Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,070 --> 00:00:03,244
Viewers like you make
this program possible.
2
00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,315
Support your local PBS station.
3
00:00:15,705 --> 00:00:17,017
The Arctic Circle,
4
00:00:17,051 --> 00:00:19,605
Northern Alaska.
5
00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,990
In one of the most
inhospitable places on Earth,
6
00:00:25,025 --> 00:00:26,819
scientists search for clues
to a mystery
7
00:00:26,854 --> 00:00:31,134
70 million years in the making.
8
00:00:32,687 --> 00:00:37,520
They're on the hunt for
a lost world of polar dinosaurs.
9
00:00:39,073 --> 00:00:40,454
This is not the paleontology
10
00:00:40,488 --> 00:00:42,180
you normally see in books.
11
00:00:42,214 --> 00:00:43,526
What we're learning about
dinosaurs
12
00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,252
from these discoveries,
13
00:00:45,286 --> 00:00:48,186
it's just really
unparalleled and unprecedented.
14
00:00:51,085 --> 00:00:53,191
Alaska
is the last place on Earth
15
00:00:53,225 --> 00:00:58,817
one might expect
to find large reptiles.
16
00:00:58,851 --> 00:01:04,029
But the discovery of fossils has
revealed dinosaurs could live
17
00:01:04,064 --> 00:01:09,310
farther north than what
was once thought possible.
18
00:01:12,624 --> 00:01:14,108
Oh, we got a sweet layer
right here.
19
00:01:15,661 --> 00:01:18,354
Now this team hopes to
20
00:01:18,388 --> 00:01:21,805
answer some
fundamental questions.
21
00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,255
What kind of animals lived here?
22
00:01:23,290 --> 00:01:28,122
How did they survive
the Arctic winters?
23
00:01:28,157 --> 00:01:30,435
How were
they able to endure the cold?
24
00:01:30,469 --> 00:01:31,884
How were they able
to endure the darkness?
25
00:01:31,919 --> 00:01:33,748
Where do they get their food?
26
00:01:33,783 --> 00:01:35,750
If they were up here year-round,
27
00:01:35,785 --> 00:01:37,166
were they really
warm-blooded animals?
28
00:01:38,443 --> 00:01:39,651
Their journey will take them
29
00:01:39,685 --> 00:01:44,759
from the frozen wilderness
of Northern Alaska
30
00:01:44,794 --> 00:01:45,933
to the mountaintops
31
00:01:45,967 --> 00:01:48,004
of Denali
National Park and Preserve
32
00:01:48,038 --> 00:01:49,005
to the south.
33
00:01:49,039 --> 00:01:51,145
If we can understand
34
00:01:51,180 --> 00:01:52,388
how they survived here,
35
00:01:52,422 --> 00:01:53,837
we might be able to understand
36
00:01:53,872 --> 00:01:57,324
why they dominated the planet
for over 100 million years.
37
00:01:59,291 --> 00:02:01,259
A surprising story...
38
00:02:02,294 --> 00:02:06,022
of adaptation and survival...
39
00:02:07,057 --> 00:02:10,889
against the odds.
40
00:02:10,923 --> 00:02:12,477
"Alaskan Dinosaurs."
41
00:02:12,511 --> 00:02:15,169
Right now, on "NOVA."
42
00:02:32,324 --> 00:02:35,120
Late March,
43
00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:37,364
Alaska's North Slope.
44
00:02:37,398 --> 00:02:39,814
28 miles
south of the Arctic Ocean,
45
00:02:39,849 --> 00:02:42,886
a team of paleontologists
46
00:02:42,921 --> 00:02:46,545
is on the final leg of
a 600-mile journey
47
00:02:46,580 --> 00:02:50,549
from Fairbanks to
one of the northernmost reaches
48
00:02:50,584 --> 00:02:52,793
of North America.
49
00:02:54,381 --> 00:02:56,866
They're part of a long-term
50
00:02:56,900 --> 00:03:01,215
joint research project
studying polar dinosaurs.
51
00:03:01,250 --> 00:03:03,390
Their plan is to
52
00:03:03,424 --> 00:03:06,220
spend the next several days
searching for dino bones.
53
00:03:06,255 --> 00:03:09,810
What makes
these dinosaurs amazing is the fact that
54
00:03:09,844 --> 00:03:11,950
they lived in an
extreme environment.
55
00:03:11,984 --> 00:03:13,400
This isn't the sort of thing
56
00:03:13,434 --> 00:03:15,988
we typically associate
with dinosaurs.
57
00:03:16,023 --> 00:03:18,612
So the fact that they lived
at these latitudes
58
00:03:18,646 --> 00:03:21,891
tells us a lot about what
dinosaurs were capable of doing.
59
00:03:21,925 --> 00:03:23,824
It shows them at their extremes.
60
00:03:25,274 --> 00:03:27,310
Over the past 13 years,
61
00:03:27,345 --> 00:03:30,624
paleontologist
Pat Druckenmiller has made
62
00:03:30,658 --> 00:03:32,764
11 expeditions
to the North Slope
63
00:03:32,798 --> 00:03:36,768
in search of fossils.
64
00:03:36,802 --> 00:03:40,323
He's joined by paleobiologist
Gregory Erickson,
65
00:03:40,358 --> 00:03:42,187
also a veteran
of this field work.
66
00:03:46,191 --> 00:03:50,851
Alaska is really
paleontology's last frontier.
67
00:03:54,303 --> 00:03:55,890
Dinosaurs were living in the
coldest environment
68
00:03:55,925 --> 00:03:58,203
in the Cretaceous,
and it's a mystery as to,
69
00:03:58,238 --> 00:03:59,446
you know, how they were making
it up there.
70
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,483
How did they survive?
71
00:04:04,105 --> 00:04:07,764
Here, temperatures
drop to 50 below at night,
72
00:04:07,799 --> 00:04:11,043
with wind chills plunging
even lower.
73
00:04:13,183 --> 00:04:15,151
But despite these challenges,
74
00:04:15,185 --> 00:04:18,741
this is the ideal time
to go fossil hunting
75
00:04:18,775 --> 00:04:21,295
on the North Slope.
76
00:04:21,330 --> 00:04:23,021
The
hillside we're trying to dig out
77
00:04:23,055 --> 00:04:25,126
likes to slump on us
in the summer.
78
00:04:25,161 --> 00:04:27,094
But in the wintertime,
it's frozen solid
79
00:04:27,128 --> 00:04:30,200
and we can safely excavate
into the layer.
80
00:04:38,174 --> 00:04:40,176
Along with excavation equipment,
81
00:04:40,210 --> 00:04:42,765
they'll be carrying everything
they need to survive,
82
00:04:42,799 --> 00:04:48,357
including 100 gallons of
gasoline to run generators,
83
00:04:48,391 --> 00:04:53,154
one ton of wood for fire stoves,
84
00:04:53,189 --> 00:04:58,298
and enough food to last for
over a week.
85
00:05:00,921 --> 00:05:04,165
It's been three
days of travel just to reach this point,
86
00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,823
and we're not over yet,
because we now have to travel
87
00:05:06,858 --> 00:05:10,793
about 30 miles by snow machine
to get out to the Colville River
88
00:05:10,827 --> 00:05:11,966
and reach our actual dig site.
89
00:05:27,499 --> 00:05:29,605
The team
is heading to a fossil site
90
00:05:29,639 --> 00:05:31,917
in the Prince Creek Formation
91
00:05:31,952 --> 00:05:35,818
on the North Slope of Alaska.
92
00:05:35,852 --> 00:05:39,546
Through this remote,
awe-inspiring landscape
93
00:05:39,580 --> 00:05:43,308
winds the Colville River,
flowing north from
94
00:05:43,343 --> 00:05:46,760
the slopes of the Brooks Range
to the Beaufort Sea.
95
00:05:50,039 --> 00:05:52,524
Along the bank
of the frozen river,
96
00:05:52,559 --> 00:05:57,149
steep cliffs rise 100 feet.
97
00:05:57,184 --> 00:06:00,705
This is where
geologist Robert Liscomb
98
00:06:00,739 --> 00:06:02,465
came across mysterious bones
99
00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:04,778
while working for an oil company
100
00:06:04,812 --> 00:06:07,712
in 1961.
101
00:06:07,746 --> 00:06:09,679
Later identified as
dinosaur bones,
102
00:06:09,714 --> 00:06:12,855
the find was a surprise.
103
00:06:12,889 --> 00:06:15,478
Dinos,
thought to be cold-blooded,
104
00:06:15,513 --> 00:06:18,585
shouldn't be able to survive
in the cold and dark.
105
00:06:18,619 --> 00:06:22,105
Polar dinosaurs weren't really
on paleontologists' radar
106
00:06:22,140 --> 00:06:24,245
for most of the 20th century.
107
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:25,419
When you had a picture of
108
00:06:25,454 --> 00:06:26,834
what a dinosaur was
and where they lived,
109
00:06:26,869 --> 00:06:29,458
it was often thought to be
an equatorial sort of creature,
110
00:06:29,492 --> 00:06:30,907
a creature of warm environments,
111
00:06:30,942 --> 00:06:34,290
of these swampy sort of
lowland environments.
112
00:06:34,324 --> 00:06:36,741
Thinking of dinosaurs living
in the polar north,
113
00:06:36,775 --> 00:06:38,743
that wasn't something that was
even considered.
114
00:06:44,162 --> 00:06:46,820
The discovery
of Alaskan dinosaurs
115
00:06:46,854 --> 00:06:49,685
astonishes
the scientific community...
116
00:06:52,412 --> 00:06:54,310
and puts the
Prince Creek Formation
117
00:06:54,344 --> 00:06:57,555
on the map for paleontologists.
118
00:07:01,490 --> 00:07:04,562
To find them
in a place like this,
119
00:07:04,596 --> 00:07:07,496
where the environment is
so dramatically different,
120
00:07:07,530 --> 00:07:10,775
it really does challenge what
we thought about these animals.
121
00:07:10,809 --> 00:07:14,330
So far,
scientists have identified
122
00:07:14,364 --> 00:07:19,887
over a dozen species,
both large and small:
123
00:07:19,922 --> 00:07:24,202
herbivorous beasts
such as Pachyrhinosaurus,
124
00:07:24,236 --> 00:07:28,033
a formidable horned ceratopsid;
125
00:07:28,068 --> 00:07:33,936
and Ugrunaaluk, a duck-billed
dinosaur over 25 feet long;
126
00:07:33,970 --> 00:07:37,629
as well as predators
like Nanuqsaurus,
127
00:07:37,664 --> 00:07:42,669
a fearsome tyrannosaur and
close cousin to T. rex;
128
00:07:42,703 --> 00:07:46,224
and a troodontid,
a lightly built horse-sized
129
00:07:46,258 --> 00:07:50,746
dinosaur with
deadly slasher claws.
130
00:07:56,234 --> 00:07:57,856
The team finally arrives
131
00:07:57,891 --> 00:08:00,652
at base camp,
half a mile from the dig site.
132
00:08:00,687 --> 00:08:05,485
It's getting dark and
the temperature is dropping,
133
00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:09,350
now down to
minus-four degrees Fahrenheit.
134
00:08:09,385 --> 00:08:11,283
The site that we're
interested in
135
00:08:11,318 --> 00:08:13,493
is at that point over there.
136
00:08:13,527 --> 00:08:15,356
But some of our crew is
getting cold,
137
00:08:15,391 --> 00:08:17,945
and so it's important
to get our tents up and,
138
00:08:17,980 --> 00:08:20,500
you know, get our stoves going.
139
00:08:22,502 --> 00:08:24,538
Working on the
North Slope in the late winter
140
00:08:24,573 --> 00:08:28,853
means the days are
still short and cold.
141
00:08:28,887 --> 00:08:33,754
Scientists agree,
70 million years ago,
142
00:08:33,789 --> 00:08:36,550
the Earth was
generally much warmer.
143
00:08:36,585 --> 00:08:39,829
The dinosaurs
living here, however,
144
00:08:39,864 --> 00:08:43,108
would have faced
the same inescapable reality.
145
00:08:45,697 --> 00:08:51,254
As the Earth orbits the sun,
it rotates on a tilted axis.
146
00:08:51,289 --> 00:08:54,292
During summer in
the Northern Hemisphere,
147
00:08:54,326 --> 00:08:57,398
the North Pole is
angled toward the sun.
148
00:08:57,433 --> 00:08:59,297
Areas above the Arctic Circle
149
00:08:59,331 --> 00:09:03,750
receive 24 hours of sunlight.
150
00:09:03,784 --> 00:09:08,133
But when Earth arrives at
the opposite side of its orbit,
151
00:09:08,168 --> 00:09:10,860
the pattern reverses,
and the north is tilted
152
00:09:10,895 --> 00:09:13,311
away from the sun.
153
00:09:13,345 --> 00:09:15,313
Because during the Cretaceous,
154
00:09:15,347 --> 00:09:18,592
Alaska was even farther north
than today,
155
00:09:18,627 --> 00:09:23,079
the North Slope experienced
four months of total darkness.
156
00:09:24,805 --> 00:09:26,151
The best indications
157
00:09:26,186 --> 00:09:29,396
from all of the geological
and fossil evidence
158
00:09:29,430 --> 00:09:32,192
is that during that darkest,
coldest winter months,
159
00:09:32,226 --> 00:09:35,160
it would have gotten
below freezing.
160
00:09:35,195 --> 00:09:38,854
It would have been much colder
161
00:09:38,888 --> 00:09:41,546
than almost anywhere else
162
00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:44,169
dinosaurs
would have been living.
163
00:09:58,321 --> 00:10:00,496
Early the next morning,
164
00:10:00,530 --> 00:10:02,256
Pat and Greg visit the site
165
00:10:02,291 --> 00:10:06,502
where the first Alaskan
dinosaurs were discovered:
166
00:10:06,536 --> 00:10:09,470
the Liscomb Bone Bed.
167
00:10:13,820 --> 00:10:16,029
We have somewhere around
168
00:10:16,063 --> 00:10:17,996
6,000 catalogued bones
in our collection
169
00:10:18,031 --> 00:10:20,516
from this one layer alone.
170
00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:22,173
And it's also the same layer
171
00:10:22,207 --> 00:10:24,589
that provided most of the
material
172
00:10:24,624 --> 00:10:26,487
from which we named
a new species
173
00:10:26,522 --> 00:10:28,248
of duck-billed dinosaur
174
00:10:28,282 --> 00:10:31,423
called Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis.
175
00:10:31,458 --> 00:10:32,770
The areas that we work in
176
00:10:32,804 --> 00:10:35,082
have been long occupied
by Indigenous peoples,
177
00:10:35,117 --> 00:10:36,325
and we think it's only fitting
178
00:10:36,359 --> 00:10:39,777
that when we construct
a new scientific name,
179
00:10:39,811 --> 00:10:43,988
that we incorporate
words from those languages
180
00:10:44,022 --> 00:10:45,990
from the areas in which we work.
181
00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,823
Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis
has its origin
182
00:10:51,858 --> 00:10:54,826
in Inupiaq words
that mean, roughly,
183
00:10:54,861 --> 00:10:58,899
"ancient chewer
of the Colville River."
184
00:10:58,934 --> 00:11:01,971
Close cousin to
Edmontosaurus found to the south,
185
00:11:02,006 --> 00:11:06,010
Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis
186
00:11:06,044 --> 00:11:09,047
is a four-ton herbivore.
187
00:11:09,082 --> 00:11:11,532
Its discovery
in Alaska's North Slope
188
00:11:11,567 --> 00:11:14,052
created a puzzle for scientists.
189
00:11:14,087 --> 00:11:19,955
How did these large animals
manage to survive so far north?
190
00:11:22,095 --> 00:11:25,201
Did they migrate to and from
lower latitudes each year...
191
00:11:28,032 --> 00:11:30,413
like caribou do today?
192
00:11:35,004 --> 00:11:36,281
If they weren't migrating,
193
00:11:36,316 --> 00:11:38,111
how did they make a living
up here?
194
00:11:38,145 --> 00:11:39,733
You can't imagine
there was enough to eat,
195
00:11:39,768 --> 00:11:41,390
so it's just, you know,
a bit of a mystery.
196
00:11:48,949 --> 00:11:50,433
To find clues,
197
00:11:50,468 --> 00:11:53,574
the scientists hope
to recover more bone material.
198
00:11:55,438 --> 00:12:00,581
During the Cretaceous, some 145
to 66 million years ago,
199
00:12:00,616 --> 00:12:04,171
the section they're planning to
dig was a river floodplain.
200
00:12:06,449 --> 00:12:09,038
Over millennia,
some remains of dinosaurs
201
00:12:09,073 --> 00:12:12,283
find their way into rivers.
202
00:12:12,317 --> 00:12:15,665
Bones and other material
from different species
203
00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:18,738
pile up at the bottom of
the river channel.
204
00:12:18,772 --> 00:12:21,464
Layers of sediment bury
the remains.
205
00:12:22,811 --> 00:12:26,884
Millions of years later,
a new river, the Colville,
206
00:12:26,918 --> 00:12:28,886
carves through these layers,
207
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,027
exposing the edge of
the fossil bone bed
208
00:12:32,061 --> 00:12:34,374
along these cliffs.
209
00:12:38,930 --> 00:12:43,038
Pat examines the
spot where they found bones before.
210
00:12:44,694 --> 00:12:49,147
They've come back
to continue the work,
211
00:12:49,182 --> 00:12:53,082
but the familiar
landscape has changed.
212
00:12:54,843 --> 00:12:56,741
Huh.
213
00:12:56,776 --> 00:12:58,916
That's kind of scary.
214
00:12:58,950 --> 00:13:01,332
It might have gone bye-bye.
215
00:13:01,366 --> 00:13:04,991
On first inspection,
things don't look promising.
216
00:13:07,821 --> 00:13:09,823
It's all slump.
217
00:13:09,858 --> 00:13:11,100
Yeah.
218
00:13:11,135 --> 00:13:12,067
The layer's gone.
219
00:13:16,830 --> 00:13:19,868
In the summer,
the faces of these cliffs
220
00:13:19,902 --> 00:13:23,803
regularly slump or
slide down into the river,
221
00:13:23,837 --> 00:13:26,633
making it dangerous
to work here.
222
00:13:28,566 --> 00:13:31,845
That process can expose fossils
that had been hidden.
223
00:13:33,571 --> 00:13:35,953
But it can also bury
the bone layer...
224
00:13:35,987 --> 00:13:40,578
and paleontologists...
under tons of rock and mud.
225
00:13:42,511 --> 00:13:46,411
The team fears its bone bed
may have been washed away.
226
00:13:46,446 --> 00:13:48,517
The
hills are ungluing themselves.
227
00:13:48,551 --> 00:13:49,794
Rack it up to
228
00:13:49,829 --> 00:13:52,762
climate change or whatever,
but you never know.
229
00:13:52,797 --> 00:13:54,626
The slumps can randomly just
230
00:13:54,661 --> 00:13:57,422
take out your
favorite dinosaur site.
231
00:13:57,457 --> 00:13:59,908
Yeah, that's not good.
232
00:14:01,116 --> 00:14:04,395
Then, after further exploration,
233
00:14:04,429 --> 00:14:07,916
they find
a newly exposed outcrop.
234
00:14:07,950 --> 00:14:11,989
Oh, it's kinda got some slump
on it.
235
00:14:12,023 --> 00:14:13,473
All right, I'm going up
and have a look.
236
00:14:16,062 --> 00:14:17,270
Just when it looks like
237
00:14:17,304 --> 00:14:19,444
the trip may have been
for nothing,
238
00:14:19,479 --> 00:14:23,276
the team has a stroke of luck.
239
00:14:23,310 --> 00:14:24,794
Look at that.
240
00:14:24,829 --> 00:14:27,556
Right there.
241
00:14:27,590 --> 00:14:29,869
Woo-hoo!
242
00:14:29,903 --> 00:14:30,904
Found the first bone!
243
00:14:34,666 --> 00:14:36,599
Oh, we
got a sweet layer right here.
244
00:14:36,634 --> 00:14:37,911
That's good.
245
00:14:37,946 --> 00:14:41,156
Pieces of
bone are clearly visible,
246
00:14:41,190 --> 00:14:44,918
sticking out of the frozen rock.
247
00:14:44,953 --> 00:14:47,127
- I
- whacked right through one here.
248
00:14:47,162 --> 00:14:50,268
It's classic bone texture.
249
00:14:50,303 --> 00:14:53,444
For Pat, this layer is
250
00:14:53,478 --> 00:14:56,412
a paleontological gold mine.
251
00:14:56,447 --> 00:14:57,655
That's what this
bone layer is all about.
252
00:14:57,689 --> 00:14:58,690
It's just dripping with bones.
253
00:15:02,867 --> 00:15:04,006
The challenge now
254
00:15:04,041 --> 00:15:07,423
is to safely extract
the samples.
255
00:15:07,458 --> 00:15:11,220
No one's
ever tried this up here before.
256
00:15:11,255 --> 00:15:12,739
Digging these animals up here,
257
00:15:12,773 --> 00:15:14,534
you know, basically
the end of wintertime,
258
00:15:14,568 --> 00:15:15,811
we're gonna take
the whole layer,
259
00:15:15,845 --> 00:15:17,537
rock and the bones,
260
00:15:17,571 --> 00:15:18,952
and try to extract it.
261
00:15:18,987 --> 00:15:20,126
Gotta find the sweet spot.
262
00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:21,127
Yep. There it is.
263
00:15:26,995 --> 00:15:28,997
They have just
six days left to collect specimens
264
00:15:29,031 --> 00:15:31,931
before they need to return.
265
00:15:33,449 --> 00:15:36,625
The next steps are to break up
the frozen mud and rock
266
00:15:36,659 --> 00:15:39,248
below the bone layer
with jackhammers
267
00:15:39,283 --> 00:15:42,389
to create a working platform.
268
00:15:42,424 --> 00:15:44,771
Then carve out several blocks
with chainsaws.
269
00:15:44,805 --> 00:15:49,845
Each chunk will be
about three feet across
270
00:15:49,879 --> 00:15:52,296
and weigh up to 200 pounds.
271
00:15:58,129 --> 00:16:01,374
It's five days into
a ten-day expedition.
272
00:16:01,408 --> 00:16:03,548
They still haven't extracted
a single block.
273
00:16:03,583 --> 00:16:07,207
And then they suffer
another setback.
274
00:16:09,451 --> 00:16:12,937
The chainsaws break down.
275
00:16:12,972 --> 00:16:17,907
It's up to head of operations
Kevin May to fix the equipment.
276
00:16:17,942 --> 00:16:20,048
It is.
277
00:16:20,082 --> 00:16:22,567
We have been presented with
278
00:16:22,602 --> 00:16:24,776
some significant challenges here
279
00:16:24,811 --> 00:16:27,124
with the temperatures.
280
00:16:27,158 --> 00:16:31,542
If he can't get the
chainsaws back up and running,
281
00:16:31,576 --> 00:16:33,613
the expedition could be over.
282
00:16:33,647 --> 00:16:34,924
Where's the other...
283
00:16:34,959 --> 00:16:36,961
Pal, you're too soon.
284
00:16:36,996 --> 00:16:39,929
How long do you need?
285
00:16:39,964 --> 00:16:41,345
I was really
hoping to get over here
286
00:16:41,379 --> 00:16:44,141
and work on the chainsaws
by myself, so...
287
00:16:46,798 --> 00:16:50,147
You get too many PhDs
in a small area
288
00:16:50,181 --> 00:16:52,011
and nothing gets done.
289
00:16:54,737 --> 00:16:58,500
Kevin soon
discovers a possible solution.
290
00:16:58,534 --> 00:17:01,192
Yep, that's what
shut us down last night.
291
00:17:01,227 --> 00:17:02,711
Look at that.
292
00:17:02,745 --> 00:17:05,921
Can you thaw that, please?
293
00:17:08,820 --> 00:17:12,238
The friction from
the chainsaws melts the permafrost,
294
00:17:12,272 --> 00:17:16,656
which seeps into the mechanics
and immediately refreezes.
295
00:17:19,348 --> 00:17:20,315
Turns out that
296
00:17:20,349 --> 00:17:22,420
because of these temperatures,
297
00:17:22,455 --> 00:17:26,079
we're gonna have to
repeatedly warm our chainsaws
298
00:17:26,114 --> 00:17:29,565
and get the chains
thawed out a bit.
299
00:17:35,675 --> 00:17:36,952
After a thorough cleaning,
300
00:17:36,986 --> 00:17:40,335
the team tries again.
301
00:17:44,166 --> 00:17:45,926
Four more days
in the biting cold
302
00:17:45,961 --> 00:17:48,101
digging,
303
00:17:48,136 --> 00:17:50,103
sawing,
304
00:17:50,138 --> 00:17:51,898
sleeping,
305
00:17:51,932 --> 00:17:54,659
and more sawing
306
00:17:54,694 --> 00:17:58,387
before the first block
is finally freed.
307
00:17:58,422 --> 00:18:01,252
It's coming, it's coming.
308
00:18:07,569 --> 00:18:09,916
Well done, Pat.
309
00:18:09,950 --> 00:18:11,193
We have success!
310
00:18:11,228 --> 00:18:14,403
Yeah, that's
a really nice, big chunk.
311
00:18:14,438 --> 00:18:16,267
There's a big one right there.
312
00:18:16,302 --> 00:18:19,615
Big, very
dark, there's one right here.
313
00:18:19,650 --> 00:18:23,654
There's one there,
there's one there.
314
00:18:23,688 --> 00:18:27,451
It's full of bones.
315
00:18:27,485 --> 00:18:30,488
After all that time...
316
00:18:30,523 --> 00:18:33,319
We've got it.
317
00:18:33,353 --> 00:18:36,149
We're hitting
the jackpot right now.
318
00:18:36,184 --> 00:18:37,771
This is gonna pay off.
319
00:18:37,806 --> 00:18:39,048
Let's bring it in for a landing.
320
00:18:40,602 --> 00:18:41,982
In total,
321
00:18:42,017 --> 00:18:46,677
the paleontologists manage
to extract eight frozen blocks,
322
00:18:46,711 --> 00:18:49,266
1,000 pounds to haul home.
323
00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:50,370
And now it's just a matter of
324
00:18:50,405 --> 00:18:52,545
bringing home a bunch of rock,
325
00:18:52,579 --> 00:18:54,616
and we'll get that stuff
back in the lab,
326
00:18:54,650 --> 00:18:58,067
and we can prepare it out
and we'll see what we find.
327
00:19:00,587 --> 00:19:02,934
They hope the samples will
328
00:19:02,969 --> 00:19:05,730
contain fossils that can
fill out their understanding
329
00:19:05,765 --> 00:19:10,942
of the animals that lived here
and help answer the question
330
00:19:10,977 --> 00:19:15,326
at the heart of
the Alaskan dinosaur mystery:
331
00:19:15,361 --> 00:19:18,571
how did they survive
the dark polar winter?
332
00:19:18,605 --> 00:19:21,539
That's a
tough place to make a living.
333
00:19:21,574 --> 00:19:23,162
How were dinosaurs
able to do that?
334
00:19:23,196 --> 00:19:26,268
Did they have to leave,
335
00:19:26,303 --> 00:19:28,684
maybe migrate south?
336
00:19:28,719 --> 00:19:31,170
Or were they able to
park themselves
337
00:19:31,204 --> 00:19:32,723
in the poles year-round?
338
00:19:32,757 --> 00:19:35,588
If we have evidence
that they were staying year-round,
339
00:19:35,622 --> 00:19:39,247
it really has a powerful impact
340
00:19:39,281 --> 00:19:43,354
on what we expect of
dinosaur physiology.
341
00:19:46,909 --> 00:19:49,912
Early July.
342
00:19:49,947 --> 00:19:51,880
At the University of Alaska
343
00:19:51,914 --> 00:19:53,916
Museum of the North in
Fairbanks,
344
00:19:53,951 --> 00:19:56,816
the blocks from
the Prince Creek Formation
345
00:19:56,850 --> 00:19:58,645
are in the prep lab.
346
00:20:00,682 --> 00:20:02,856
It's not just the big bones
347
00:20:02,891 --> 00:20:04,548
the scientists are after.
348
00:20:08,207 --> 00:20:11,348
Even the tiniest
unassuming crumbs
349
00:20:11,382 --> 00:20:15,144
could hold vital pieces
of the Alaskan dinosaur puzzle.
350
00:20:19,977 --> 00:20:24,878
To ensure the tiniest fragment
isn't overlooked,
351
00:20:24,913 --> 00:20:28,779
the scientists scrutinize
buckets of material
352
00:20:28,813 --> 00:20:30,436
grain by grain.
353
00:20:32,196 --> 00:20:34,129
It's a process of
354
00:20:34,163 --> 00:20:36,062
finding a needle in a haystack,
or...
355
00:20:36,096 --> 00:20:38,167
I liken it more
to panning for gold.
356
00:20:44,208 --> 00:20:45,658
Three years earlier,
357
00:20:45,692 --> 00:20:50,007
on their previous expedition
to the Prince Creek Formation,
358
00:20:50,041 --> 00:20:53,735
Pat and Greg find
something exceedingly rare
359
00:20:53,769 --> 00:20:56,531
and a potential clue to
the mystery of the lifestyle
360
00:20:56,565 --> 00:21:00,569
of polar dinosaurs:
361
00:21:00,604 --> 00:21:06,541
very small bones they suspect
are from a very young dinosaur.
362
00:21:06,575 --> 00:21:09,751
Some are no larger than
the head of a pin.
363
00:21:12,823 --> 00:21:16,551
Small size alone doesn't
necessarily mean that
364
00:21:16,585 --> 00:21:19,968
this is from a very young
individual dinosaur.
365
00:21:20,002 --> 00:21:22,798
For that information,
I look at other clues.
366
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:24,386
And one of the best clues
367
00:21:24,421 --> 00:21:27,147
can be seen
in the surface texture.
368
00:21:29,529 --> 00:21:32,152
What I'm seeing is a surface
that's highly porous,
369
00:21:32,187 --> 00:21:34,741
as if somebody took a little pin
and pricked the surface
370
00:21:34,776 --> 00:21:36,191
over and over and over again.
371
00:21:38,538 --> 00:21:41,265
And each of those holes
represents places
372
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:43,267
for little vascular canals
373
00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:46,063
where nutrients
were flowing into a bone
374
00:21:46,097 --> 00:21:48,790
at a stage of rapid growth.
375
00:21:48,824 --> 00:21:52,897
That sort of surface texture is
highly indicative of
376
00:21:52,932 --> 00:21:55,969
animals' very early stages
of development.
377
00:21:56,004 --> 00:21:57,730
And by that we mean days, weeks,
378
00:21:57,764 --> 00:21:59,352
maybe as much as
a couple of months,
379
00:21:59,387 --> 00:22:01,630
meaning that
this is a great clue
380
00:22:01,665 --> 00:22:03,943
to help identify baby bones.
381
00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,264
It's an unprecedented find.
382
00:22:15,299 --> 00:22:19,268
Baby dinosaurs have never been
found this far north before.
383
00:22:22,341 --> 00:22:25,067
This was
a totally unexpected discovery.
384
00:22:25,102 --> 00:22:26,724
When we first started to see
385
00:22:26,759 --> 00:22:29,175
these, these small teeth and
bones,
386
00:22:29,209 --> 00:22:34,491
it was, it was really a
jaw-dropping experience.
387
00:22:34,525 --> 00:22:36,596
Further investigation reveals
388
00:22:36,631 --> 00:22:38,667
remains of the teeth and bones
389
00:22:38,702 --> 00:22:42,430
of seven different species
of dinosaur,
390
00:22:42,464 --> 00:22:46,365
all in their very
earliest stages of development.
391
00:22:46,399 --> 00:22:51,128
It's evidence
that 70 million years ago,
392
00:22:51,162 --> 00:22:56,616
several species of dinosaurs
nested in the Arctic,
393
00:22:56,651 --> 00:22:59,723
not only living in Alaska
during the mild summer,
394
00:22:59,757 --> 00:23:01,759
but breeding here, as well.
395
00:23:05,901 --> 00:23:09,111
It raises a whole
bunch of really interesting questions.
396
00:23:10,492 --> 00:23:12,114
One of the most important is,
397
00:23:12,149 --> 00:23:14,427
if they reproduced
in the Arctic,
398
00:23:14,462 --> 00:23:17,257
is it actually possible for them
to have also had time
399
00:23:17,292 --> 00:23:20,468
to migrate to lower latitudes?
400
00:23:20,502 --> 00:23:25,231
If migratory,
dinosaurs would have to move north,
401
00:23:25,265 --> 00:23:27,923
incubate and hatch their eggs,
402
00:23:27,958 --> 00:23:30,236
and then return to the south,
403
00:23:30,270 --> 00:23:35,034
2,000 miles away,
with baby dinosaurs in tow,
404
00:23:35,068 --> 00:23:39,176
in order to escape the depth of
the polar winter shadow...
405
00:23:39,210 --> 00:23:42,731
and all between
spring and early fall.
406
00:23:42,766 --> 00:23:45,389
Could the hatchlings
have managed it?
407
00:23:48,772 --> 00:23:53,328
One important clue can be found
inside specimens like this,
408
00:23:53,362 --> 00:23:57,505
less than
an eighth of an inch long.
409
00:23:57,539 --> 00:23:59,610
It looks like a drill bit,
410
00:23:59,645 --> 00:24:03,442
but it's actually
a tooth from a baby dinosaur.
411
00:24:05,927 --> 00:24:10,828
When teeth form, daily growth
lines are laid down.
412
00:24:10,863 --> 00:24:12,589
And by counting those up,
one can figure out
413
00:24:12,623 --> 00:24:15,661
how long it took dinosaurs
to incubate their eggs.
414
00:24:15,695 --> 00:24:17,663
So we looked
at really small embryos,
415
00:24:17,697 --> 00:24:20,251
animals that were
just about to hatch out,
416
00:24:20,286 --> 00:24:23,462
and we were able to figure out
really large dinosaur eggs
417
00:24:23,496 --> 00:24:25,809
took six months to incubate.
418
00:24:29,433 --> 00:24:33,782
If it took large
animals such as Ugrunaaluk
419
00:24:33,817 --> 00:24:35,404
six months to hatch,
420
00:24:35,439 --> 00:24:38,062
and eggs were laid
during the spring,
421
00:24:38,097 --> 00:24:41,721
the dinosaurs would have
only one month to move south
422
00:24:41,756 --> 00:24:47,037
before the onset of polar
winter.
423
00:24:47,071 --> 00:24:48,797
There's no way that
those dinosaurs
424
00:24:48,832 --> 00:24:51,973
could have hatched out
and made a 2,000-mile trek
425
00:24:52,007 --> 00:24:55,839
all the way down to Alberta
to warmer climatic conditions.
426
00:24:55,873 --> 00:24:57,875
It just wasn't possible.
427
00:24:57,910 --> 00:25:00,188
It's just unavoidable...
they were up there year-round.
428
00:25:02,466 --> 00:25:05,262
The idea that
dinosaurs lived in cold darkness
429
00:25:05,296 --> 00:25:09,818
challenges previous assumptions
about dinosaur biology
430
00:25:09,853 --> 00:25:11,855
and the traditional view
that they were
431
00:25:11,889 --> 00:25:16,376
giant cold-blooded animals
like today's reptiles,
432
00:25:16,411 --> 00:25:20,829
relying on ambient temperature
to warm their bodies.
433
00:25:20,864 --> 00:25:23,694
What we don't find in
the Prince Creek Formation
434
00:25:23,729 --> 00:25:26,594
is evidence for
cold-blooded animals
435
00:25:26,628 --> 00:25:31,944
such as crocodiles and turtles,
lizards, amphibians.
436
00:25:31,978 --> 00:25:36,017
It's almost like they
were physiologically limited.
437
00:25:36,051 --> 00:25:38,157
What we do find up there
are birds
438
00:25:38,191 --> 00:25:40,884
and mammals
439
00:25:40,918 --> 00:25:43,403
and dinosaurs.
440
00:25:43,438 --> 00:25:46,096
That alone suggested
that they were warm-blooded.
441
00:25:50,169 --> 00:25:52,102
Even if
they weren't cold-blooded,
442
00:25:52,136 --> 00:25:56,934
how did herbivores like
Ugrunaaluk find enough food?
443
00:26:00,282 --> 00:26:03,562
Without sunlight,
many trees shed their leaves.
444
00:26:03,596 --> 00:26:08,877
During these winter months,
food for the plant-eaters
445
00:26:08,912 --> 00:26:10,845
would have withered or died.
446
00:26:18,646 --> 00:26:21,269
If we think
about those Alaskan ecosystems,
447
00:26:21,303 --> 00:26:24,997
we have to address the fact...
448
00:26:26,032 --> 00:26:27,413
Where do they get their food?
449
00:26:29,104 --> 00:26:32,211
Karen Chin is
one of the world's leading experts
450
00:26:32,245 --> 00:26:35,663
in dinosaur dung.
451
00:26:35,697 --> 00:26:39,011
She's been investigating
hadrosaur diet
452
00:26:39,045 --> 00:26:41,530
by studying the fossilized
remains of their feces,
453
00:26:41,565 --> 00:26:45,224
known as coprolites.
454
00:26:49,331 --> 00:26:51,644
At 100 times magnification,
455
00:26:51,679 --> 00:26:54,647
even the individual
fossilized cells
456
00:26:54,682 --> 00:26:57,616
of the dinosaur's last meal
are visible.
457
00:27:00,895 --> 00:27:04,312
Investigating coprolites
from non-polar dinosaurs
458
00:27:04,346 --> 00:27:06,555
living in
Southern Utah and Montana,
459
00:27:06,590 --> 00:27:09,075
Karen finds something
intriguing.
460
00:27:09,110 --> 00:27:12,216
We can see chunks of intact
wood,
461
00:27:12,251 --> 00:27:15,150
and that's where you see
all of the cells
462
00:27:15,185 --> 00:27:17,497
are almost glued together.
463
00:27:17,532 --> 00:27:19,603
They're glued together
with lignin.
464
00:27:19,638 --> 00:27:24,125
But then you can also see
all of these loose cells
465
00:27:24,159 --> 00:27:27,542
all over the place,
in no particular order,
466
00:27:27,576 --> 00:27:31,132
scattered all around.
467
00:27:35,136 --> 00:27:38,933
And that indicates rotting wood.
468
00:27:38,967 --> 00:27:43,662
To break down lignin,
it requires oxygen,
469
00:27:43,696 --> 00:27:46,872
so that can't happen
in an animal's gut.
470
00:27:46,906 --> 00:27:51,186
It has to happen outside,
where there's access to oxygen.
471
00:27:51,221 --> 00:27:55,604
So we know that the wood
was degraded, decomposed,
472
00:27:55,639 --> 00:27:58,573
before it was ingested
by the dinosaur.
473
00:28:00,748 --> 00:28:01,956
I was quite surprised...
474
00:28:01,990 --> 00:28:05,684
why were they eating
so much wood?
475
00:28:05,718 --> 00:28:07,996
The incredible new evidence
476
00:28:08,031 --> 00:28:11,897
suggests the southern hadrosaurs
could diversify their diets,
477
00:28:11,931 --> 00:28:16,764
feeding on rotting wood
to survive.
478
00:28:16,798 --> 00:28:19,628
Where are you going to get
protein if you're an herbivore?
479
00:28:19,663 --> 00:28:21,838
You can go to a rotting log
480
00:28:21,872 --> 00:28:25,186
where there's lots of
creepy crawlers
481
00:28:25,220 --> 00:28:27,844
like beetles and
millipedes and pill bugs.
482
00:28:30,985 --> 00:28:33,401
It raises
the tantalizing possibility
483
00:28:33,435 --> 00:28:35,748
that this could have been a
winter food source
484
00:28:35,783 --> 00:28:40,166
for Alaskan dinosaurs, as well.
485
00:28:40,201 --> 00:28:43,411
Herbivorous
dinosaurs like Ugrunaaluk
486
00:28:43,445 --> 00:28:45,931
might also have
been feeding on rotting wood
487
00:28:45,965 --> 00:28:48,899
during the four months of the
year or so when
488
00:28:48,934 --> 00:28:51,281
they had the polar winter.
489
00:28:54,318 --> 00:28:56,769
With the arrival of winter,
490
00:28:56,804 --> 00:29:00,566
darkness is one problem
for the Alaskan dinosaurs.
491
00:29:02,188 --> 00:29:06,434
They also face much colder
temperatures.
492
00:29:08,470 --> 00:29:11,232
What in their
physiology allowed them
493
00:29:11,266 --> 00:29:13,406
to remain in Alaska,
shielding them
494
00:29:13,441 --> 00:29:15,615
from the elements?
495
00:29:18,342 --> 00:29:21,656
So for a long time, the image of
a traditional, classic dinosaur
496
00:29:21,690 --> 00:29:24,141
was of a very scaly,
very reptilian,
497
00:29:24,176 --> 00:29:26,799
almost a monstrous
sort of creature.
498
00:29:26,834 --> 00:29:28,732
But lately, dinosaurs have been
getting softer,
499
00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:30,009
they've been getting fuzzier.
500
00:29:30,044 --> 00:29:32,874
Like, dare I say it,
they're getting cute.
501
00:29:32,909 --> 00:29:34,531
There was a early tyrannosaur
502
00:29:34,565 --> 00:29:38,569
that lived about 125 million
years ago named Yutyrannus
503
00:29:38,604 --> 00:29:40,330
covered almost head to tail
504
00:29:40,364 --> 00:29:42,573
in fluffy feathers, and this
was not a small animal.
505
00:29:42,608 --> 00:29:43,989
This animal was
about 30 feet long.
506
00:29:44,023 --> 00:29:49,408
Intriguingly,
Yutyrannus lived in a part of China
507
00:29:49,442 --> 00:29:52,791
during the early Cretaceous that
had a cool climate
508
00:29:52,825 --> 00:29:58,244
similar to Alaska
70 million years ago.
509
00:29:58,279 --> 00:30:03,146
Most dinosaurs had simple
feathers that looked like hair.
510
00:30:03,180 --> 00:30:04,906
Our hair keeps us warm,
511
00:30:04,941 --> 00:30:06,321
that's what hair does
in mammals,
512
00:30:06,356 --> 00:30:09,808
and for many dinosaurs,
they had these simple feathers
513
00:30:09,842 --> 00:30:12,811
probably to keep their bodies
warm.
514
00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:16,953
If dinosaurs that were living
in an area
515
00:30:16,987 --> 00:30:20,163
of similar temperatures
earlier in the Cretaceous
516
00:30:20,197 --> 00:30:23,373
had all of these
thick coats of feathers,
517
00:30:23,407 --> 00:30:26,376
then probably a lot of
the Alaskan dinosaurs did, too.
518
00:30:28,102 --> 00:30:29,344
In addition to feathers,
519
00:30:29,379 --> 00:30:33,107
Alaskan dinosaurs may have
had other adaptations
520
00:30:33,141 --> 00:30:36,248
for surviving
colder temperatures.
521
00:30:36,282 --> 00:30:38,975
One of the interesting groups
of dinosaurs
522
00:30:39,009 --> 00:30:41,770
that we have represented in
our fauna
523
00:30:41,805 --> 00:30:44,256
in the Prince Creek
Formation are thescelosaurids.
524
00:30:46,465 --> 00:30:48,950
Thescelosaurids are dwarves
525
00:30:48,985 --> 00:30:51,677
in a land of Alaskan giants.
526
00:30:51,711 --> 00:30:54,714
The smaller of two Arctic
species
527
00:30:54,749 --> 00:30:58,339
is just 18 inches tall
at the hip.
528
00:30:58,373 --> 00:31:01,790
Small creatures lose heat
more rapidly,
529
00:31:01,825 --> 00:31:05,311
and they freeze a lot faster.
530
00:31:05,346 --> 00:31:09,074
So how did these
small dinos survive the cold?
531
00:31:12,940 --> 00:31:15,011
A clue can be found
532
00:31:15,045 --> 00:31:16,944
in their Montana cousins.
533
00:31:20,948 --> 00:31:22,708
Some species of thescelosaurs
534
00:31:22,742 --> 00:31:27,506
were found actually preserved
in a burrow.
535
00:31:29,128 --> 00:31:30,716
Up until about 20 years ago,
536
00:31:30,750 --> 00:31:32,960
that's not something that
we thought dinosaurs did.
537
00:31:35,134 --> 00:31:37,585
That
raises the exciting possibility that
538
00:31:37,619 --> 00:31:41,175
perhaps the species
of thescelosaurid in Alaska
539
00:31:41,209 --> 00:31:43,453
might also have been capable
of burrowing,
540
00:31:43,487 --> 00:31:46,490
and potentially
over-wintering by hibernating.
541
00:31:48,699 --> 00:31:52,393
Feathers
and the ability to burrow
542
00:31:52,427 --> 00:31:54,774
aren't the only adaptations that
may have helped polar dinosaurs
543
00:31:54,809 --> 00:31:57,467
survive the cold temperatures.
544
00:32:00,401 --> 00:32:02,748
We're finding a very exciting
545
00:32:02,782 --> 00:32:06,648
number of bones from troodontids
in the bone bed layer
546
00:32:06,683 --> 00:32:08,616
we excavated this winter.
547
00:32:08,650 --> 00:32:10,169
And because they're so rare,
548
00:32:10,204 --> 00:32:12,896
every single bone that we find
is providing
549
00:32:12,931 --> 00:32:14,518
another new piece of the puzzle
550
00:32:14,553 --> 00:32:18,591
in understanding
what this animal was.
551
00:32:20,731 --> 00:32:24,218
Troodontids
were lightweight, fast-moving,
552
00:32:24,252 --> 00:32:27,290
and agile predators
553
00:32:27,324 --> 00:32:31,466
with eyes set towards the front,
554
00:32:31,501 --> 00:32:36,782
a common adaptation in predators
giving them binocular vision
555
00:32:36,816 --> 00:32:40,820
to triangulate small,
scurrying prey.
556
00:32:40,855 --> 00:32:42,443
They're raptors, so to speak,
557
00:32:42,477 --> 00:32:46,999
and had giant sickle claws on
their second toe,
558
00:32:47,034 --> 00:32:51,590
and clawed hands,
and menacing teeth.
559
00:32:51,624 --> 00:32:55,490
In many ways,
this was a roadrunner from Hell.
560
00:32:58,493 --> 00:33:00,392
But the Alaskan troodontid
561
00:33:00,426 --> 00:33:04,016
has one noticeable aspect
that sets it apart.
562
00:33:05,949 --> 00:33:07,261
So I'm looking at
563
00:33:07,295 --> 00:33:13,370
a adult troodon tooth from
the Prince Creek Formation.
564
00:33:13,405 --> 00:33:15,510
And this is a monster,
it's a big one.
565
00:33:18,824 --> 00:33:24,243
This tooth is probably
50% longer than we see in
566
00:33:24,278 --> 00:33:28,075
Troodon formosus, which is a
species found down in Montana.
567
00:33:29,938 --> 00:33:32,527
That suggests this is a
different species,
568
00:33:32,562 --> 00:33:35,082
or same species
got larger up here.
569
00:33:38,947 --> 00:33:41,364
Troodontids that lived elsewhere
570
00:33:41,398 --> 00:33:44,263
stood three feet at the hip.
571
00:33:44,298 --> 00:33:48,716
But the Alaskan troodontid
was twice as tall.
572
00:33:48,750 --> 00:33:51,236
Why would living in a harsher
environment
573
00:33:51,270 --> 00:33:55,102
lead to a larger size?
574
00:33:55,136 --> 00:33:58,105
It's been shown with
some mammals and few other birds
575
00:33:58,139 --> 00:34:00,107
and a few other creatures
that they get larger
576
00:34:00,141 --> 00:34:02,350
when they live closer
to the poles.
577
00:34:02,385 --> 00:34:05,319
It's a thermal advantage to
be bigger in a cold environment.
578
00:34:05,353 --> 00:34:08,149
You're, you're less likely to
cool down, so to speak.
579
00:34:08,184 --> 00:34:12,567
So far, from the
Prince Creek Formation alone,
580
00:34:12,602 --> 00:34:15,605
scientists have identified
581
00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:19,643
at least 13 unique species
of dinosaurs specially adapted
582
00:34:19,678 --> 00:34:21,611
to life in the Arctic.
583
00:34:21,645 --> 00:34:24,717
But among all the species found
there,
584
00:34:24,752 --> 00:34:28,376
one is of particular interest
to the team.
585
00:34:28,411 --> 00:34:30,896
It's an animal that was
originally thought
586
00:34:30,930 --> 00:34:36,212
to have evolved to be smaller,
not larger, like the troodontid.
587
00:34:36,246 --> 00:34:39,801
That animal came to light
in 2014,
588
00:34:39,836 --> 00:34:41,424
when another team of scientists
589
00:34:41,458 --> 00:34:43,805
working at the
Prince Creek Formation
590
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,085
announced the discovery
of Nanuqsaurus,
591
00:34:47,119 --> 00:34:49,535
the Arctic's apex predator.
592
00:34:49,570 --> 00:34:52,193
Ultimately, what this comes down
to is this.
593
00:34:52,228 --> 00:34:55,576
T. rex, the most iconic dinosaur
of all,
594
00:34:55,610 --> 00:34:58,682
how do you take that type
of animal
595
00:34:58,717 --> 00:35:00,684
and move it into the Arctic?
596
00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:02,583
What does it become?
597
00:35:02,617 --> 00:35:07,035
Estimated to be
half the size of an adult T. rex,
598
00:35:07,070 --> 00:35:10,522
it's labeled a dwarf species.
599
00:35:10,556 --> 00:35:14,491
Mysteriously, it comes from
a lineage of giants,
600
00:35:14,526 --> 00:35:16,873
but when first discovered,
601
00:35:16,907 --> 00:35:19,703
it was thought to have bucked
the evolutionary trend
602
00:35:19,738 --> 00:35:22,361
that suggested
tyrannosaurs evolved
603
00:35:22,396 --> 00:35:25,813
to become larger
over millions of years.
604
00:35:25,847 --> 00:35:27,780
If it's tough to survive there,
605
00:35:27,815 --> 00:35:29,782
animals often get smaller.
606
00:35:29,817 --> 00:35:31,784
It's easier to cope
with limited resources
607
00:35:31,819 --> 00:35:34,477
if you're getting smaller,
so maybe because the Arctic
608
00:35:34,511 --> 00:35:36,513
was a tough place to live...
it was cold, it was dark...
609
00:35:36,548 --> 00:35:39,413
the tyrannosaurs could not
get as big there.
610
00:35:42,070 --> 00:35:45,004
But these
initial findings are made
611
00:35:45,039 --> 00:35:48,870
on just a handful of
bone fragments.
612
00:35:48,905 --> 00:35:54,013
Leading them to wonder, was it
really as small as it looked?
613
00:36:00,227 --> 00:36:03,161
Pat and the team
haven't identified
614
00:36:03,195 --> 00:36:05,059
any new Nanuqsaurus bones
615
00:36:05,093 --> 00:36:07,648
from the Colville this time.
616
00:36:07,682 --> 00:36:09,443
But there is another place
617
00:36:09,477 --> 00:36:13,274
they hope to find evidence.
618
00:36:14,724 --> 00:36:19,384
Not with bones, teeth, or
dinosaur droppings, however,
619
00:36:19,418 --> 00:36:22,352
but thanks to a different record
of the past
620
00:36:22,387 --> 00:36:25,493
preserved in the very ground
they walked on.
621
00:36:27,909 --> 00:36:29,877
Their footprints.
622
00:36:29,911 --> 00:36:33,225
It's not just
finding new species.
623
00:36:33,260 --> 00:36:35,745
It's not just tracking these
animals.
47948
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.