1 00:00:10,885 --> 00:00:15,056 One hundred and twenty-five million years ago, 2 00:00:16,891 --> 00:00:20,603 winter rages across the north. 3 00:00:26,609 --> 00:00:30,864 Entire species have been pushed to the brink. 4 00:00:40,582 --> 00:00:46,254 Even the largest dinosaurs are unable to endure this cold. 5 00:00:53,011 --> 00:00:57,182 Like these sauropods migrating south. 6 00:01:05,231 --> 00:01:07,484 Winter came early this year 7 00:01:08,109 --> 00:01:10,361 and caught them off guard. 8 00:01:20,497 --> 00:01:23,208 With hundreds of kilometers ahead of them, 9 00:01:23,875 --> 00:01:29,005 this time, it will be an especially harsh journey. 10 00:01:33,885 --> 00:01:40,433 {\an8}But the bitter cold is not the only danger in this frozen land. 11 00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:44,729 There is a much greater threat 12 00:01:45,230 --> 00:01:47,816 here in these woods. 13 00:02:04,249 --> 00:02:06,126 Yutyrannus. 14 00:02:07,544 --> 00:02:09,170 The Snow King. 15 00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:17,804 An early relative of T. rex. 16 00:02:20,265 --> 00:02:23,810 With a thick, insulating coat of feathers, 17 00:02:24,394 --> 00:02:28,690 he's perfectly adapted for life in a world this cold. 18 00:02:36,698 --> 00:02:41,452 But his feathers also serve a more sinister purpose. 19 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,793 Camouflage. 20 00:02:49,711 --> 00:02:53,631 The ultimate weapon for an ambush hunter. 21 00:03:16,821 --> 00:03:19,073 With silent precision, 22 00:03:19,699 --> 00:03:23,203 {\an8}he picks out the smallest member of the herd. 23 00:03:53,233 --> 00:03:56,778 In a savage, ever-changing world, 24 00:03:57,528 --> 00:03:59,572 some will rise, 25 00:04:00,823 --> 00:04:02,617 and some will fall. 26 00:04:07,038 --> 00:04:08,665 {\an8}But through it all, 27 00:04:09,290 --> 00:04:13,378 {\an8}the dinosaurs will expand their empire 28 00:04:13,461 --> 00:04:16,339 {\an8}and advance relentlessly 29 00:04:17,131 --> 00:04:21,135 {\an8}to seize Earth's final frontiers. 30 00:05:47,513 --> 00:05:51,351 {\an8}It's a new age for life on Earth. 31 00:05:53,061 --> 00:05:55,646 An age of extremes. 32 00:05:56,647 --> 00:05:59,317 New worlds are forming 33 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:04,822 that will give rise to the most famous dinosaurs of all time. 34 00:06:11,245 --> 00:06:15,166 The north is still gripped by cold. 35 00:06:16,501 --> 00:06:18,753 But not for much longer. 36 00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:29,514 Earth's most violent forces are stirring once again. 37 00:06:33,059 --> 00:06:36,270 Volcanoes seethe and fume… 38 00:06:39,607 --> 00:06:41,734 warming the planet. 39 00:06:53,329 --> 00:06:57,959 But some will pay a price for this warmer world. 40 00:07:46,215 --> 00:07:49,510 As global temperatures continue to rise… 41 00:07:52,054 --> 00:07:56,017 the snow and ice all but disappear. 42 00:08:00,897 --> 00:08:05,526 Huge meltwater rivers tear through the land. 43 00:08:11,699 --> 00:08:14,285 This thawing of the north 44 00:08:14,368 --> 00:08:19,332 is expanding the dinosaurs' empire even further. 45 00:08:21,209 --> 00:08:24,212 And in surprising new ways. 46 00:08:31,385 --> 00:08:38,351 In this fresh, fertile landscape, sauropods no longer need to migrate. 47 00:08:40,394 --> 00:08:46,275 But it's also a new world for one of the dinosaurs' oldest rivals. 48 00:08:48,986 --> 00:08:50,780 The pterosaurs. 49 00:08:52,573 --> 00:08:57,828 They are now bigger and badder than ever. 50 00:09:01,624 --> 00:09:04,001 Including Guidraco, 51 00:09:04,794 --> 00:09:06,671 the Ghost Dragon. 52 00:09:13,970 --> 00:09:16,722 But he's an intruder here. 53 00:09:22,436 --> 00:09:27,817 Because these trees are the home of Longipteryx, 54 00:09:28,609 --> 00:09:30,570 a new kind of dinosaur. 55 00:09:32,697 --> 00:09:35,324 Less than 20 centimeters tall, 56 00:09:35,992 --> 00:09:38,452 but highly territorial. 57 00:09:38,953 --> 00:09:42,790 Especially during nesting season. 58 00:09:56,846 --> 00:10:02,184 They're also equipped to take on the pterosaurs. 59 00:10:04,020 --> 00:10:07,607 Now they too can fly. 60 00:10:16,949 --> 00:10:18,826 In a previous era, 61 00:10:18,909 --> 00:10:24,040 flying dinosaurs like Anchiornis could only glide. 62 00:10:26,334 --> 00:10:28,961 Now they're able to flap their wings 63 00:10:29,045 --> 00:10:33,382 and maneuver with precision to strike at their enemies. 64 00:10:43,934 --> 00:10:44,935 They're fast 65 00:10:46,103 --> 00:10:47,772 and fearless. 66 00:10:58,866 --> 00:11:02,912 It only gets worse for the tiring pterosaur. 67 00:11:04,205 --> 00:11:08,542 Because Longipteryx are distant cousins 68 00:11:08,626 --> 00:11:11,253 of Yutyrannus, the Snow King. 69 00:11:13,297 --> 00:11:18,844 They're armed with the teeth and claws of their clan. 70 00:11:29,397 --> 00:11:32,775 After ruling the skies since the Triassic, 71 00:11:34,026 --> 00:11:38,739 pterosaurs are now being matched by the dinosaurs. 72 00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:51,836 But as the dinosaurs fight to expand their empire into the air… 73 00:11:53,838 --> 00:11:58,551 …an even greater revolution lies ahead. 74 00:12:07,435 --> 00:12:09,353 Not in the mountains, 75 00:12:09,895 --> 00:12:11,731 or the skies, 76 00:12:12,273 --> 00:12:14,108 or the oceans. 77 00:12:15,192 --> 00:12:21,449 The biggest twist in Earth's tale is unfolding quietly. 78 00:12:21,532 --> 00:12:24,034 Almost in secret. 79 00:12:27,747 --> 00:12:30,207 Seven million years later, 80 00:12:31,792 --> 00:12:37,256 {\an8}this new force is slowly rewriting the dinosaur story. 81 00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:55,775 This is one of the first flowers this forest has ever seen. 82 00:12:57,151 --> 00:12:58,694 Just one, 83 00:12:59,653 --> 00:13:05,075 in a vast and diverse new generation of plants. 84 00:13:07,953 --> 00:13:10,748 And they will become a phenomenon 85 00:13:11,749 --> 00:13:14,376 with the help of a close ally. 86 00:13:21,675 --> 00:13:22,885 Beetles. 87 00:13:24,512 --> 00:13:27,765 They carry pollen from one flower to the next. 88 00:13:36,065 --> 00:13:39,735 Nature's most reliable delivery service… 89 00:13:45,407 --> 00:13:50,830 helping these new plants spread far and wide across the globe… 90 00:13:56,794 --> 00:14:00,339 transforming the dinosaurs' empire. 91 00:14:12,852 --> 00:14:18,524 But this new generation of plants has a dark side. 92 00:14:26,198 --> 00:14:29,535 While they need to attract pollinators, 93 00:14:29,618 --> 00:14:34,039 many are also evolved to repel herbivores. 94 00:14:38,627 --> 00:14:40,170 With spines, 95 00:14:40,754 --> 00:14:42,298 thorns, 96 00:14:42,381 --> 00:14:44,133 and poisons. 97 00:14:50,681 --> 00:14:53,350 Nature's defensive weapons. 98 00:14:59,064 --> 00:15:03,903 This green revolution changes everything 99 00:15:03,986 --> 00:15:06,780 for the plant-eating dinosaurs. 100 00:15:08,532 --> 00:15:09,783 Including… 101 00:15:10,784 --> 00:15:12,995 …the great Stegosaurus. 102 00:15:21,837 --> 00:15:24,423 They are herd animals by nature. 103 00:15:26,133 --> 00:15:33,140 But this young stegosaur, barely two years old, is all alone. 104 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:42,650 She is the last of her herd. 105 00:15:55,162 --> 00:16:00,542 To eat these tougher new plants requires a mouth that can chew food 106 00:16:00,626 --> 00:16:03,545 in a way her primitive jaw cannot. 107 00:16:12,221 --> 00:16:13,681 She's starving. 108 00:16:27,653 --> 00:16:34,076 These once-great herbivores are unable to adapt to this new world. 109 00:16:41,583 --> 00:16:45,796 It's one reason why their 50-million-year existence 110 00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:47,840 will come to an end. 111 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,385 Extinction. 112 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,272 But in the wake of the Stegosaurus' demise, 113 00:17:04,064 --> 00:17:07,067 a new era will emerge. 114 00:17:12,239 --> 00:17:15,534 {\an8}Over the next 15 million years, 115 00:17:15,617 --> 00:17:20,330 {\an8}these new plants evolve and diversify, 116 00:17:21,248 --> 00:17:23,625 {\an8}spreading across the planet 117 00:17:24,126 --> 00:17:28,380 {\an8}and ever further into the dinosaurs' empire. 118 00:17:36,764 --> 00:17:40,851 {\an8}The green revolution now covers the globe. 119 00:17:42,978 --> 00:17:45,272 And not just the land, 120 00:17:46,106 --> 00:17:48,067 but the water as well. 121 00:17:53,822 --> 00:17:55,657 Even providing cover 122 00:17:56,950 --> 00:17:58,494 and food 123 00:17:59,328 --> 00:18:02,081 for underwater explorers. 124 00:18:05,959 --> 00:18:08,504 Like Ankylosaurs. 125 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:33,195 {\an8}This bathing beauty is a different kind of dinosaur. 126 00:18:39,701 --> 00:18:43,997 He's a plant-eater, like the Stegosaurus. 127 00:18:44,832 --> 00:18:46,625 But a fancier one. 128 00:18:47,209 --> 00:18:48,794 Much fancier. 129 00:18:55,300 --> 00:18:58,053 {\an8}Because unlike the Stegosaurus, 130 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,474 his advanced jaw can crush food 131 00:19:02,558 --> 00:19:07,813 in a way that makes eating any kind of plant easy. 132 00:19:09,898 --> 00:19:15,195 It's the perfect adaptation for this diverse new world. 133 00:19:22,953 --> 00:19:28,375 He wants to take full advantage of all this great kingdom has to offer. 134 00:19:30,502 --> 00:19:32,421 And he has a plan. 135 00:19:41,597 --> 00:19:43,515 It's a long trek. 136 00:19:46,977 --> 00:19:50,480 But the journey is worth it. 137 00:20:07,789 --> 00:20:12,544 This is the one place where he can truly be himself. 138 00:20:23,555 --> 00:20:26,725 His passion is singing. 139 00:20:33,857 --> 00:20:39,321 He even has special hollows in his snout that amplify his song. 140 00:20:44,409 --> 00:20:48,622 So it can be heard far and wide. 141 00:21:32,165 --> 00:21:36,128 A female has answered his call. 142 00:21:37,587 --> 00:21:43,760 It's time to charm her with his deep, sultry humming. 143 00:21:50,058 --> 00:21:54,771 Then… he shows her his stylish armor. 144 00:22:05,365 --> 00:22:06,700 It's all… 145 00:22:07,326 --> 00:22:09,578 very persuasive. 146 00:22:28,180 --> 00:22:32,976 Their fancy attire does have some drawbacks, mind you. 147 00:22:36,188 --> 00:22:37,898 On the whole, though, 148 00:22:37,981 --> 00:22:44,196 heavy armor and an improved jaw are setting them up for success. 149 00:22:51,370 --> 00:22:54,873 But what no dinosaur could possibly know 150 00:22:54,956 --> 00:22:59,544 is that their empire has been gradually shrinking. 151 00:23:04,883 --> 00:23:07,511 Hidden below the waves, 152 00:23:09,012 --> 00:23:12,933 this world, once ruled by dinosaurs… 153 00:23:16,269 --> 00:23:19,564 is now completely out of their reach. 154 00:23:26,154 --> 00:23:28,115 And there's a reason… 155 00:23:32,619 --> 00:23:35,372 at the very bottom of the ocean. 156 00:23:37,999 --> 00:23:41,044 A slow, imperceptible shift… 157 00:23:43,255 --> 00:23:45,424 reshaping the planet. 158 00:23:52,556 --> 00:23:55,892 The seabed is fracturing 159 00:23:57,144 --> 00:24:00,814 from an endless progression of eruptions. 160 00:24:25,422 --> 00:24:29,384 Earth's tectonic plates are shifting, 161 00:24:30,552 --> 00:24:33,472 breaking apart the ocean floor, 162 00:24:34,389 --> 00:24:38,560 lifting it higher over millions of years. 163 00:24:42,522 --> 00:24:46,026 The water above has nowhere else to go, 164 00:24:46,568 --> 00:24:47,736 but up. 165 00:24:50,238 --> 00:24:52,407 By the middle of the Cretaceous, 166 00:24:52,491 --> 00:24:56,536 sea levels reached their highest point in history. 167 00:24:57,704 --> 00:25:03,126 Over 200 meters higher than they are today. 168 00:25:19,059 --> 00:25:23,563 The rising oceans repaint the map of the world, 169 00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:27,442 erasing entire land masses. 170 00:25:30,820 --> 00:25:36,076 The continent of Europe is reduced to a giant archipelago 171 00:25:37,244 --> 00:25:41,206 that includes the Isle of Hațeg. 172 00:25:46,169 --> 00:25:50,090 Where isolation and evolution have created a kind of 173 00:25:50,674 --> 00:25:54,135 Neverland for the dinosaurs. 174 00:25:55,595 --> 00:26:00,183 A world where normal rules don't apply. 175 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,568 This is the home of Magyarosaurus, 176 00:26:11,236 --> 00:26:12,904 a sauropod. 177 00:26:15,323 --> 00:26:18,451 And, like other sauropods, 178 00:26:18,535 --> 00:26:24,207 he uses his long neck to reach the highest vegetation. 179 00:26:33,883 --> 00:26:35,260 Thing is, 180 00:26:36,177 --> 00:26:40,515 this vegetation is only two meters tall. 181 00:26:42,058 --> 00:26:47,188 Which makes Magyarosaurus about the size of a pony. 182 00:27:03,121 --> 00:27:04,706 On Hațeg, 183 00:27:04,789 --> 00:27:08,335 where there's limited space and food, 184 00:27:08,418 --> 00:27:11,963 sometimes smaller is better. 185 00:27:28,229 --> 00:27:31,691 But unlike Magyarosaurus, 186 00:27:31,775 --> 00:27:36,905 for predators, bigger is still better. 187 00:27:50,085 --> 00:27:52,212 As tall as a giraffe, 188 00:27:53,254 --> 00:27:56,925 one of the largest pterosaurs to ever live. 189 00:28:01,096 --> 00:28:02,597 The nightmare 190 00:28:03,682 --> 00:28:05,767 Hatzegopteryx. 191 00:28:10,647 --> 00:28:14,401 She's flown to this island to feed 192 00:28:15,527 --> 00:28:17,696 on dinosaurs. 193 00:28:25,787 --> 00:28:28,957 The youngest member of the herd gets separated. 194 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:38,633 But he won't be an easy catch. 195 00:28:41,845 --> 00:28:46,474 Unlike his giant cousins, he's light on his feet. 196 00:29:12,584 --> 00:29:16,838 But being this small, he can't see the others. 197 00:29:24,637 --> 00:29:26,931 They found a safe hiding spot, 198 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,768 perfect for their size. 199 00:31:12,662 --> 00:31:16,708 For tiny dinosaurs trapped on an island, 200 00:31:17,750 --> 00:31:19,878 there's nowhere else to go. 201 00:31:32,140 --> 00:31:35,351 But in a world so divided by the ocean, 202 00:31:36,269 --> 00:31:40,940 evolution takes different turns in different places. 203 00:31:49,616 --> 00:31:52,535 Ninety-six million years ago, 204 00:31:53,953 --> 00:31:57,707 sea levels were close to the highest they've ever been. 205 00:32:06,507 --> 00:32:11,930 Creating a water world that no dinosaur has dared to enter. 206 00:32:20,188 --> 00:32:22,315 But that's about to change. 207 00:32:35,912 --> 00:32:39,082 Lurking in this mangrove swamp 208 00:32:39,666 --> 00:32:42,919 is a carnivore that has specially evolved 209 00:32:43,628 --> 00:32:46,798 to take on the final frontier. 210 00:32:57,850 --> 00:33:00,520 A dinosaur pioneer. 211 00:33:12,323 --> 00:33:14,409 Spinosaurus. 212 00:33:20,498 --> 00:33:24,377 The largest predator to ever walk the Earth. 213 00:33:30,425 --> 00:33:33,011 At 15 meters long, 214 00:33:33,094 --> 00:33:36,014 she's bigger than a school bus. 215 00:33:42,395 --> 00:33:45,440 The forest provides plenty of prey. 216 00:33:49,193 --> 00:33:52,739 But another reason she's gotten this big 217 00:33:53,322 --> 00:33:58,161 is because of where she goes to escape the gloom of the swamp. 218 00:34:14,427 --> 00:34:18,639 Here, the high sea levels have turned the oceans 219 00:34:18,723 --> 00:34:22,393 into a new hunting ground for the dinosaurs. 220 00:34:24,270 --> 00:34:28,566 Where bigger is definitely better. 221 00:34:53,716 --> 00:34:59,472 Spinosaurus is adapted to a planet that is now mostly ocean. 222 00:35:01,849 --> 00:35:05,812 And in this age, some of the largest prey 223 00:35:05,895 --> 00:35:07,772 is here in the water. 224 00:35:23,246 --> 00:35:24,747 Sharks. 225 00:35:30,253 --> 00:35:36,050 In a flat-out chase between a shark and a giant dog-paddling dinosaur, 226 00:35:36,134 --> 00:35:38,678 the shark will always win. 227 00:35:42,807 --> 00:35:47,270 But there's more to Spinosaurus than meets the eye. 228 00:35:53,568 --> 00:35:56,696 Dinosaurs aren't just becoming bigger. 229 00:35:58,072 --> 00:36:00,408 Some are cunning too. 230 00:36:01,742 --> 00:36:06,164 She's going to make the sharks come to her. 231 00:36:16,465 --> 00:36:21,846 Her snout is wired with sensors that can detect the slightest movement. 232 00:36:26,559 --> 00:36:29,854 Now, all she needs to do 233 00:36:30,980 --> 00:36:33,733 is keep completely still. 234 00:36:49,165 --> 00:36:50,875 The best hunters 235 00:36:51,417 --> 00:36:53,252 are the patient ones. 236 00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:59,717 And her patience is starting to pay off. 237 00:37:07,058 --> 00:37:10,770 The blood in the water is drawing the sharks closer. 238 00:37:54,563 --> 00:37:56,107 She doesn't move. 239 00:38:00,736 --> 00:38:04,448 She knows how this game is played. 240 00:38:23,718 --> 00:38:26,012 Brains and brawn. 241 00:38:27,888 --> 00:38:29,932 A killer combination 242 00:38:31,100 --> 00:38:37,231 that is finally letting the dinosaurs get a foothold in the ocean. 243 00:38:46,073 --> 00:38:49,368 Their reach is now global 244 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:55,207 and extends to the very ends of the Earth… 245 00:38:58,336 --> 00:39:02,131 to what will one day be Antarctica. 246 00:39:12,308 --> 00:39:17,229 While Spinosaurus is stalking the shallow seas in the tropics, 247 00:39:18,147 --> 00:39:21,567 the world's southernmost landmass 248 00:39:22,151 --> 00:39:25,529 is not the frozen wilderness we know today. 249 00:39:27,365 --> 00:39:31,035 It's a green, flourishing Eden. 250 00:39:36,248 --> 00:39:41,087 Where even in the dark, evolution is lighting the way. 251 00:39:51,972 --> 00:39:54,433 And thriving in the darkness 252 00:39:56,018 --> 00:39:58,145 are the dinosaurs. 253 00:40:09,949 --> 00:40:12,785 By this stage in the late Cretaceous, 254 00:40:13,411 --> 00:40:16,288 their empire is so vast 255 00:40:16,789 --> 00:40:20,751 that they now dominate every continent on Earth. 256 00:40:29,218 --> 00:40:30,553 And yet, 257 00:40:32,138 --> 00:40:35,099 while their reign is global, 258 00:40:35,683 --> 00:40:40,020 and their rule almost unchallenged, 259 00:40:41,522 --> 00:40:43,190 their story 260 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,861 will take a dark turn.