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The story of life on Earth...
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...is marked
by a series of
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catastrophic extinction events.
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Natural disasters which have
threatened to wipe out
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many of the creatures
that call our planet home.
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But after every brush
with death,
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life has come back
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even stronger.
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One of the most devastating
catastrophes took place
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66 million years ago,
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an asteroid hit the Earth
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with the destructive force
of nine billion atomic bombs...
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ending the reign of
the giant dinosaurs.
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But it wasn’t the blast
that wiped them out.
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It was the decade of
darkness that followed.
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After the skies cleared,
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the Earth would belong
to a new dynasty of animals
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we are a lot more familiar with.
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Mammals.
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66 million years ago
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life on Earth is thriving.
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Polar forests cover
the high arctic,
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Winter is over
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and months of total darkness
have come to an end.
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At last Spring is here.
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Sunlight shines on
this lost world
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where dinosaurs reign supreme.
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This Nanuqsaurus is
enjoying the spring air.
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He’s a gigantic arctic predator,
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weighing as much
as three polar bears.
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An older male,
he’s seen a lot of life.
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He still wears
his white winter feathers.
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Good for camouflage in the snow,
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but he sticks out a bit
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now that the trees
are turning green.
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Don’t let the peaceful
forest fool you,
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this guy knows another rival
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could be hiding
anywhere in here.
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A surprise encounter could
result in a fight to the death.
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So, when he stumbles
into a female’s nesting area,
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he is wary.
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But there’s
nothing to worry about.
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She is his mate.
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They have been together
for twelve years.
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And they’ve had
each other’s backs
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through many
extreme Arctic seasons.
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Springtime is a relief
from the winter darkness,
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but the months of
plenty are yet to come
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when all the animals here
can bask in a long hot summer
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of 24 hour sun.
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Life is starting to gear up.
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Trees take leaf,
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warming waters
tell these mayflies,
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that it’s time to hatch.
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Everywhere there is renewal.
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It’s the same
for our Nanuqsaurus couple.
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She has just laid her eggs
and they are getting
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ready to have a family.
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Our new mom has built
a nest of leaves that
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not only protects her eggs
but also generates warmth
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which helps them incubate.
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But a nice warm home
like this has also
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attracted a sleepy squatter.
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This tiny mammal, an Unnuakomys,
is napping the day away.
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But he’s not bothering anyone,
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so our couple doesn’t
pay him any mind.
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A strange animal call
drifts up from the valley below.
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Mom finishes covering her eggs.
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Now it’s time to hunt.
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The pair work well together,
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they’ve done
this many times before.
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Edmontosaurus.
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A vast herd of these herbivores
have arrived from the south
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in search of plants to graze.
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But these beasts won’t be easy
prey for our Nanuqsaurus couple.
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An adult Edmontosaurus
is as long as a school bus,
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far too large even
for our two predators.
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But they have a plan...
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and wait for their moment.
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Right on time
some teenagers arrive.
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And like most teenagers
they are impatient.
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What they don’t realize
is they have bigger problems
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than who gets to eat first.
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What looks like a dim star,
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is actually an asteroid.
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Seven and a half-miles wide,
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hurtling towards the Earth
at 45,000 miles per hour.
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For the dinosaurs this
is the end of the world.
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66 million years ago
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the climate is warm,
and many species of
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plant and animal life
thrive even at the poles.
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The dinosaurs rule the world
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for now.
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They have no idea everything
is about to change.
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4,500 miles to the south
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a giant asteroid has slammed
into the Earth,
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unleashing the destructive force
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of nine billion
atomic bombs.
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Landing off the coast
of what is now Mexico.
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The rock penetrates deep
into the Earth’s crust,
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which triggers mega tsunamis
at sea.
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And releases a blast
that incinerates everything
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on land within 1,000 miles.
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But far away
in the Arctic Circle
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devastation has yet to hit.
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And though their world is about
to end, the dinosaur predators
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continue to hunt as they have
done for millions of years.
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The adolescent group
have identified their target,
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a young Edmontosaurus
with his mother
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on the edge of the herd.
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The eager teenagers
go on the attack,
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while our couple wait.
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At the same time,
shockwaves from the blast
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are racing across the planet
at close to the speed of sound
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...minutes after
the asteroid hit.
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The first shock waves reach
the Nanuqsaurus Arctic home.
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Triggering earthquakes and blind
panic among the dinosaurs.
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The herd stampedes.
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In the chaos those that can’t
keep up are trampled.
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Finally, the tremors stop.
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One of the teenagers
didn’t survive.
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But his pals spot a chance to
pick up where they left off...
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...a juvenile,
abandoned by the herd.
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He doesn’t stand a chance.
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Our Nanuqsaurus couple watch...
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and now they make their move.
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After letting the teenagers
do the hard work,
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our more experienced
team steals the prize.
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They’ve been running
this con for years.
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Mom and dad claim the kill.
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Hours have passed since
the asteroid slammed into Earth.
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But now another wave is tearing
through the atmosphere.
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An intense air blast.
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It overtakes the old couple.
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But they battle on
to get back to their nest.
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At last, the winds break.
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In all their years together,
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they’ve never experienced
anything like this.
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Despite the chaos most creatures
try to carry on as normal.
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This young Nanuqsaurus
may not know what happened,
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but he isn’t going to let
a good Edmontosaurus carcass
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go to waste.
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He’s interrupted
by a little opportunist.
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A Dromaeosaur.
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He has also
brought a friend.
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And another.
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But this is
no family style restaurant.
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The Nanuqsaurus is
not going to let these
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scavengers interrupt his dinner.
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Further up the valley our
couple finally approach home.
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They don’t know the high
winds have damaged their nest,
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exposing their hidden eggs.
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Making them easy picking
for a band of Dromaeosaurs.
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They’ve returned
seconds too late.
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Even the father’s
terrifying show of strength
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can’t save their babies.
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The mother finds four
of her eggs were destroyed.
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Heartbroken,
they console each other.
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A terrifying and deadly day
for all the Artic animals.
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They might hope
that tomorrow will be easier.
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But the asteroid isn’t
finished with them yet.
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In fact,
the worst is yet to come.
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A towering pillar of
pulverized rock dust
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rises from the impact crater.
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Dense and vast it starts
to blocks out the sun
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for the entire planet.
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A time of endless darkness
has arrived and threatens
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all life on Earth.
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An asteroid has hit the Earth
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launching billions of tones of
debris into the atmosphere.
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A dark cloud starting
to covering the entire planet.
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This black swirling dust,
rich in carbon and sulfur,
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is about to make
the world uninhabitable
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for millions of creatures.
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Almost five thousand miles
north of the impact,
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the creatures of the Arctic
are about to face
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the asteroid’s final blow.
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As the debris
cloud reaches them.
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They are plunged
into total darkness.
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They will never see
the sun again.
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Even animals who are
adapted to dark Arctic winters
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will find this darkness
unlike anything
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they’ve experienced before.
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Earth, once home to a diverse
spectrum of colorful life,
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is transforming into
a dark mass of gray.
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Two months later what
should be a hot summer
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is instead a deep freeze.
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The natural rhythm of life
is being turned upside down.
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For our Nanuqsaurus couple,
there is more tragedy.
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Their remaining eggs have frozen
in the bitter cold.
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Even this brave mother
couldn’t protect them
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from the decay and death
of a world with no sunlight.
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With no reason to
stay by the nest they share,
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the two decide to move on.
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As months pass,
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trillions of tons of
dust strangle the planet.
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Rain is scarce.
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And what does
fall is turned to acid.
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In this cold darkness,
plants can no longer produce
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their energy
through photosynthesis.
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Even mature trees are dying.
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It’s the beginning
of the end for plant eaters
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who will starve.
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This young Edmontosaurus
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is struggling to breathe.
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Dust has filled his lungs.
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But even worse,
he’s lost his herd.
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He would be easy prey for
our resting pair of Nanuqsaurus.
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Fortunately for him,
with so many dying
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herbivores around,
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they’ve already eaten.
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The youngster is spared.
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The Edmontosaurus
herd is following their
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instincts and heading south.
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Their senses
tell them it’s winter.
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They have no
idea there’s nothing
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for them to the south
but more cold and darkness.
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For the Nanuqsaurus, the
departure of the Edmontosaurus
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herd means scarcity and hunger
will hit the predators too.
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Life is about to become
desperate for our old pair.
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It’s been more than
a year since the asteroid
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collided with Earth and
the planet is an alien world.
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It remains shrouded in
a thick cloud of foul dust.
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And this apocalyptic,
endless night,
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the average temperature
has dropped 36 degrees
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and the once thriving ecosystems
have frozen to death.
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The Arctic,
like much of the planet,
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is in an
unprecedented deep freeze.
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Incredibly, there are
places water still runs.
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And here, near the Nanuqsaurus’
old nesting site, is an oasis.
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An area of volcanic activity
has caused the ground to warm.
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Water is now
flowing here instead of ice.
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And that attracts life.
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Insects thrive in the water.
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They provide food for the birds.
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Miraculously, the dark gray
world is still showing signs of
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life and hope for the future,
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at least for these
smaller creatures.
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Our brave Nanuqsaurus pair
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are still hanging on,
unsure what their future holds.
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Our mother is once
again carrying eggs.
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But something is wrong and she
is growing sicker by the day.
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It will be impossible for her
to bring life into this world.
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Her mate is powerless to help.
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Unbearably,
in order for him to find food,
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he must leave her on her own.
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With no choice,
he ventures into the unknown,
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leaving her
without his protection.
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She is now alone
and vulnerable.
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The two teenage
Nanuqsaurus are back.
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Hungry and impatient as usual.
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They haven’t eaten
for days and are desperate.
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Once,
they saw her as competition...
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00:26:18,910 --> 00:26:21,329
...now, she is prey.
255
00:26:26,959 --> 00:26:29,546
She will not go without a fight,
256
00:26:29,587 --> 00:26:32,174
but the end is inevitable.
257
00:26:47,897 --> 00:26:49,733
The forests are frozen.
258
00:26:50,191 --> 00:26:54,904
And almost all large land
animals are dead and gone.
259
00:26:57,407 --> 00:27:00,118
Without sunlight,
the web of life that
260
00:27:00,159 --> 00:27:02,370
supported them has collapsed.
261
00:27:06,416 --> 00:27:11,004
Only the bones of our
female Nanuqsaurus remain.
262
00:27:18,136 --> 00:27:22,432
Sitting beside her skeleton
is her devoted mate.
263
00:27:23,141 --> 00:27:28,814
Now alone, he must endure
the cold and conserve his energy
264
00:27:28,855 --> 00:27:31,733
and hope for something,
anything,
265
00:27:31,774 --> 00:27:33,860
to give him a chance to survive.
266
00:27:48,207 --> 00:27:51,044
Year two of
endless night on Earth.
267
00:27:51,502 --> 00:27:54,005
It is a catastrophe
for all life,
268
00:27:54,422 --> 00:27:58,009
especially large animals
like the dinosaurs.
269
00:28:05,349 --> 00:28:08,436
Our old female
Nanuqsaurus put up a fight,
270
00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:10,355
but is long gone.
271
00:28:10,897 --> 00:28:14,192
Miraculously,
her mate is still alive.
272
00:28:15,026 --> 00:28:18,196
Enduring the cold
and scavenging for food.
273
00:28:19,197 --> 00:28:21,700
His body has
even become a refuge
274
00:28:21,741 --> 00:28:24,035
for other living creatures.
275
00:28:26,996 --> 00:28:28,415
In his feathers,
276
00:28:28,831 --> 00:28:33,878
the tiny mammal, Unnuakomys,
picks ticks from his skin.
277
00:28:36,923 --> 00:28:39,134
A good exchange
for the warm bed.
278
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,307
The Nanuqsaurus never
did shed his winter coat.
279
00:28:50,561 --> 00:28:54,858
At last, he spots what
he has been waiting for.
280
00:29:18,256 --> 00:29:20,592
One of
the adolescent Nanuqsaurus
281
00:29:20,633 --> 00:29:23,553
is wasting his energy
chasing birds.
282
00:29:25,721 --> 00:29:28,600
Still, our male waits.
283
00:29:30,101 --> 00:29:33,480
He watches as
the kid wears himself out.
284
00:29:44,198 --> 00:29:46,451
Then, he summons what little
285
00:29:46,492 --> 00:29:49,954
strength he has for the attack.
286
00:30:04,802 --> 00:30:06,971
Revenge is sweet.
287
00:30:07,388 --> 00:30:11,643
Our Nanuqsaurus is
now the last of his kind.
288
00:30:13,561 --> 00:30:16,273
After a 170 million year reign,
289
00:30:16,314 --> 00:30:20,568
the giant dinosaurs are
passing into history.
290
00:30:24,780 --> 00:30:27,367
Years go by, and still,
291
00:30:27,408 --> 00:30:30,036
the dark cloud blankets
the Earth.
292
00:30:34,582 --> 00:30:38,587
Robbed of the sun’s energy,
three quarters of
293
00:30:38,628 --> 00:30:43,049
all species across the
planet are driven to extinction.
294
00:30:58,898 --> 00:31:01,568
Finally, a decade later...
295
00:31:02,568 --> 00:31:07,615
the dust clouds clear
and give way to a new dawn.
296
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,872
Seeds that have laid dormant
in the soil spring to life.
297
00:31:29,095 --> 00:31:30,555
Few animals made it,
298
00:31:30,596 --> 00:31:33,391
finding
creative ways to survive.
299
00:31:34,976 --> 00:31:37,228
Some hid underground...
300
00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:40,565
...some in water.
301
00:31:41,774 --> 00:31:45,278
But all were
small and adaptable.
302
00:31:48,572 --> 00:31:51,701
The planet they
inherited is a blank canvas,
303
00:31:53,494 --> 00:31:58,833
and evolution is about
to go into overdrive.
304
00:32:07,049 --> 00:32:09,218
Five million years later
305
00:32:13,556 --> 00:32:17,602
a vibrant new habitat now
dominates the land.
306
00:32:22,982 --> 00:32:25,735
Lush, tropical rainforests.
307
00:32:35,619 --> 00:32:38,915
Beneath the canopy,
the air is filled with the scent
308
00:32:38,956 --> 00:32:40,583
of colorful flowers
309
00:32:41,500 --> 00:32:44,128
and the hum
of pollinating insects.
310
00:32:47,089 --> 00:32:49,551
The only descendants
of the dinosaurs that have
311
00:32:49,592 --> 00:32:52,595
survived are the birds.
312
00:32:53,763 --> 00:32:55,765
Other creatures have
made the most of this new
313
00:32:55,806 --> 00:32:59,185
environment
and found ways to thrive.
314
00:33:01,812 --> 00:33:04,858
High in the canopy,
it is not just the birds
315
00:33:04,899 --> 00:33:06,317
looking for breakfast.
316
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,490
These are Plesiadapis.
317
00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,536
They are mammals,
and mammals are thriving
318
00:33:16,577 --> 00:33:17,912
in these new forests.
319
00:33:21,707 --> 00:33:24,335
This is a fruit hunting mission.
320
00:33:25,127 --> 00:33:29,340
They work together to
find the best afternoon snack.
321
00:33:31,509 --> 00:33:34,846
And there are
plenty of delicious options.
322
00:33:38,015 --> 00:33:39,934
The new world is
so abundant,
323
00:33:39,975 --> 00:33:43,396
they have the luxury to choose
only the ripe ones.
324
00:33:51,112 --> 00:33:55,533
Plesiadapis is one of
the very first primates.
325
00:33:56,575 --> 00:33:59,871
A group of mammals whose
intelligence and climbing skills
326
00:33:59,912 --> 00:34:03,833
have helped them seize the high
ground up in the tree canopies.
327
00:34:09,839 --> 00:34:13,843
But in the water below,
there is danger.
328
00:34:23,352 --> 00:34:25,688
Not every reptilian predator...
329
00:34:27,606 --> 00:34:29,692
died with the dinosaurs.
330
00:34:37,491 --> 00:34:40,995
It is five million
years after the asteroid impact.
331
00:34:41,871 --> 00:34:45,750
The world is now covered
in lush tropical rainforests.
332
00:34:48,627 --> 00:34:52,298
Here, birds and mammals thrive.
333
00:34:54,633 --> 00:34:57,428
The giant dinosaurs are gone,
334
00:34:58,679 --> 00:35:01,974
but other reptilian
predators have survived.
335
00:35:08,647 --> 00:35:10,942
This Plesiadapis is safe
336
00:35:11,650 --> 00:35:14,070
as long as he stays
in the trees.
337
00:35:20,534 --> 00:35:23,830
But this tasty
snack is just out of reach
338
00:35:25,164 --> 00:35:28,084
and he makes
a potentially fatal mistake.
339
00:35:39,345 --> 00:35:41,389
This little mammal has no idea
340
00:35:41,430 --> 00:35:43,808
what lurks in the murky depths.
341
00:35:48,938 --> 00:35:50,940
It doesn’t look
good for our little...
342
00:35:54,193 --> 00:35:55,945
aw, never mind.
343
00:36:04,161 --> 00:36:06,998
Crocodiles survived
the apocalyptic winter
344
00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:10,376
because they lived in the water
and could go long periods
345
00:36:10,417 --> 00:36:11,711
without eating.
346
00:36:17,591 --> 00:36:21,596
After devouring his prey,
this giant Kosmodraco
347
00:36:21,637 --> 00:36:25,016
likes to take a
long bask in the sun.
348
00:36:31,897 --> 00:36:37,570
He settles down and opens
his mouth wide to keep cool.
349
00:36:39,154 --> 00:36:43,660
But a nice warm patch
of sand attracts all sorts
350
00:36:43,701 --> 00:36:45,578
of creatures from the forest...
351
00:36:48,747 --> 00:36:50,708
...like Titanoides.
352
00:36:58,090 --> 00:37:01,427
Mammals like these
have evolved to be immense
353
00:37:01,468 --> 00:37:03,262
and powerful.
354
00:37:03,929 --> 00:37:07,099
Large enough to take on
the biggest reptiles.
355
00:37:28,579 --> 00:37:31,624
These tough guys now
rule the shores.
356
00:37:40,841 --> 00:37:45,054
The age of the mammals
has truly arrived.
357
00:37:47,806 --> 00:37:50,643
No longer in
the shadow of the reptiles,
358
00:37:51,685 --> 00:37:55,606
mammals will soon
dominate the planet.
359
00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,214
When scientists
became convinced that
360
00:38:20,255 --> 00:38:22,967
a cosmic collision
killed off the dinosaurs,
361
00:38:23,926 --> 00:38:26,721
it inspired more
thorough scientific study
362
00:38:26,762 --> 00:38:30,224
of the threat asteroids
present to life on Earth.
363
00:38:37,314 --> 00:38:39,692
Starting in the 1990s,
364
00:38:39,733 --> 00:38:41,986
astronomers all over the world
have been using
365
00:38:42,027 --> 00:38:44,697
their telescopes
to track and catalog
366
00:38:44,738 --> 00:38:47,575
the many objects flying
around our Solar System.
367
00:38:51,912 --> 00:38:55,083
Today, they believe
they have found all asteroids
368
00:38:55,124 --> 00:38:58,878
large enough to cause
a similar mass extinction event.
369
00:38:59,837 --> 00:39:01,381
And while none
of these present
370
00:39:01,422 --> 00:39:04,509
any immediate danger,
there are thousands of
371
00:39:04,550 --> 00:39:08,513
smaller objects which
could cause major destruction
372
00:39:08,554 --> 00:39:10,515
if they impacted the Earth.
373
00:39:15,894 --> 00:39:18,731
Recently,
a 100-foot-wide lump of rock
374
00:39:18,772 --> 00:39:22,777
called 2024-YR4 was spotted
375
00:39:22,818 --> 00:39:25,071
on a near-collision
course with Earth.
376
00:39:25,904 --> 00:39:28,908
It will miss us,
but only by luck.
377
00:39:31,493 --> 00:39:34,163
Few scientists believe
that watching the skies
378
00:39:34,204 --> 00:39:37,124
and hoping for the best
is a winning strategy.
379
00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:42,713
So, in 2021, NASA launched DART,
380
00:39:43,797 --> 00:39:47,218
a prototype of a new planetary
defense system,
381
00:39:48,260 --> 00:39:51,263
its aim was to smash
into the side of an asteroid
382
00:39:52,181 --> 00:39:55,601
and prove threats like
these could be neutralized,
383
00:39:57,019 --> 00:39:59,021
if we spotted them in time.
384
00:40:07,070 --> 00:40:09,782
The mission succeeded.
385
00:40:14,870 --> 00:40:16,706
While some human technology may
386
00:40:16,747 --> 00:40:18,958
pose a threat
to life on Earth...
387
00:40:20,083 --> 00:40:23,754
breakthroughs like the
DART program could be what
388
00:40:23,795 --> 00:40:25,965
saves many species,
389
00:40:27,382 --> 00:40:29,135
including our own,
390
00:40:29,635 --> 00:40:32,722
from going
the way of the dinosaurs.
391
00:40:38,101 --> 00:40:41,856
♪ I see trees of green ♪
392
00:40:42,523 --> 00:40:44,984
♪ Red roses too ♪
393
00:40:45,567 --> 00:40:48,571
♪ I watch them bloom ♪
394
00:40:48,612 --> 00:40:50,865
♪ For me and you ♪
395
00:40:50,906 --> 00:40:54,034
♪ And I think to myself ♪
396
00:40:55,077 --> 00:41:01,792
♪ What a wonderful world ♪
397
00:41:01,833 --> 00:41:06,005
♪ Yes, I think to myself ♪
398
00:41:07,089 --> 00:41:11,469
♪ What a wonderful world ♪