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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: Birds today
are the masters of the skies.
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But they were not
the first creatures to fly,
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00:00:57,990 --> 00:01:00,620
and they are certainly
not the biggest.
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The first large animals
to leave the ground
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were so extraordinary
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they're almost beyond imagination.
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They were reptiles.
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(PTEROSAURS SQUAWKING)
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Pterosaurs.
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They evolved into
a huge variety of species.
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(GROWLING)
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Some, the size of aeroplanes,
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were the largest creatures
ever to fly.
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They could travel half way
around the world in a single flight.
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And the pterosaurs'
extraordinary abilities
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enabled them to dominate the skies
of the prehistoric Earth
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for a 1 50 million years.
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But, why did these magnificent beasts
take to the air in the first place?
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How did they fly?
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00:02:52,020 --> 00:02:56,480
And why, after such success,
did they vanish?
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Something very remarkable happened
around 220 million years ago.
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The planet then
was a very different place.
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It was much drier, for a start,
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but, in the tropics
there were rainforests,
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and then, as now,
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they were the focus of a great deal
of varied wildlife.
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In the detail however,
they were very different.
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Most notably, there were
no large creatures in the air.
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No bats. No birds.
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The stage was set
for a remarkable advance
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in the history of life.
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At that time, the only animals
that could fly were insects.
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They were tempting food for reptiles.
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But if a reptile were to catch them,
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it, too, would have to take to the air.
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And a hint, of how
they might first have done so
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can be seen in an animal
that is alive today.
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This little lizard called Draco,
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is found throughout
the forests of Southeast Asia.
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And it must certainly have had,
in the far distant past,
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lizard ancestors and cousins
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that looked very much like it.
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Like them, it finds it food, insects,
throughout the forest.
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And to do that,
it has to get around.
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And it has a very interesting way
of doing that.
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Draco is an excellent climber.
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Light in weight and with powerful
gripping claws,
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it can run along the branches
of the highest trees
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in pursuit of its prey.
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But Draco faces a problem.
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How can it travel
from one tree to the next
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without going all the way back down
to the ground and then up again?
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The way it has evolved of doing so,
gives us a clue
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as to how early reptiles
may first have taken to the air.
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It jumps.
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But it does more than just leap.
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It extends the width of its body
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by opening flaps of skin
along its flanks,
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and they enable it to glide.
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Draco may give us the right idea
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as to how gliding, flying,
amongst the reptiles started.
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But one thing is certain.
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Flapping flight, powered flight,
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remained the preserve
of the insects for a very long time.
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And then, one group of reptiles
developed even that.
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And the evidence of how they did so
is really very intriguing.
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This is Dorset,
on England's south coast.
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And this is where my journey
into the past begins.
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A 90 mile stretch of shoreline here
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can tell us a lot
about the evolution of flight.
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This is the Jurassic Coast.
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Its rocks are full of fossils
of prehistoric creatures,
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including evidence of the first
backboned animals ever to fly.
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But wasn't until the 1 9th century
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that scientist started
putting together those clues
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to form a detailed picture
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of one of the most dramatic periods
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in the whole of the history of life.
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And they had an unlikely ally.
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A middle aged woman
from the local town,
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who used to come out
to scour these cliffs for those clues.
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She'd come in all weathers,
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but particularly,
after there had been heavy storms,
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which might have removed
some section of the cliff,
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and so exposed specimens
that no one had ever seen before.
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Her name was Mary Anning.
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Mary is, for me,
the heroine of this remarkable story.
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She had an almost unbelievable
talent for unearthing fossils.
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00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,890
In the early 1 800s,
science was still the preserve of men.
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00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,980
Yet, what she managed
to unearth,
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brought academics flocking
to her hometown of Lyme Regis.
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00:10:00,990 --> 00:10:03,870
So extraordinary
were her achievements
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that some called her,
''The Princess of Palaeontology''.
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00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,340
When you consider
Mary Anning's status,
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a woman from
a working class background,
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with no formal education
to speak of,
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it may seem strange that she acquired
such a prestigious reputation,
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until, that is, you see what it was
that she discovered.
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The Natural History
Museum in London.
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It holds one of the most comprehensive
collections of fossils in the world.
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And those Mary Anning discovered
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are among the very best,
and the most important.
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00:11:06,470 --> 00:11:10,940
A whole section of the museum
is filled with her finds.
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00:11:13,810 --> 00:11:17,940
Most of the creatures she collected
were giant aquatic reptiles,
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fish eating monsters
that dominated the seas.
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00:11:23,820 --> 00:11:26,200
But she found other things, too.
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00:11:26,290 --> 00:11:30,210
One of them in particular
is the key to our story.
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00:11:33,830 --> 00:11:35,420
In 1 828,
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Mary Anning made one of
her most sensational discoveries.
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This is it.
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It's a small animal,
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but its head is missing,
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and its spine is missing,
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00:11:48,220 --> 00:11:50,680
but what remains is fascinating.
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Here's its pelvis,
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its upper leg, its lower leg,
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and there is its foot with its toes.
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And here is its arm,
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which ends with a hand with fingers.
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00:12:12,710 --> 00:12:16,960
Except that one of these fingers
is hugely elongated,
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it runs all the way along here.
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And Mary Anning probably realised
what that meant.
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It meant that that long finger
supported a wing.
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00:12:31,390 --> 00:12:34,060
And as more specimens
were discovered,
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00:12:34,140 --> 00:12:37,610
it was realised that this was certainly
a reptile with a wing,
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so, it was called ''Pterosaur''.
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''Winged lizard''.
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Mary Anning had found the blueprint
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for the first large animals ever to fly.
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00:13:02,260 --> 00:13:04,300
A creature that set the pattern
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00:13:04,380 --> 00:13:06,800
for a whole new phase
of aerial evolution.
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It lived 200 million years ago,
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at a time when the planet
was very different from today.
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00:13:25,070 --> 00:13:26,660
Much of it was tropical.
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00:13:30,660 --> 00:13:32,240
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
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00:13:36,290 --> 00:13:37,920
(INSECT BUZZING)
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00:13:42,590 --> 00:13:43,800
(GRUNTING)
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The early dinosaurs were rising
to dominance.
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And flying high above them
were the pterosaurs
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of the kind whose bones
Mary Anning had discovered.
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00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,610
Dimorphodon.
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00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:13,450
Up here in the trees,
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they were safe from those
predatory dinosaurs
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down on the ground.
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And there were plenty of flying insects
for them to catch and eat.
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00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,950
But these early flying reptiles
were pioneers.
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And it maybe that,just occasionally,
they were a little clumsy on the wing.
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(SQUAWKING)
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(SQUAWKING)
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Sometimes, as their bodies lay
on the sea floor,
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they were slowly covered with mud,
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that over millenia,
eventually turned to stone.
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Fossils of pterosaurs
have been discovered
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in many parts of the world.
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In Africa, Asia and South America.
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But the very first were found here,
at Solnhofen, in Southern Germany.
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00:16:09,940 --> 00:16:13,030
This limestone has been quarried
for building purposes,
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since Roman times.
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00:16:22,250 --> 00:16:24,170
But those who work here
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sometimes find something
far more valuable
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than just roof tiles.
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The discoveries made here
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make this one of the most important
places in all over the world
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for anybody who's interested
in pterosaurs.
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And the perfection
of their preservation
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has enabled us to unlock
many of the secrets
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about how these
wonderful animals flew.
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The Solnhofen limestone
formed on the floor
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of a shallow tropical lagoon,
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protected from the currents
of the open sea by a reef.
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So, its waters were still,
and they were few currents
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to disturb the rotting bodies.
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(GRUNTING)
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The rock here is really extraordinary.
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00:17:28,150 --> 00:17:33,280
When it's fresh, it's very solid,
hard building stone.
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Excellent.
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But when the frost gets at it,
it begins to split.
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00:17:38,370 --> 00:17:40,280
And when it's really weathered,
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you can open blocks of it
like leaves of a book.
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Like that, for example.
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And sometimes there's something
written on these leaves,
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but mostly
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nothing.
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00:17:59,890 --> 00:18:01,970
And maybe for...
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(CHUCKLING)
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I was going to say,
''Maybe there's nothing.''
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But, on this one,
there's a perfect little ammonite,
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a shellfish.
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This quarry has produced so many fossils
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00:18:19,490 --> 00:18:24,200
that the town's castle has been
turned into a museum to house them.
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The majority are sea creatures,
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but sometimes, there are animals
that fell into the water
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from the skies above.
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Pterosaurs.
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Here is one that did.
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It's a kind called Rhamphorhynchus.
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00:18:48,140 --> 00:18:52,270
Not only are its bones still connected,
as they were in life,
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00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,730
you can even see something
of its soft parts.
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00:18:58,110 --> 00:19:02,950
This one of the most perfect
pterosaur fossils ever found.
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00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:08,370
And it's a miracle, bearing in mind
it's a 1 50 million years old,
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00:19:08,460 --> 00:19:11,830
and yet it's complete
in all the tiny details.
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00:19:18,380 --> 00:19:20,880
It had a long bony tail,
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long toes on its feet.
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00:19:31,650 --> 00:19:36,110
Its spine and its ribs still connected.
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00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,740
Its jaws have long teeth
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00:19:44,830 --> 00:19:48,620
which would've enabled it to snatch fish
from the surface of the lagoon.
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00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:59,800
But the most fascinating parts
of its anatomy are its wings.
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00:20:01,510 --> 00:20:06,180
They are supported as in all pterosaurs
by a hugely elongated finger.
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00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,440
This is the wing membrane,
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00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,150
which, in life, would have been
less than a millimetre thick,
211
00:20:17,230 --> 00:20:21,070
and yet, it's so perfectly preserved
you can see within it
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00:20:21,150 --> 00:20:24,070
all the tiny details of
little structures
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00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,330
that would have given
that membrane strength.
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00:20:32,410 --> 00:20:35,830
There are rows of tiny fibres
called actinofibrils,
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00:20:36,710 --> 00:20:39,590
which may have given it
precise muscular control
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00:20:39,670 --> 00:20:41,630
right across the wing surface.
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00:20:46,430 --> 00:20:48,510
You can also see from this fossil
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00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,310
how pterosaurs managed their wings
when they weren't flying.
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00:20:57,060 --> 00:21:01,280
Here, at the base of this long finger,
220
00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:02,990
is the miracle joint,
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00:21:03,070 --> 00:21:07,700
which enabled the pterosaurs
to move their fingers in any direction.
222
00:21:07,780 --> 00:21:10,370
And that was a huge advantage
223
00:21:10,450 --> 00:21:14,960
because it allowed them
to fold up their wings when they landed.
224
00:21:16,540 --> 00:21:18,090
(SQUAWKING)
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00:21:33,810 --> 00:21:36,980
The pterosaurs had evolved
a brilliant first solution
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00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,150
to the problems of travelling
through the air.
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00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,160
But they were about to become
even better aeronauts.
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00:21:51,490 --> 00:21:55,870
About 50 million years
after the first winged pterosaur
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00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,790
came something much more advanced.
230
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,050
It lived in a region of the planet
that is now China.
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00:22:11,350 --> 00:22:12,850
Its skeleton was unearthed
232
00:22:12,930 --> 00:22:15,770
by one of the world's leading
experts on pterosaurs,
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00:22:16,060 --> 00:22:17,600
Dr David Unwin.
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00:22:17,850 --> 00:22:23,070
So, here's one of the pterosaurs
that we found last year in China.
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00:22:24,070 --> 00:22:26,450
ATTENBOROUGH:
He named it after Charles Darwin.
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00:22:29,110 --> 00:22:30,450
Darwinopterus.
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00:22:31,660 --> 00:22:33,700
ATTENBOROUGH:
Gosh, it's very beautiful.
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00:22:33,830 --> 00:22:35,790
It's almost complete, isn't it?
239
00:22:35,870 --> 00:22:38,000
UNWIN: It's absolutely complete.
240
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,130
We can tell that from things
like this long tail,
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00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,300
that we're dealing with a rather
primitive kind of pterosaur.
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00:22:46,380 --> 00:22:49,300
These are classic features
of that group.
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00:22:49,970 --> 00:22:53,640
But revelation came
when we looked at the neck,
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00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:57,850
and in particular at the skull,
because that's quite astonishing.
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00:23:01,730 --> 00:23:04,110
ATTENBOROUGH: Why, it's huge, isn't it?
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00:23:04,190 --> 00:23:05,530
I mean, that's...
247
00:23:06,150 --> 00:23:07,740
longer than the body.
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00:23:10,070 --> 00:23:12,570
UNWIN: The jaws themselves
are really very powerful
249
00:23:12,660 --> 00:23:15,540
and it's got some
big pointed teeth as well.
250
00:23:17,330 --> 00:23:21,420
This is a skull which looks like that
of a really advanced pterosaur.
251
00:23:21,830 --> 00:23:25,420
But, the rest of the body
looks really quite primitive.
252
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:30,430
So we've got this weird mix
of characters, primitive and advanced.
253
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,430
This is a little bit
like Frankenstein's monster.
254
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:44,690
(ROARING)
255
00:23:53,620 --> 00:23:56,910
ATTENBOROUGH: The big head and
pointed teeth of Darwinopterus
256
00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,000
makes it clear
that this was a predator.
257
00:24:01,210 --> 00:24:04,040
So it must have been
very agile in the air.
258
00:24:17,060 --> 00:24:20,480
But, this pterosaur
wasn't just eating insects.
259
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,560
Pterosaur wings were clearly
very efficient in the air.
260
00:25:08,730 --> 00:25:10,780
But they evolved at a cost.
261
00:25:13,820 --> 00:25:15,490
(PTEROSAUR SHRIEKING)
262
00:25:25,420 --> 00:25:29,960
Using wireframe computer simulations
of pterosaur movement,
263
00:25:30,050 --> 00:25:33,840
David Unwin has investigated
how they moved on the ground.
264
00:25:38,010 --> 00:25:42,310
UNWIN: What I've done is feed to
the vital statistics of this pterosaur
265
00:25:42,390 --> 00:25:43,680
into the computer,
266
00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:47,480
and build this model
that you can see on the screen.
267
00:25:51,780 --> 00:25:54,990
ATTENBOROUGH: It's easy to see that
walking on flat surfaces
268
00:25:55,070 --> 00:25:57,070
would have been quite difficult for it.
269
00:25:58,450 --> 00:26:00,490
Did they always move around like that?
270
00:26:01,330 --> 00:26:03,910
Well, we can try and get him to stand
271
00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,870
just on the hind limbs alone,
like a bird,
272
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,000
but when you do that,
273
00:26:09,460 --> 00:26:12,670
the thing you can see
is not very well balanced at all.
274
00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,670
Looks quite unstable, and worst still,
275
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,590
the tail is actually
catching on the ground.
276
00:26:23,470 --> 00:26:25,140
(PTEROSAUR CALLING SOFTLY)
277
00:26:28,230 --> 00:26:33,860
So, now we can see him standing,
in this four-legged pose.
278
00:26:37,030 --> 00:26:39,990
The winged membranes,
which are attached to the hind limbs,
279
00:26:40,070 --> 00:26:41,240
get in the way somewhat.
280
00:26:41,330 --> 00:26:44,160
It doesn't look
all that comfortable on the ground.
281
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,290
And in fact, when we look at the claws
on the hands and the toes,
282
00:26:48,370 --> 00:26:50,580
we find that they're
really not well suited
283
00:26:50,670 --> 00:26:52,840
to life on the ground at all.
284
00:26:53,380 --> 00:26:55,050
Where's he off to now?
285
00:26:57,170 --> 00:26:58,340
(ATTENBOROUGH EXCLAIMS)
286
00:26:58,430 --> 00:26:59,760
(LAUGHING)
287
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,180
And now we see,
it looks a lot more happy,
288
00:27:02,260 --> 00:27:04,220
just hanging up there,
289
00:27:04,310 --> 00:27:07,140
just as they would have done
on trees and cliffs...
290
00:27:07,230 --> 00:27:09,190
-Yeah.
-...back in the Jurassic.
291
00:27:09,940 --> 00:27:10,980
(EXCLAIMS)
292
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:12,900
(CHUCKLES)
293
00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,240
ATTENBOROUGH: So, early pterosaurs,
with their long tails,
294
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,320
probably spent most of their time
hanging from vertical surfaces
295
00:27:20,410 --> 00:27:23,240
like cliffs and the trunks of trees.
296
00:27:30,370 --> 00:27:33,380
But, if they were to spread
beyond those environments,
297
00:27:33,460 --> 00:27:36,590
they would have to change
the shape of their bodies.
298
00:27:40,510 --> 00:27:44,140
This fossil is 1 40 million years old.
299
00:27:46,180 --> 00:27:49,440
It has the enlarged head
of an advanced pterosaur,
300
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,190
but its tail is different.
301
00:27:51,270 --> 00:27:52,940
It's become much shorter.
302
00:27:59,530 --> 00:28:03,070
And this short-tail species
wasn't alone.
303
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,870
It was clearly
a very successful modification.
304
00:28:10,830 --> 00:28:14,960
There were many like it,
with these new style short-tails
305
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,460
and reduced hind flight membranes.
306
00:28:31,190 --> 00:28:35,440
Here, in France, at Crayssac,
in the valley of the Lot,
307
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,150
discoveries have been made
that give us a unique insight
308
00:28:39,230 --> 00:28:42,240
into the lives of these
new style pterosaurs.
309
00:28:47,580 --> 00:28:52,250
The short-tail creatures that appeared,
are called ''pterodactyls''.
310
00:28:53,170 --> 00:28:54,830
This is one of them.
311
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:56,960
The loss of the tail
312
00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,170
had given them greater mobility
in the air,
313
00:28:59,250 --> 00:29:02,420
but at the cost of
a certain amount of stability.
314
00:29:02,510 --> 00:29:06,470
But also, the membrane
between the two legs, have split.
315
00:29:06,550 --> 00:29:09,560
And that too,
probably helped them in steering.
316
00:29:10,140 --> 00:29:13,270
But flying
was only part of their lives.
317
00:29:21,780 --> 00:29:24,740
The sea in which these
limestones formed,
318
00:29:24,820 --> 00:29:26,870
was here quite shallow.
319
00:29:26,950 --> 00:29:29,450
And not far away, there was a beach.
320
00:29:29,990 --> 00:29:35,290
And there, pterosaurs left particularly
vivid evidence of their presence.
321
00:29:40,130 --> 00:29:43,090
Fossils, not of the animals themselves,
322
00:29:43,170 --> 00:29:46,550
but traces that only
revealed themselves after dark.
323
00:29:53,350 --> 00:29:57,270
The best way to look for fossils here,
is at night.
324
00:29:57,810 --> 00:30:00,900
Because then, you can control the light,
325
00:30:00,980 --> 00:30:04,190
and makes sure that it shines
almost horizontally
326
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,240
across the surface of the rock.
327
00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,280
And so, expose every tiny
little mark and ripple.
328
00:30:25,970 --> 00:30:30,350
The muddy sand here
was once soft, but firm.
329
00:30:30,430 --> 00:30:34,850
And in consequence, it retained the
tracks of animals that moved over it.
330
00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,900
In fact, there are so many of them here,
331
00:30:40,980 --> 00:30:45,360
that it seems that this particular beach
was a kind of pterosaur runway.
332
00:30:53,950 --> 00:30:55,870
Here is a track
333
00:30:55,950 --> 00:31:00,750
that extends for 1 1 feet,
between three and four metres.
334
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,130
The most distinct tracks
are made by the feet.
335
00:31:05,340 --> 00:31:07,590
There's one, there's another,
336
00:31:09,090 --> 00:31:10,680
there's another.
337
00:31:10,890 --> 00:31:13,350
But, outside these footprints,
338
00:31:13,390 --> 00:31:16,520
there are other,
rather more indistinct prints,
339
00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,770
which are made
by the knuckles of the hand,
340
00:31:19,850 --> 00:31:22,110
without the little finger,
which, of course,
341
00:31:22,190 --> 00:31:25,030
is enormously extended,
and it supports the wing membrane,
342
00:31:25,110 --> 00:31:27,150
and is cocked up in the air.
343
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,030
There's one, there's another,
344
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,240
there's another,
and there's another.
345
00:31:35,870 --> 00:31:38,160
And when you examine
the footprints,
346
00:31:38,370 --> 00:31:42,710
you can see that they have
four toes.
347
00:31:43,170 --> 00:31:44,840
Not five, four.
348
00:31:45,050 --> 00:31:49,630
That's a sign that these were made
by short-tailed pterosaurs.
349
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,720
And the distance
between the feet varies.
350
00:31:54,050 --> 00:31:57,520
Sometimes it's relatively short,
sometimes it's longer.
351
00:31:57,890 --> 00:32:01,190
And that's because
these animals moved at different speeds.
352
00:32:01,310 --> 00:32:04,860
When they were moving at speed,
they took bigger strides.
353
00:32:05,770 --> 00:32:10,400
So, these show,
this marvellous deposit shows that
354
00:32:10,490 --> 00:32:14,450
short-tails, on the ground,
were really very nimble indeed.
355
00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,500
And that's probably because
the membrane between the legs,
356
00:32:19,580 --> 00:32:22,210
in the short-tails,
has been divided.
357
00:32:22,830 --> 00:32:24,750
So the legs have more freedom.
358
00:32:35,390 --> 00:32:37,100
(SQUAWKING)
359
00:33:06,670 --> 00:33:12,010
So, the short-tail species were able to
get about on the ground pretty well.
360
00:33:12,470 --> 00:33:14,010
And that was important,
361
00:33:14,090 --> 00:33:17,680
because this enabled them
to exploit new sources of food.
362
00:33:18,470 --> 00:33:23,440
Indeed, it might be the case
that the future of the pterosaurs
363
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,020
was assured, for some time at least,
364
00:33:26,110 --> 00:33:30,230
not by their ability to fly,
but their ability to walk.
365
00:33:51,590 --> 00:33:53,510
This ability to walk
366
00:33:53,590 --> 00:33:56,590
had a profound effect
on pterosaur evolution.
367
00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,180
There's evidence
that from this time on,
368
00:34:04,270 --> 00:34:07,100
all kinds of new species
began to emerge
369
00:34:07,190 --> 00:34:09,980
that fed on a wide range
of different food.
370
00:34:12,860 --> 00:34:17,910
The short-tails proceeded to diversify
into a great number of different forms,
371
00:34:17,990 --> 00:34:21,040
finding food
in a great variety of places.
372
00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,870
And you can tell what they ate
by their skulls.
373
00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:29,170
This one for example,
374
00:34:29,250 --> 00:34:32,550
has, what look like
a pair of tweezers on the front,
375
00:34:33,300 --> 00:34:34,670
and very rounded teeth.
376
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,680
It is thought to have been able
to dig out,
377
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:42,470
cockles and mussels from the sand
and crush them.
378
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,310
So, this was walking on the ground.
379
00:34:47,270 --> 00:34:51,570
This one, on the other hand,
found its food while it was on the wing.
380
00:34:52,150 --> 00:34:55,940
And that it dipped down
and seized big fish,
381
00:34:56,070 --> 00:34:58,450
which it stabbed
with these teeth.
382
00:34:58,910 --> 00:35:04,620
And then, carried off in its jaws
to rip apart, perhaps on the ground.
383
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:11,250
Others had dense rows of teeth
that were so thin
384
00:35:11,340 --> 00:35:13,380
they were scarcely more than bristles.
385
00:35:14,050 --> 00:35:17,930
That enabled these animals
to use their jaws like sieves
386
00:35:18,010 --> 00:35:22,890
to filter out small crustaceans
such as shrimps and other small morsels.
387
00:35:26,930 --> 00:35:29,940
And some
lost their heavy teeth altogether
388
00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:31,690
and evolved beaks.
389
00:35:32,230 --> 00:35:35,070
Adaptations like these
were probably influenced,
390
00:35:35,150 --> 00:35:37,610
not only by
the different ways of eating,
391
00:35:37,700 --> 00:35:41,030
but by the universal need
of all flying animals,
392
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,200
to keep their weight down
to a minimum.
393
00:35:49,250 --> 00:35:51,630
So, by about 80 million years ago,
394
00:35:51,670 --> 00:35:54,800
the short-tailed pterosaurs
dominated the skies.
395
00:35:57,510 --> 00:36:00,680
Not only were they catching
flying insects in mid-air,
396
00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,930
they were snatching food
from the surface of the seas
397
00:36:04,010 --> 00:36:05,970
and filtering it from the shallows.
398
00:36:10,020 --> 00:36:12,650
This was the pterosaur's heyday.
399
00:36:28,290 --> 00:36:31,870
One species in particular
symbolises their success.
400
00:36:34,340 --> 00:36:36,210
It's called Pteranodon.
401
00:36:42,380 --> 00:36:46,100
It was the most common pterosaur
of its time,
402
00:36:46,180 --> 00:36:48,180
and it was also very big.
403
00:36:53,150 --> 00:36:57,230
It measured about 1 8 feet
from wingtip to wingtip.
404
00:37:11,330 --> 00:37:15,500
But how did such large animals
manage to stay airborne?
405
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,970
You can see the answer
in this fossilized bone.
406
00:37:25,720 --> 00:37:27,100
It's hollow.
407
00:37:30,180 --> 00:37:34,230
It's been treated with acid,
so that you can see inside it.
408
00:37:34,810 --> 00:37:39,940
And inside, it's got a network of struts
to support the bone.
409
00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:42,780
So, it was very, very lightweight.
410
00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:49,450
The full extent of these cavities,
is revealed by x-rays.
411
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:56,420
And a cross-section shows that they had
another and very valuable function.
412
00:37:59,460 --> 00:38:02,920
This is the upper arm bone
of a pterosaur.
413
00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:06,140
And at the top, it has a hole.
414
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,850
And that's a clue,
as to how they generated power.
415
00:38:10,100 --> 00:38:13,480
Because it was connected
by a tube to the lungs,
416
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,350
and internally, to these cavities.
417
00:38:18,270 --> 00:38:20,150
So, it was in there,
418
00:38:20,730 --> 00:38:25,240
that the pterosaur was able to store air
and the oxygen that it contained.
419
00:38:25,610 --> 00:38:29,450
And from that, it could get the power
when it really needed it.
420
00:38:33,870 --> 00:38:37,370
With all these ingenious
adaptations for flight,
421
00:38:37,460 --> 00:38:40,590
the pterosaurs now
had the freedom of the skies.
422
00:38:47,050 --> 00:38:52,180
But, a new kind of flying reptile
had been evolving away from the coast,
423
00:38:52,260 --> 00:38:54,520
in the forests farther inland.
424
00:38:55,180 --> 00:38:59,440
And its arrival would have enormous
consequences for the pterosaurs.
425
00:39:06,610 --> 00:39:09,490
In that remarkable quarry in Germany,
426
00:39:09,570 --> 00:39:12,030
another amazing discovery was made.
427
00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,920
Among all those
shellfish, shrimps and fish,
428
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,420
something utterly new
had appeared.
429
00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:32,760
There can be no doubt about what it is.
430
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:36,060
It's a feather.
431
00:39:39,020 --> 00:39:41,270
And a few months after its discovery,
432
00:39:41,810 --> 00:39:44,110
a quarryman found
the fossil of the animal
433
00:39:44,190 --> 00:39:46,320
to which it must have belonged.
434
00:39:49,070 --> 00:39:52,990
Its outstretched wings
made it quite clear to anyone
435
00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,790
that this was an animal that could fly.
436
00:39:56,410 --> 00:39:58,790
They called it Archaeopteryx.
437
00:40:01,250 --> 00:40:04,040
And this is what it
may have looked like in life.
438
00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:08,920
The feathers on its wings
are strong and rigid.
439
00:40:09,130 --> 00:40:13,550
So, they don't need to be attached
to the legs, as membranes do,
440
00:40:14,350 --> 00:40:17,640
and it leaves the legs free,
so that they could run.
441
00:40:18,890 --> 00:40:22,270
The head doesn't have
a lightweight beak,
442
00:40:22,350 --> 00:40:23,860
like modern birds.
443
00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:26,230
But it's still very much
the head of a reptile
444
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,240
with bony jaws and teeth in it.
445
00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,240
And, the tail, too,
446
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,490
has a line of bones
running down its legs,
447
00:40:34,580 --> 00:40:36,620
just like a lizard's tail.
448
00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,870
So, this is half reptile, half bird.
449
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,260
We now know,
that Archaeopteryx was not alone.
450
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,680
There were several different kinds
of feathered reptiles
451
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,680
living about this time.
452
00:40:54,470 --> 00:40:58,520
Their skeletons are very rare,
perhaps because they lived inland,
453
00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,190
where conditions for fossilization
were not as good as they were
454
00:41:02,270 --> 00:41:04,020
in the coastal seas.
455
00:41:09,990 --> 00:41:14,070
But it's clear that the pterosaurs
now had rivals in the sky.
456
00:41:16,910 --> 00:41:18,410
And, perhaps, in response,
457
00:41:18,490 --> 00:41:21,960
they began to evolve
in some quite extraordinary ways.
458
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:33,260
In Texas, aeronautical engineers
are trying to understand the pterosaur,
459
00:41:33,340 --> 00:41:37,010
that is surely one of
the oddest creatures that ever flew.
460
00:42:02,710 --> 00:42:05,710
It had a simply enormous
head crest.
461
00:42:10,420 --> 00:42:12,760
It's called Tapejara.
462
00:42:17,550 --> 00:42:22,140
This reconstruction of it
is the result of seven years of study
463
00:42:22,220 --> 00:42:25,730
by evolutionary biologist
Dr Sankar Chatterjee.
464
00:42:29,900 --> 00:42:33,280
He used data from fossils
discovered in Brazil,
465
00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,320
and he has advanced some
revolutionary theories
466
00:42:36,410 --> 00:42:39,450
as to how this animal used
its amazing body.
467
00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:43,870
This huge crest
468
00:42:44,870 --> 00:42:48,500
was developed in some kind,
like a motion sensor,
469
00:42:48,580 --> 00:42:51,960
so they could pick up if there's
a disturbance in the wind,
470
00:42:52,050 --> 00:42:53,920
and they could relay it
to the inner ear,
471
00:42:54,050 --> 00:42:56,180
which is a very large ear,
472
00:42:56,260 --> 00:42:58,340
and which is like a gyroscope.
473
00:42:58,470 --> 00:43:01,930
So, nerves in this
go down into the brain?
474
00:43:02,010 --> 00:43:03,270
Brain.
475
00:43:03,350 --> 00:43:07,770
So, any factor working on this
is going to be relayed to the brain.
476
00:43:07,850 --> 00:43:08,980
Relayed to the...
477
00:43:09,060 --> 00:43:11,400
It's almost like autopilot device.
478
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:15,530
You know, it's a sensor,
also, it is a beautiful steering device.
479
00:43:15,610 --> 00:43:17,990
This is much more extreme
than any other.
480
00:43:18,070 --> 00:43:19,320
Extreme. Right.
481
00:43:19,410 --> 00:43:22,700
So, what could this do
that the others couldn't do?
482
00:43:23,450 --> 00:43:27,000
One of things, as I said,
they could turn very quickly.
483
00:43:27,370 --> 00:43:30,830
So it's like steering,
it's like a rudder in front.
484
00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,380
So, this enabled them in fact,
to be more aerobatic?
485
00:43:34,460 --> 00:43:35,510
Aerobatic, yes.
486
00:44:12,130 --> 00:44:16,380
ATTENBOROUGH: Some specimens
of Tapejara show that it had fur.
487
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,890
And that suggests
that it was warm-blooded.
488
00:44:27,140 --> 00:44:30,770
Warm blood enables an animal
to generate the abundant energy
489
00:44:30,850 --> 00:44:33,310
that's needed for aerobatics.
490
00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:34,770
(SQUAWKING)
491
00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:47,950
But, Dr Chatterjee has another
492
00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:51,120
imaginative and
controversial interpretation
493
00:44:51,210 --> 00:44:54,000
of Tapejara's bizarre anatomy.
494
00:44:55,420 --> 00:44:59,130
What we have found special
in this model, we did some simulations.
495
00:45:00,170 --> 00:45:02,800
That is, when they simply
raise their wing,
496
00:45:02,890 --> 00:45:04,260
they could also sail.
497
00:45:04,350 --> 00:45:08,060
You think that it could not only
fly in the air,
498
00:45:08,180 --> 00:45:10,390
but it went down to sail on the sea,
is that right?
499
00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:11,640
There's a very good chance
500
00:45:11,730 --> 00:45:14,270
when they land on water
during their foraging,
501
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:19,320
because they are probably hot-blooded,
they need lots of food, lots of fish.
502
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,490
And during the foraging,
maybe the whole daytime,
503
00:45:22,570 --> 00:45:25,370
you know, they will just
eat and eat and eat.
504
00:45:25,450 --> 00:45:28,120
So, how to move?
How to cover the large area?
505
00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:32,410
And it looks like that it was
a beautiful sailing animal.
506
00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:34,290
Just like a sail boat.
507
00:45:34,580 --> 00:45:37,840
Did the head crest have a function
when it was on the water?
508
00:45:38,670 --> 00:45:40,010
I think so.
509
00:45:40,170 --> 00:45:43,380
Basically, when they're sailing,
the head crest would be
510
00:45:43,470 --> 00:45:47,350
just like a jib, you know,
the very front sail of a sailing boat.
511
00:45:47,430 --> 00:45:49,520
And these two would be the main sail.
512
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:53,060
And simply by, you know,
arranging these three sails,
513
00:45:53,140 --> 00:45:54,850
they could really sail very fast.
514
00:45:58,070 --> 00:45:59,400
(SQUAWKING)
515
00:46:05,860 --> 00:46:08,870
ATTENBOROUGH: Swans and geese
today sometimes lift their wings,
516
00:46:08,950 --> 00:46:10,830
to catch gusts of air.
517
00:46:10,910 --> 00:46:13,370
A behaviour called
'goose-winging''.
518
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:19,460
So perhaps, Tapejara did indeed
do something similar.
519
00:46:27,010 --> 00:46:30,850
But big head crests had
a much more likely function.
520
00:46:31,970 --> 00:46:33,770
(SQUAWKING)
521
00:46:34,810 --> 00:46:38,730
There are clues of what that might be
in animals alive today.
522
00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,530
Like this colony of gannets
on Bass Rock,
523
00:46:42,610 --> 00:46:44,320
off the coast of Scotland.
524
00:46:50,830 --> 00:46:52,700
Pterosaurs doubtless
525
00:46:52,790 --> 00:46:56,750
would have lived in great groups
around the ancient coastlines.
526
00:46:56,830 --> 00:47:00,040
And living in tightly packed
communities,
527
00:47:00,130 --> 00:47:01,670
then, as now,
528
00:47:01,750 --> 00:47:05,220
must have led to all kinds
of dramas.
529
00:47:05,470 --> 00:47:08,260
Just as it does in communities
like this one.
530
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:10,140
(SQUAWKING)
531
00:47:19,730 --> 00:47:22,110
Gannets nesting close to one another
532
00:47:22,230 --> 00:47:25,030
squabble with their neighbours
over food and territory.
533
00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:27,780
(SQUAWKING)
534
00:47:31,660 --> 00:47:35,290
Pterosaurs doubtless also
competed with one another,
535
00:47:35,330 --> 00:47:37,830
for the attentions of the opposite sex.
536
00:47:49,180 --> 00:47:50,300
(CHITTERING)
537
00:48:06,610 --> 00:48:07,820
(SQUAWKING)
538
00:48:18,910 --> 00:48:20,870
So, perhaps Tapejara
539
00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:24,460
used its huge head crest
in displays to its mate
540
00:48:24,550 --> 00:48:25,710
during the breeding season.
541
00:48:28,590 --> 00:48:32,010
And indulged in the same sort of
strutting performances
542
00:48:32,090 --> 00:48:34,640
that so many birds do today.
543
00:48:46,030 --> 00:48:47,940
(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
544
00:48:51,110 --> 00:48:56,330
After their courtship, pterosaurs,
just like birds, laid eggs.
545
00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:03,960
This fossilized egg,
546
00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:07,760
which is about the same size
as one of these gannet eggs,
547
00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,970
is actually the egg
of a pterosaur.
548
00:49:11,630 --> 00:49:14,930
And although it's squashed flat,
it's marvellously preserved,
549
00:49:15,010 --> 00:49:17,510
so you can see details
of the bone inside.
550
00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:21,940
The head,
as you'd expect with a bird head,
551
00:49:22,020 --> 00:49:23,350
is quite well formed.
552
00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:25,650
It's amongst these massive bones here.
553
00:49:28,190 --> 00:49:33,030
But whereas a bird's wings
will hardly be formed at this stage,
554
00:49:33,240 --> 00:49:35,450
here, the pterosaur wings
555
00:49:35,530 --> 00:49:38,870
have got these
well formed bones in them.
556
00:49:39,700 --> 00:49:42,870
And that leads us to one
extraordinary conclusion.
557
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:48,250
A pterosaur chick, when it hatched,
558
00:49:48,380 --> 00:49:51,090
was almost immediately able to fly.
559
00:49:56,680 --> 00:50:01,390
The bones of the pterosaur embryo
reveal another extraordinary fact.
560
00:50:02,890 --> 00:50:06,060
They develop in a way
quite different from birds.
561
00:50:08,070 --> 00:50:10,570
And what is more,
they continue to do so,
562
00:50:10,650 --> 00:50:13,320
even after the young have hatched.
563
00:50:16,160 --> 00:50:19,160
This led to some species
becoming gigantic.
564
00:50:32,550 --> 00:50:35,430
Here, in the south western
United States,
565
00:50:35,510 --> 00:50:37,470
close to the Mexican border,
566
00:50:37,510 --> 00:50:41,680
evidence was found
of the largest animal ever to fly.
567
00:50:46,270 --> 00:50:48,480
A pterosaur so gigantic,
568
00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:52,110
that for years,
some scientists refused to believe
569
00:50:52,190 --> 00:50:53,860
that it could have existed.
570
00:51:00,830 --> 00:51:02,830
Seventy million years ago,
571
00:51:02,910 --> 00:51:06,620
the area was a hot, lush floodplain.
572
00:51:14,550 --> 00:51:18,220
I've come here to meet
fossil hunter, Doug Lawson.
573
00:51:22,390 --> 00:51:25,890
And here, Doug made one of the most
remarkable discoveries
574
00:51:25,980 --> 00:51:28,560
in the history of pterosaur research.
575
00:51:30,610 --> 00:51:35,280
On the side of the sandstone hill
was this one isolated ball.
576
00:51:35,490 --> 00:51:39,200
And you might have thought,
''Well, it's just another dinosaur,''
577
00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:43,200
except the material of this animal
578
00:51:43,290 --> 00:51:46,750
was very thin, very light individual.
579
00:51:47,580 --> 00:51:51,630
And, uh, it was difficult because,
580
00:51:51,710 --> 00:51:54,000
actually, if you thought
it was pterosaur,
581
00:51:54,090 --> 00:51:57,170
then the bone that you were
gonna be comparing it to
582
00:51:57,260 --> 00:52:00,720
was usually the size
of a grain of rice.
583
00:52:01,050 --> 00:52:04,930
And this bone was bigger
than a grapefruit.
584
00:52:05,350 --> 00:52:07,730
And it was covered with sandstone,
585
00:52:07,810 --> 00:52:09,810
so it was very difficult
to see what it was.
586
00:52:09,900 --> 00:52:15,150
But I finally figured out that
it was the wrist of the animal.
587
00:52:15,230 --> 00:52:17,070
And pterosaur wrists are unique.
588
00:52:17,530 --> 00:52:20,490
So, given that,
when we had these other
589
00:52:21,870 --> 00:52:24,620
pieces of bone
that we discovered in the location,
590
00:52:25,660 --> 00:52:27,830
you'd come to understand
how big that was.
591
00:52:27,910 --> 00:52:31,330
This is just the upper arm bone
of the specimen.
592
00:52:31,420 --> 00:52:33,210
-This...
-Yeah, yeah.
593
00:52:33,380 --> 00:52:35,590
And looking at this you realise,
594
00:52:35,630 --> 00:52:39,630
''Wow, we have something
that's dinosaur sized.
595
00:52:39,680 --> 00:52:41,010
''But it's a pterosaur.''
596
00:52:41,590 --> 00:52:44,680
Now, you could not have prevented
yourself from saying,
597
00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:46,270
''How big is this?''
598
00:52:46,350 --> 00:52:48,730
Oh, yeah, right.
Then you'd say, ''Wow...''
599
00:52:48,810 --> 00:52:50,440
Okay, we've...
600
00:52:50,520 --> 00:52:55,900
So, based on what we have,
the estimate was about 50 feet.
601
00:52:56,230 --> 00:52:57,440
-Wingspan?
-Yeah.
602
00:52:57,690 --> 00:52:59,190
Yeah, 50 foot wingspan.
603
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:02,570
-I mean that... That is gigantic.
-Oh, yeah, definitely.
604
00:53:02,660 --> 00:53:03,950
ATTENBOROUGH: Mind blowing.
605
00:53:04,030 --> 00:53:05,780
Did people believe it?
606
00:53:05,870 --> 00:53:07,540
LAWSON: Well, there was some question.
607
00:53:07,660 --> 00:53:11,620
No other pterosaur was even
half the size of this one.
608
00:53:11,670 --> 00:53:16,710
And the fact that something so large
that could fly,
609
00:53:16,750 --> 00:53:21,340
there was almost an aerodynamic question
of whether this could even be.
610
00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:26,350
ATTENBOROUGH:
It was a truly astounding discovery.
611
00:53:30,230 --> 00:53:33,150
His creature had wings
that were so large,
612
00:53:33,230 --> 00:53:36,360
they could easily have spanned
the width of this building.
613
00:53:42,740 --> 00:53:46,740
It lived 70 million years ago,
during the Cretaceous period.
614
00:54:16,110 --> 00:54:18,440
(LOW GROWL)
615
00:54:29,030 --> 00:54:30,870
It stood 20 feet high.
616
00:54:31,120 --> 00:54:34,000
So tall it could look a giraffe
in the eye.
617
00:54:35,710 --> 00:54:38,040
This was Quetzalcoatlus.
618
00:54:39,500 --> 00:54:42,550
Named after
the Serpent God of the Aztecs.
619
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:48,600
It was probably a scavenger.
620
00:54:49,220 --> 00:54:52,890
Using its long neck to probe
deep into the carcasses
621
00:54:52,980 --> 00:54:54,640
of dead dinosaurs.
622
00:55:28,300 --> 00:55:31,850
Any small animal
foolish enough to get in its way
623
00:55:31,930 --> 00:55:34,480
was likely to meet a grizzly end.
624
00:55:34,770 --> 00:55:36,140
(LIZARD SQUEALING)
625
00:55:51,700 --> 00:55:55,330
But how did the giant Quetzalcoatlus
get off the ground?
626
00:55:57,250 --> 00:56:01,630
The answer may be found inside
the pterosaur arm bones.
627
00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:08,590
There are two things
you have to get right,
628
00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:12,720
if an animal the size of a giraffe,
like Quetzalcoatlus,
629
00:56:12,810 --> 00:56:14,220
is to get into the air.
630
00:56:14,850 --> 00:56:17,230
Weight and power.
631
00:56:17,810 --> 00:56:20,560
And a close examination of the bones,
632
00:56:20,650 --> 00:56:23,320
show how the pterosaurs did that.
633
00:56:33,280 --> 00:56:36,620
A scan of the arm bone
of Quetzalcoatlus
634
00:56:36,700 --> 00:56:40,120
shows that just like those
of other pterosaurs,
635
00:56:40,210 --> 00:56:41,380
it was hollow.
636
00:56:46,670 --> 00:56:49,550
This animal was very lightweight.
637
00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:53,970
It may have been the size
of a giraffe,
638
00:56:54,050 --> 00:56:57,060
but it was no heavier than
two human beings.
639
00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:10,490
But at the very top of the arm,
the bone is very different.
640
00:57:11,700 --> 00:57:16,120
All these supporting struts line up
in one direction.
641
00:57:17,660 --> 00:57:21,370
And that gives us a clue as to how
the animal got airborne.
642
00:57:36,060 --> 00:57:38,600
The upper arms were reinforced
643
00:57:38,680 --> 00:57:41,980
so that they could withstand
the sudden burst of great power
644
00:57:42,060 --> 00:57:43,730
without breaking.
645
00:57:46,730 --> 00:57:48,980
The animal used all four
of its limbs
646
00:57:49,070 --> 00:57:50,690
as a giant catapult.
647
00:57:51,150 --> 00:57:55,030
To launch its body skyward
at 35 miles an hour.
648
00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:02,670
It used a quadrupedal launch.
649
00:58:12,170 --> 00:58:14,300
But how did it actually fly?
650
00:58:22,560 --> 00:58:25,770
There is a practical way
of finding out.
651
00:58:35,110 --> 00:58:39,910
A modern glider is about the same size
as that giant pterosaur.
652
00:58:40,540 --> 00:58:43,370
It too, has long slender wings.
653
00:58:43,460 --> 00:58:46,460
And it too, is extremely light.
654
00:58:48,590 --> 00:58:51,710
This flying machine is so lightweight,
655
00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:54,010
it doesn't even need an engine.
656
00:58:54,340 --> 00:58:58,390
All it requires is a tow
to get it into the air.
657
00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:23,580
This is the nearest I will ever get
to experiencing the magic
658
00:59:23,660 --> 00:59:26,250
of Quetzalcoatlus in flight.
659
00:59:52,860 --> 00:59:54,530
(CALLING)
660
01:00:11,420 --> 01:00:13,380
With its giant wingspan,
661
01:00:13,460 --> 01:00:16,170
this was the largest animal
ever to fly.
662
01:00:22,300 --> 01:00:25,890
Quetzalcoatlus kept its wing beats
to a minimum.
663
01:00:28,310 --> 01:00:30,150
It was a living glider.
664
01:00:46,160 --> 01:00:48,660
And it had much more detailed control
665
01:00:48,750 --> 01:00:52,960
that even the most advanced
and sophisticated of modern aircraft.
666
01:00:55,050 --> 01:00:57,670
(OVER RADIO)
We are controlling our flight,
667
01:00:57,760 --> 01:01:00,760
using at least in part, our tail.
668
01:01:01,220 --> 01:01:02,970
However,
669
01:01:03,050 --> 01:01:07,060
whereas powered aeroplanes have tails
and birds have tails,
670
01:01:07,140 --> 01:01:11,150
advanced pterosaurs like Quetzalcoatlus
671
01:01:11,190 --> 01:01:12,730
didn't have a tail.
672
01:01:12,810 --> 01:01:15,900
So, steering must have been
much more difficult,
673
01:01:15,980 --> 01:01:19,450
and would have required
very considerable brain power.
674
01:01:20,240 --> 01:01:24,620
But there was,
people think, a payoff to that.
675
01:01:24,990 --> 01:01:26,700
Because without a tail,
676
01:01:26,790 --> 01:01:30,000
Quetzalcoatlus was even more
manoeuvrable,
677
01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:31,870
than we are in this.
678
01:01:42,340 --> 01:01:45,470
Quetzalcoatlus doubtless used
many of the techniques
679
01:01:45,550 --> 01:01:47,810
employed by human glider pilots.
680
01:01:47,890 --> 01:01:49,020
(SCREECHES)
681
01:01:53,810 --> 01:01:57,820
To maintain our height,
we need to find a thermal.
682
01:01:57,900 --> 01:02:02,990
That's those columns of warm air
that rise from patches of the landscape,
683
01:02:03,070 --> 01:02:06,870
that heat well in the sun,
like patches of rock.
684
01:02:07,410 --> 01:02:09,080
You can tell where they are,
685
01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:13,000
because white fluffy clouds
form at the top of them.
686
01:02:13,750 --> 01:02:17,210
And there's one over there,
and we're going to have to get to it
687
01:02:17,250 --> 01:02:19,590
if we're going to maintain our height.
688
01:02:34,100 --> 01:02:37,610
It's been estimated
that by exploiting thermals,
689
01:02:37,690 --> 01:02:43,240
Quetzalcoatlus could travel some
1 0,000 miles in a single flight.
690
01:02:43,280 --> 01:02:47,240
And that is almost half
the circumference of the entire planet.
691
01:03:06,220 --> 01:03:09,390
It might even be that
like some eagles today,
692
01:03:09,510 --> 01:03:14,060
these flying giants undertook
long migratory journeys every year.
693
01:03:57,900 --> 01:04:03,110
And so, a 1 50 million years after
they had first appeared,
694
01:04:03,190 --> 01:04:06,650
the pterosaurs were at
their most spectacular.
695
01:04:22,540 --> 01:04:23,960
(SCREECHING)
696
01:04:53,450 --> 01:04:57,540
And then, suddenly, they vanished.
697
01:05:25,900 --> 01:05:30,200
A meteor that crashed into Earth
65 million years ago
698
01:05:30,280 --> 01:05:35,200
is often blamed for the extinction
of the dinosaurs and the pterosaurs.
699
01:05:37,620 --> 01:05:41,120
But the truth is that
their fate was already sealed
700
01:05:41,210 --> 01:05:43,250
millions of years before that moment,
701
01:05:44,380 --> 01:05:48,050
by the early birds
that had been evolving in their shadow.
702
01:05:53,090 --> 01:05:56,930
It was the birds that rose
from the ashes of that meteor.
703
01:06:00,980 --> 01:06:04,520
They occupy all the niches that
the pterosaurs once did.
704
01:06:06,480 --> 01:06:10,780
So, why did birds survive
and the pterosaurs die?
705
01:06:12,740 --> 01:06:16,370
Birds had one great advantage
over the pterosaurs.
706
01:06:18,370 --> 01:06:20,080
Their rigid flight feathers
707
01:06:20,160 --> 01:06:22,790
meant that their wings had no need
to be anchored to either
708
01:06:22,870 --> 01:06:25,330
their flanks or their legs.
709
01:06:34,470 --> 01:06:36,890
So, birds could run,
710
01:06:36,970 --> 01:06:39,350
and walk, and pounce,
711
01:06:39,470 --> 01:06:41,270
whatever they needed to do,
712
01:06:41,390 --> 01:06:45,230
to collect their food in almost any
of the land's environments.
713
01:06:48,650 --> 01:06:52,440
No pterosaurs,
encumbered by their skinny wings,
714
01:06:52,530 --> 01:06:54,530
could wade like flamingos.
715
01:07:00,200 --> 01:07:01,750
Birds today
716
01:07:01,830 --> 01:07:05,250
have evolved into thousands
of different species,
717
01:07:05,330 --> 01:07:07,670
flying with many
different techniques.
718
01:07:08,460 --> 01:07:10,420
But it was the pterosaurs
719
01:07:10,500 --> 01:07:12,380
that were first into the air.
720
01:07:12,970 --> 01:07:16,800
It was they that solved
the fundamental problems of flight.
721
01:07:17,850 --> 01:07:19,390
And in their prime,
722
01:07:19,470 --> 01:07:21,140
they reached a grandeur,
723
01:07:21,220 --> 01:07:24,060
that the birds still can't match.
724
01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:37,110
(SQUAWKING)
725
01:07:41,370 --> 01:07:46,620
The dynasty of the pterosaurs
lasted over a 1 50 million years.
726
01:07:47,750 --> 01:07:52,130
We human beings have only
been around for about two.
727
01:07:53,590 --> 01:07:57,890
But only now, are we beginning
to appreciate to the full
728
01:07:57,970 --> 01:08:02,720
the wonders and the splendours
of those pioneers of flight,
729
01:08:02,810 --> 01:08:04,350
the pterosaurs.
59323
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