1 00:00:17,559 --> 00:00:20,729 Two hundred and one million years ago… 2 00:00:23,023 --> 00:00:27,527 …the dinosaurs' world is collapsing beneath them. 3 00:00:36,619 --> 00:00:40,331 The continent of Pangaea is tearing apart… 4 00:00:45,462 --> 00:00:47,797 …creating a great divide… 5 00:00:50,258 --> 00:00:52,427 and a molten apocalypse 6 00:00:53,636 --> 00:00:57,182 for any creature caught in this hell. 7 00:01:14,074 --> 00:01:16,951 For both reptiles and dinosaurs… 8 00:01:19,537 --> 00:01:22,916 …escape is impossible. 9 00:01:31,299 --> 00:01:34,177 But the worst is yet to come. 10 00:01:38,932 --> 00:01:44,270 An invisible killer is choking the air itself. 11 00:01:49,901 --> 00:01:52,904 Clouds of toxic gases 12 00:01:52,987 --> 00:01:55,281 wreak devastation. 13 00:02:08,878 --> 00:02:10,463 Acidic fog 14 00:02:12,090 --> 00:02:15,301 poisons everything in its path. 15 00:02:35,864 --> 00:02:39,784 As the gases in the atmosphere grow thicker, 16 00:02:39,868 --> 00:02:42,537 temperatures soar, 17 00:02:43,413 --> 00:02:47,417 annihilating three-quarters of all plant species 18 00:02:49,085 --> 00:02:52,839 and millions of animals across the planet. 19 00:03:11,691 --> 00:03:17,363 It's known as the end-Triassic mass extinction, 20 00:03:18,740 --> 00:03:23,745 and it will change everything for the dinosaurs 21 00:03:25,663 --> 00:03:30,335 because their versatility and ability to adapt 22 00:03:30,418 --> 00:03:33,463 help them survive this catastrophe 23 00:03:34,130 --> 00:03:37,884 far better than the reptiles. 24 00:04:11,709 --> 00:04:16,547 {\an8}The reign of the ancient reptiles is over. 25 00:04:54,168 --> 00:04:56,879 With their rivals out of the way… 26 00:04:59,048 --> 00:05:03,594 {\an8}the dinosaurs now have a chance to rise from the ruins… 27 00:05:07,682 --> 00:05:11,561 …and conquer the world. 28 00:06:28,638 --> 00:06:31,182 Two million years later, 29 00:06:32,934 --> 00:06:37,230 {\an8}the dawn of the most famous era in Earth's history. 30 00:06:40,525 --> 00:06:42,151 {\an8}The Jurassic. 31 00:06:48,366 --> 00:06:53,663 Pangaea has split into two new landmasses. 32 00:06:58,042 --> 00:07:00,962 In the southern continent of Gondwana… 33 00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:06,342 life is thriving again. 34 00:07:08,761 --> 00:07:12,056 Pterosaurs have survived the destruction… 35 00:07:14,475 --> 00:07:19,439 the skies allowing them to seek refuge away from the chaos. 36 00:07:31,701 --> 00:07:35,788 There are now endless forests here. 37 00:07:37,665 --> 00:07:41,711 And they are filled with dinosaurs. 38 00:07:53,181 --> 00:07:56,976 Dinosaurs like Massospondylus. 39 00:08:02,773 --> 00:08:05,067 He's barely the height of a human, 40 00:08:05,568 --> 00:08:10,031 so it's hard to reach the freshest food high in the trees. 41 00:08:21,542 --> 00:08:23,711 But he's got a bigger problem. 42 00:08:26,255 --> 00:08:28,925 A newly evolved rival. 43 00:08:39,519 --> 00:08:41,312 Vulcanodon. 44 00:08:47,985 --> 00:08:50,071 At 11 meters long, 45 00:08:50,571 --> 00:08:54,200 she's more than twice the size of Massospondylus. 46 00:08:57,036 --> 00:09:00,790 She's part of a new branch of plant-eating dinosaurs 47 00:09:02,041 --> 00:09:03,334 known as 48 00:09:05,002 --> 00:09:07,046 the Sauropods. 49 00:09:11,759 --> 00:09:14,011 Famous for their long necks 50 00:09:14,804 --> 00:09:16,556 and huge bodies 51 00:09:17,848 --> 00:09:23,145 that are supported by four legs, instead of just two. 52 00:09:28,067 --> 00:09:32,363 These profound changes will help these giants 53 00:09:32,446 --> 00:09:37,159 become the largest animals to ever walk the Earth. 54 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,874 If Massospondylus can't compete, 55 00:09:44,375 --> 00:09:46,085 it will be left behind. 56 00:09:54,427 --> 00:09:58,014 While the Sauropods are on the rise… 57 00:10:01,183 --> 00:10:05,855 another legend in the making is waiting in the wings. 58 00:10:15,865 --> 00:10:21,537 Caves like these are crawling with strange creatures… 59 00:10:24,373 --> 00:10:30,630 and one of them will give rise to some of the greatest dinosaurs 60 00:10:30,713 --> 00:10:32,673 in history. 61 00:10:51,525 --> 00:10:55,154 The tiny Heterodontosaurus. 62 00:11:09,669 --> 00:11:14,548 What makes him exceptional is hard to spot at first. 63 00:11:21,597 --> 00:11:24,141 One thing is clear, however. 64 00:11:27,478 --> 00:11:30,773 He's not one to back down from a challenge. 65 00:11:38,906 --> 00:11:42,576 Especially when there's food at stake. 66 00:11:49,041 --> 00:11:52,878 It's all about the food. 67 00:12:03,848 --> 00:12:06,517 He may only weigh as much as a chihuahua… 68 00:12:09,186 --> 00:12:11,355 but he does have a superpower. 69 00:12:13,107 --> 00:12:16,610 An incredibly strong beak and jaw 70 00:12:16,694 --> 00:12:21,490 that allow him to devour almost anything. 71 00:12:26,537 --> 00:12:28,372 And that's not all. 72 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:32,251 He also has cheek pouches, 73 00:12:32,334 --> 00:12:36,422 where he can store food to eat later in safety. 74 00:13:05,826 --> 00:13:09,747 This multi-tooled mouth will allow his descendants 75 00:13:10,331 --> 00:13:15,336 {\an8}to become some of the greatest dinosaurs of all time. 76 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:21,842 Descendants like the mighty Stegosaurus 77 00:13:22,343 --> 00:13:25,095 and even Triceratops. 78 00:13:26,972 --> 00:13:32,353 From small beginnings, great things can grow. 79 00:13:45,699 --> 00:13:49,787 But the dinosaurs will need more than cheek pouches 80 00:13:49,870 --> 00:13:51,956 to conquer the planet. 81 00:13:54,583 --> 00:13:57,586 On the northern side of the Great Divide 82 00:13:58,379 --> 00:14:00,965 lies the other new continent. 83 00:14:01,966 --> 00:14:03,259 Laurasia. 84 00:14:31,829 --> 00:14:34,290 Hiding in these waters 85 00:14:35,165 --> 00:14:38,210 are the remnants of a once-great empire. 86 00:14:50,723 --> 00:14:51,974 The reptiles. 87 00:15:00,941 --> 00:15:05,487 They are a deadly threat in these murky shallows. 88 00:15:07,615 --> 00:15:10,242 But they also need to be wary… 89 00:15:15,414 --> 00:15:19,627 because they no longer rule the Jurassic swamps. 90 00:15:28,218 --> 00:15:30,179 They have been usurped 91 00:15:31,430 --> 00:15:36,101 by those they once hunted on Pangaea's shores. 92 00:15:40,773 --> 00:15:42,483 Dinosaurs. 93 00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:49,490 Dilophosaurus. 94 00:15:53,202 --> 00:15:55,788 With over 60 serrated teeth, 95 00:15:57,456 --> 00:16:00,626 she's twice the length of a polar bear. 96 00:16:10,135 --> 00:16:13,472 And a laser-focused hunter. 97 00:16:29,196 --> 00:16:32,032 But in these flooded forests… 98 00:16:36,412 --> 00:16:41,834 …there are creatures even more frightening than her. 99 00:17:20,789 --> 00:17:25,919 Like a moth to a flame, she follows the mysterious calls. 100 00:18:02,122 --> 00:18:04,541 A male Dilophosaurus. 101 00:18:08,962 --> 00:18:12,382 Larger and deadlier than her. 102 00:18:25,187 --> 00:18:27,898 He's drawn her here for a reason. 103 00:18:36,782 --> 00:18:39,159 But it's not bloodlust, 104 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,831 it's just plain lust. 105 00:18:45,874 --> 00:18:47,501 A courting ritual. 106 00:18:50,045 --> 00:18:53,549 Clawing at the ground is a display of strength. 107 00:18:56,927 --> 00:18:59,596 And to show off his virility, 108 00:19:00,264 --> 00:19:04,226 behold his crimson head crest. 109 00:19:17,614 --> 00:19:18,740 Finally, 110 00:19:19,491 --> 00:19:21,326 the grand finale. 111 00:19:23,996 --> 00:19:28,834 The song of the swamp king. 112 00:19:46,602 --> 00:19:51,440 For a ferocious predator, he's remarkably gifted. 113 00:19:57,988 --> 00:20:02,868 But the future of her bloodline depends on her choice. 114 00:20:03,744 --> 00:20:05,704 And he's just… 115 00:20:06,455 --> 00:20:08,165 not gifted enough. 116 00:20:16,882 --> 00:20:22,012 Ensuring the continuation of their species is critical. 117 00:20:23,597 --> 00:20:25,432 But far below, 118 00:20:25,515 --> 00:20:31,104 the earth itself poses a threat to their very existence. 119 00:20:47,537 --> 00:20:48,705 This time… 120 00:20:50,832 --> 00:20:53,085 from the Jurassic seas. 121 00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:05,347 An alien world… 122 00:21:08,725 --> 00:21:10,978 …full of bizarre creatures. 123 00:21:24,032 --> 00:21:26,618 The most dangerous of them all… 124 00:21:29,037 --> 00:21:30,872 the Pliosaurs. 125 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,880 The great sea monsters that rule the oceans. 126 00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:44,136 They are one reason 127 00:21:44,219 --> 00:21:47,973 that dinosaurs have not entered this frontier. 128 00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:54,187 But the real threat to the dinosaurs 129 00:21:55,022 --> 00:21:56,732 lies below. 130 00:22:03,613 --> 00:22:05,115 Methane. 131 00:22:15,625 --> 00:22:17,711 This greenhouse gas 132 00:22:17,794 --> 00:22:21,757 was frozen under the seabed for millions of years. 133 00:22:24,092 --> 00:22:28,597 But warming oceans are causing it to leach out 134 00:22:29,514 --> 00:22:35,062 with a devastating side effect for the entire globe. 135 00:22:42,819 --> 00:22:45,655 Extreme heat. 136 00:22:50,202 --> 00:22:54,498 The endless forests that Massospondylus once roamed 137 00:22:54,581 --> 00:22:57,542 are now a parched wasteland. 138 00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:14,142 The plants he relied on for food are nearly all gone. 139 00:23:19,648 --> 00:23:23,026 Many of his kind have died from starvation. 140 00:23:25,362 --> 00:23:31,535 And the rising temperatures have turned his home into a tinderbox. 141 00:24:25,797 --> 00:24:28,341 It's the final nail in the coffin… 142 00:24:29,926 --> 00:24:31,970 …for Massospondylus. 143 00:24:38,685 --> 00:24:45,066 Their 17-million-year existence brought to a tragic end. 144 00:25:08,798 --> 00:25:13,803 {\an8}Eventually, other dinosaurs will rise to take their place. 145 00:25:20,435 --> 00:25:26,608 {\an8}In that time, Earth's two continents will drift even further apart, 146 00:25:28,318 --> 00:25:30,862 {\an8}creating a fragmented world 147 00:25:31,821 --> 00:25:36,451 {\an8}with new lands for the dinosaurs to conquer. 148 00:25:57,305 --> 00:26:02,852 It's more than 20 million years since the fall of Massospondylus. 149 00:26:03,436 --> 00:26:08,149 And here in the mountains of what will one day be China, 150 00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:10,652 the climate has cooled. 151 00:26:13,238 --> 00:26:15,407 Life is flourishing. 152 00:26:23,999 --> 00:26:27,544 And a revolution is taking place. 153 00:26:45,228 --> 00:26:49,274 Within these cold dawn forests, 154 00:26:50,150 --> 00:26:53,111 something is stirring. 155 00:27:07,417 --> 00:27:09,127 Sauropods. 156 00:27:12,547 --> 00:27:15,508 The great four-legged dinosaurs. 157 00:27:26,436 --> 00:27:28,438 Mamenchisaurus. 158 00:27:29,272 --> 00:27:32,108 A giant of the Jurassic. 159 00:27:51,878 --> 00:27:56,466 Nearly 40 million years after their ancestor Vulcanodon 160 00:27:56,549 --> 00:27:59,135 made its monumental rise, 161 00:28:00,553 --> 00:28:04,808 Mamenchisaurus is now so gigantic 162 00:28:04,891 --> 00:28:08,978 that just standing up is a mammoth task. 163 00:28:54,774 --> 00:28:59,946 They have the longest necks of any animal in history, 164 00:29:00,029 --> 00:29:04,868 that can reach as high as a five-story building. 165 00:29:09,914 --> 00:29:13,835 And they're not the only giants that live in this forest. 166 00:29:15,086 --> 00:29:19,132 The trees are reaching ever greater heights as well, 167 00:29:19,215 --> 00:29:24,429 to avoid being completely consumed by these towering beasts. 168 00:29:30,018 --> 00:29:32,979 But there's a catch to being this tall. 169 00:29:35,690 --> 00:29:41,738 A 15-meter-long neck can only support a tiny head… 170 00:29:47,368 --> 00:29:49,370 that houses a brain 171 00:29:50,038 --> 00:29:52,290 smaller than an apple. 172 00:30:11,017 --> 00:30:15,438 The evolutionary focus on size over smarts 173 00:30:15,522 --> 00:30:20,276 will help the Sauropods become the most dominant herbivores 174 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,570 of the Jurassic age. 175 00:30:34,499 --> 00:30:37,669 But they're not the only ones in this forest 176 00:30:37,752 --> 00:30:39,963 who are moving up in the world. 177 00:30:50,849 --> 00:30:52,642 Anchiornis. 178 00:30:54,477 --> 00:30:57,814 Yes, he looks a bit like a chicken. 179 00:30:59,065 --> 00:31:01,734 And he is about the size of one. 180 00:31:03,444 --> 00:31:05,822 But he's nevertheless 181 00:31:06,614 --> 00:31:07,699 a dinosaur. 182 00:31:10,869 --> 00:31:13,246 A dinosaur with feathers… 183 00:31:15,123 --> 00:31:19,210 …and newly evolved wings. 184 00:31:38,855 --> 00:31:40,356 Sinraptor. 185 00:31:44,652 --> 00:31:46,487 Another dinosaur. 186 00:31:49,407 --> 00:31:52,744 But one willing to hunt its own tiny cousin. 187 00:32:10,637 --> 00:32:15,308 His primitive wings are next to useless on the ground. 188 00:32:35,203 --> 00:32:39,415 But that doesn't mean he's confined to the ground. 189 00:33:13,324 --> 00:33:17,578 Up here, his wings aren't just for show. 190 00:33:32,385 --> 00:33:38,558 He's one of the first dinosaurs to be able to glide. 191 00:33:44,689 --> 00:33:49,986 And with such skill that he can even catch food midair. 192 00:33:55,658 --> 00:34:01,247 Flight will turn out to be one of the dinosaurs' greatest leaps forward. 193 00:34:11,799 --> 00:34:16,220 But Anchiornis is still just a beginner here. 194 00:34:23,478 --> 00:34:25,313 For the time being, 195 00:34:27,190 --> 00:34:29,025 this airspace… 196 00:34:32,278 --> 00:34:34,530 …belongs to the Pterosaurs. 197 00:34:41,579 --> 00:34:46,209 The flying dinosaurs are outgunned in the skies 198 00:34:46,292 --> 00:34:47,543 for now. 199 00:34:51,839 --> 00:34:53,466 But in time, 200 00:34:54,175 --> 00:34:58,763 the Pterosaurs will meet their match. 201 00:35:04,393 --> 00:35:07,772 As the planet continues to evolve, 202 00:35:08,272 --> 00:35:10,525 so do the dinosaurs. 203 00:35:15,571 --> 00:35:19,408 And as the end of the Jurassic draws nearer, 204 00:35:21,744 --> 00:35:26,207 their control over the land on both continents 205 00:35:26,290 --> 00:35:28,709 is only getting stronger. 206 00:35:36,926 --> 00:35:40,805 {\an8}It's seven million years since Anchiornis took to the air. 207 00:35:48,020 --> 00:35:52,066 Here, in what will one day be North America… 208 00:35:56,863 --> 00:36:00,741 geothermal heat simmers at the surface. 209 00:36:02,285 --> 00:36:06,372 An echo of past extinctions. 210 00:36:14,797 --> 00:36:19,093 The Sauropods here are larger than ever. 211 00:36:22,471 --> 00:36:27,518 Their strategy of bigger is better is paying off. 212 00:36:32,148 --> 00:36:38,988 But these dinosaurs are evolving on an altogether different track. 213 00:36:42,783 --> 00:36:44,660 Stegosaurus. 214 00:36:49,832 --> 00:36:54,378 A far cry from their tiny cheek-stuffing ancestors. 215 00:36:58,424 --> 00:37:01,802 They are now as heavy as elephants, 216 00:37:01,886 --> 00:37:07,683 and equipped with armor, camouflage, and weapons. 217 00:37:09,810 --> 00:37:12,146 And here in the late Jurassic, 218 00:37:12,730 --> 00:37:14,982 they need the protection. 219 00:37:30,081 --> 00:37:33,918 Because there is danger in these dark forests. 220 00:37:42,260 --> 00:37:44,220 Allosaurus. 221 00:37:48,391 --> 00:37:52,228 Eight meters long, with dagger-like teeth, 222 00:37:52,311 --> 00:37:56,274 they are the most successful predators of their day. 223 00:38:02,738 --> 00:38:05,908 But this young male is not stalking. 224 00:38:08,286 --> 00:38:09,870 He's stealing. 225 00:38:17,003 --> 00:38:18,296 A female. 226 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,885 Same species, 227 00:38:24,969 --> 00:38:29,807 but larger, stronger, and battle-scarred. 228 00:39:11,974 --> 00:39:15,686 {\an8}The young male is lucky she didn't kill him. 229 00:40:00,398 --> 00:40:03,025 The rainstorms have passed. 230 00:40:05,945 --> 00:40:09,031 The young male hasn't eaten in weeks. 231 00:40:16,580 --> 00:40:20,960 He has no choice but to try his luck on a herd 232 00:40:21,669 --> 00:40:23,295 of Stegosaurus. 233 00:40:33,722 --> 00:40:37,435 But he can't hide his approach when he's out in the open… 234 00:40:39,687 --> 00:40:44,525 …which gives the herd time to prepare their defenses. 235 00:40:48,988 --> 00:40:53,200 They form a wall of moving bodies and spikes. 236 00:40:58,998 --> 00:41:00,708 It's intimidating… 237 00:41:02,918 --> 00:41:06,213 and confusing for the young Allosaurus. 238 00:41:07,465 --> 00:41:10,217 He can't pick out which one to attack. 239 00:41:21,979 --> 00:41:24,148 But he's got other problems. 240 00:41:27,193 --> 00:41:30,488 The veteran female has just joined the game. 241 00:41:32,781 --> 00:41:35,576 And she's been playing this game 242 00:41:35,659 --> 00:41:39,830 for a lot longer than he has. 243 00:41:44,919 --> 00:41:47,630 She's able to isolate one of the herd. 244 00:41:53,385 --> 00:41:58,182 But Stegosaurus has evolved a perfect weapon. 245 00:41:59,141 --> 00:42:02,561 A mace-like tail with meter-long spikes 246 00:42:03,771 --> 00:42:06,982 called a thagomizer. 247 00:43:04,164 --> 00:43:06,834 For the female, it's game over. 248 00:43:13,424 --> 00:43:16,302 For the young male, it's payback. 249 00:43:19,305 --> 00:43:21,307 And lunch. 250 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,854 Because Allosaurus are cannibals. 251 00:43:37,906 --> 00:43:42,202 Fifty million years after surviving an apocalypse, 252 00:43:43,162 --> 00:43:49,209 the dinosaurs' dominion over Earth is now absolute. 253 00:43:59,887 --> 00:44:02,681 But the world they've come to know 254 00:44:02,765 --> 00:44:04,475 is changing. 255 00:44:10,230 --> 00:44:13,484 Temperatures are dropping across the globe… 256 00:44:19,281 --> 00:44:24,244 bringing snow to the northern regions of the planet. 257 00:44:26,997 --> 00:44:32,002 Something few dinosaurs have ever experienced. 258 00:44:38,842 --> 00:44:41,553 From these frozen lands, 259 00:44:41,637 --> 00:44:43,681 a new kind of dinosaur 260 00:44:44,348 --> 00:44:45,974 will rise. 261 00:44:54,233 --> 00:44:57,820 The Tyrannosaurs are coming.