PREHISTORIC FISH.

I'M STARTING TO THINK

THE RHIZODONT COULD EVEN
OUT-BITE THE BONE CRUSHER.

IT'S TIME TO PUT
THIS GARGANTUAN FISH

IN CONTEXT IN SCOTLAND,

WHERE IT TERRORIZED
LAKES AND RIVERS

330 MILLION YEARS AGO.

MY JOURNEY
HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD

HAS GIVEN ME THE FINAL
INFORMATION I NEEDED

TO PICTURE THIS RIVER MONSTER'S
GENERAL BODY PLAN AND SIZE.

NOW I'M TRYING TO IMAGINE THE
WORLD THAT THAT BEAST LIVED IN.

MILLIONS OF YEARS BEFORE
SOLID ICE CARVED OUT THE LOCHS,

RHIZODONT STALKED PREY
AS BIG AS A MAN

IN MURKY,
SLOW-FLOWING WATERS.

AT THE END OF MY SEARCH

FOR THE GREATEST RIVER MONSTER
OF ALL TIME,

IT'S A VERY CLOSE CONTEST

BETWEEN THE BONE CRUSHER...

...AND THE RHIZODONT.

BUT I NOW KNOW
WHERE I'D PLACE MY BET.

SO, FOR ME,
THERE'S NO QUESTION --

THE RHIZODONT IS THE ULTIMATE
PREHISTORIC RIVER MONSTER.