All language subtitles for History.Of.Life.Series.2013.S01E02.1080p.AMZN-WEB.DL.DDP20.H.264-iND_track3_[eng]

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*

Although ants
are tiny insects,

they can be very
harmful to plant life.

This enormous
jungle tree is powerless

against a colony of ants.

Little light penetrates the
thick foliage during the day.

An extraordinary sight unfolds
in the Peruvian jungle floor.

A long procession of
leafcutter ants transports

leaves to their nest.

Large worker ants use their
powerful razor-sharp jaws to

cut a section of a leaf
with unmatched precision.

A ravenous colony of ants
can consume more leaves

than a group of elephants.

This tree will be completely
defoliated in just a few days.

The worker ants carry leaves
that are several times larger

than themselves to their nest.

Some ant processions can reach
several hundreds of meters.

But what makes these ants
special is the fact that they

are the first creatures on
earth that grew their own food.

Smaller ants in the colony are
tasked with growing fungus.

They take the leaves harvested
by the larger worker ants and

break them down
into smaller pieces,

which are added to
the fungus garden.

The fungus cultivated
by the ants is rich in

protein and fed to the larva.

This is how leafcutter
ant colonies have lived

for over 50 million years.

Every year, one-fifth of
all newly-grown leaves in the

rainforest will be
harvested by leafcutters ants.

But is that how the
story always ends for trees?

Plant and trees use
intelligent and sometimes

cruel tactics to
repel their enemies.

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*

In a rainforest in Borneo,
there lives an impressive

insect-eating plant.

It's a pitcher
plant called nepenthes.

Most plant species draw
nutrients from the soil and

use energy from
sunlight for photosynthesis.

But when the soil environment
lacks enough minerals to

sustain plant life, some
plants will devise new

ways to collect energy.

Like this pitcher plant
which preys on insects.

The bud of nepenthes grows
into a tube-shaped pitcher cup.

As the plant grows, it
develops striped patterns and

reveals an opening with a lid.

It takes 15 days
to a month for the

pitcher cup to develop fully.

The lid prevents rain from
seeping into the pitcher.

Insects are lured with
sweet nectar that lies at

the ribs of the peristome.

A lone ant is attracted to the
eye-catching colors and scent

given off by the
carnivorous plant.

Sweet nectar and
nutrients on the

plant's lip entices the ant.

It will lead the ant
to the deathtrap below.

The curved lip is slippery.

Once an insect
falls into the pitcher,

it is impossible to
crawl out of it because

the walls are slippery too.

In the course of several days,
the plant will use digestive

agents to absorb the
nutrients from the ant.

Only the ant's
exoskeleton will remain.

Carnivorous plants use ingenious
ways to hunt insects for food.

The bladderwort,
an aquatic plant,

has the quickest
reflexes in the world.

It drifts in the water instead
of staying in one place.

Since there are fewer
nutrients in water than in

soil, the bladderwort
must forage for nutrients.

Small bladder-shaped traps on
the branches catch insects.

Instead of using roots
to absorb nutrients,

the bladderwort
relies on these traps.

It mainly catches mosquito
larvae and water fleas.

When a mosquito
larva approaches,

it is sucked into the bladder.

Everything happens
in a split second.

On closer inspection, the
trap has trigger hairs.

When an insect brushes
against a trigger hair,

the trap sucks it
in and then closes.

Once caught inside, the
larva dies from suffocation.

A high speed camera is
used to capture the plant's

astonishing reaction speed.

The larva approaches.

The trap sucks in water
along with the larva.

And the door closes
in a split second.

Since when did plants develop
such ingenious strategies?

4.5 billion years ago, there
was no life on planet earth.

Greenhouse gases filled the
atmosphere and the ocean was

too hot and salty
to support life.

A billion years later,
something miraculous happened.

The first life form
emerged in earth's sea.

On the west
coast of Australia.

Made from microorganisms,
these stromatolites were

formed 3.5 billion years ago.

They produced oxygen through
continuous photosynthesis.

Tiny microorganisms went
on to evolve into moss,

which developed into plants.

During the Silurian
period of the Paleozoic

era 400 million years ago...

The first plant that grew
on land was the cooksonia.

This primitive plant had a
simple stalk which split into

two branches in the middle.

Each branch had a
spore structure on top.

It could only survive
near water because it

needed constant moisture.

The plant also needed
water in order to multiply.

So how did the early ancestors
of land plants look like?

On the southern
coast of Jeju Island...

The Skeleton Fork Fern is
likely to have been the first

vascular plant on earth.

This fern plant
lacks roots and leaves.

Its Y-shaped branches indicate
that it is a primitive plant.

Without any leaves, it
relies on its stalk to collect

sunlight for photosynthesis.

However, this is not efficient.

The fern's spores are
used to seed new plants.

When the spores inside
the sporocyst mature,

it will be swept
away by the wind.

Once it lands on moist ground,
it will take root and grow.

The first land plants had
inherent disadvantages which

they overcame through
ingenious survival techniques.

The earliest known tree in
the world is Archaeopteris,

which appeared 370
million years ago.

It had a stout trunk
and long branches.

Having
feather-like shaped fronds,

the tree was named
"Archaeopteris."

Archaeopteris grew as tall
as eight meters and bore a

resemblance to
modern conifers.

This primitive tree formed the
earliest forests as it became

the dominant species
in earth's vegetation.

Diamond-shaped
patterns are pronounced in this

petrified lepidodendron.

Lepidodendron first appeared
on earth 300 million years ago.

They grew as tall as
a 10-story building.

Their towering height and
cluster of large leaves

enabled them to have
robust photosynthesis.

They proliferated in wetlands.

The earth's atmosphere had
higher oxygen concentration

levels during the
Carboniferous period when

giant insects were abundant.

Meganeura, the largest
flying insect every known,

had a wingspan that
exceeded 70 centimeters.

As plants became
more numerous,

earth's ecosystem
teemed with life.

In a rain forest
in Costa Rica.

Daniel Janzen, a world-renown
expert in rain forest,

is a biology professor at the
University of Pennsylvania.

He has dedicated his
life to studying plants and

insects in tropical climates.

As you can see there's
one stinging me there.

Among his research work,
he studies the symbiotic

relationship between the
bullhorn acacia and ants.

This acacia tree
features horn-like thorns in

which ants make their home.

The ants feed on
the nectar secreted

from the acacia branches.

No matter how
much nectar they eat,

the supply of nectar
seems to be endless.

But the tree is not
providing this for free.

The nectar is exchanged
for the ant's services.

Brown protein-lipid nodules
on the the leaves also provide

nourishment to the ants.

With plenty of food to eat,
the Pseudomyrmex ants do not

need to prey on other insects.

And the ants dwell
in the recesses of

the hollowed-out thorns.

The swollen thorns provide
a safe home for the ants

where they can lay eggs.

In return for all of this, the
ants fulfill an important role.

They aggressively
defend the tree from

acacia leaf-eating insects.

This ladybug is under
attack from the rushing ants.

Many herbivores and insects
like eating the acacia's

tender leaves
and sweet nectar.

So the ants defend the
tree from harmful insects in

exchange for food and shelter.

The tree has
changed - evolved.

And the ants have
changed - evolved.

They've changed from being
hunters to being policemen.

And all they do is
protect the tree.

She (queen ant) lives
about 15 to 20 years.

And when she dies,
the colony dies.

And when the colony
dies, the tree dies.

Without the ants,
the acacia tree would

be unable to survive.

So it has evolved
to accommodate the

ants to ensure its survival.

But a peaceful
symbiotic relationship is not

always pursued by plants.

Some plants survive by relying
on their killer instincts.

In a thick jungle, plants
must compete for sunlight by

growing as tall as
possible because little light

reaches below the canopy.

This enormous tropical fig tree
is called the strangler fig.

Its branches weave
around the trunk of a tree.

A strangler fig
latches onto a host tree.

While most trees scatter
their seeds on the ground,

the strangler fig grows
in a different place.

A fig seed will grow
when it is dropped on top

of a tree and falls into.

It will envelop the tree
and suck its nutrients.

Meanwhile, it will
grow its roots downward,

and "strangle"
the tree to death.

Within five years, the
strangler fig's roots will

reached the ground and take
away water from the host.

The support tree
will eventually die,

leaving behind a columnar
tree with a hollow core.

After killing the
host, the fig will grow

upwards towards the sunlight.

It will live on for
several hundreds of years,

claiming its territory.

Many insects and
birds eat the fruit

and seed of trees for food.

The red crossbill
is no exception.

The bird pecks a pine cone to
get to the seeds and eat them.

This sight is
fairly common in nature.

But it is a scene that
embodies a vital shift

in the history of plant life.

The appearance of seeds.

The gingko is
called a living fossil.

They existed during
the Jurassic period

when dinosaurs flourished.

A gingko is a gymnosperm
that relies on pollination

between pollen
cones and ovulate cones.

Pollination is the
process in which plants

reproduce and bear seeds.

The motile sperm or
pollen has to fertilize the egg

in the ovule of the gingko.

Firmly rooted to the ground,
gingkos stand immobile.

So the gingko must rely
on the wind to carry its

pollen to another gingko tree.

Carried aloft by
the wind, Gingko

pollen fertilizes an egg.

When the
pollination is successful,

the tree will produce seeds.

Although they are
technically seeds,

people commonly
call them fruit.

Using seeds to
reproduce its species,

gingko trees
spread far and wide.

After eating the fruit,
dinosaurs and small mammals

spread the seeds
in their droppings.

Save for one species, all
gingkos were suddenly

wiped out in the Cenozoic
era, 65 million years ago.

Around the time
gingko trees vanished,

a new plant species evolved.

They were flowering plants.

Magnolias grow flower petals
before they grow leaves and

retain the characteristics of
primitive flowering plants.

Having both the stamen and
gynoecium in a single flower

allowed the plant to
reproduce more efficiently.

Archaefructus is the earliest
known flowering plant.

This fossil is dated at
125 million years old.

It looks starkly
different from modern plants.

Having no sepals or
petals, Archaefructus has been

revealed as coming from
the angiosperm family.

Although it was
an aquatic plant,

it was able to bloom above
water where insects and the

wind would carry its pollen.

The beautiful colors and
enchanting floral scent of

flowers are tools to ensure
the survival of its species.

An amazing flower grows
deep in the Borneo rainforest.

It is the rafflesia, the
world's largest single flower.

It is unmistakably
a flowering plant

with its oversized petals.

The flower has a
1-meter diameter and weighs

as much as 10 kilograms.

It takes a week for it to
fully extend its petals.

Rafflesia does not
have any stems or leaves.

It is a parasitic plant that
absorbs nutrients from vines.

When the flower blooms
for three to seven days,

it must be pollinated during
this short window of time.

Giving off a smell
like rotten flesh,

rafflesia is called
the "corpse flower."

It attracts flies
with this scent.

The flies will pollinate
the flower as it moves

from one rafflesia to another.

Without the help of flies,
the world's largest

flower could not exist.

Plants cannot move once
they take root in the soil.

However, they are able to
spread their seeds for a

considerable distance.

This is made possible by
their blooming flowers.

Flowering plants attract
insects with their bright

colors and honey.

This honeybee will fly
away with more than honey.

It will also transport
pollen to other flowers.

Flowers have
developed nectar guides to

help insects find the honey

Insects can detect
ultraviolet rays that are

invisible to the human eye.

After using a filter that
only passes ultraviolet rays,

hidden patterns
appear on the flower.

The petals reflect
ultraviolet rays,

making them brighter whereas
the center of the flower

absorbs the rays,
giving them a dark color.

Let's take a
look at this lily.

A pattern of long lines
lead to the flower's center.

Similar patterns are revealed
in this flower as well.

The lines show the insects
where the honey is located.

40% of a sample of
200 flowers shot under a

filter revealed these patterns.

And experts have
found that honeybees will

stay within the black area.

The flower's
strategy is tailored

to pollinating insects.

Flowers also use camouflage
to attract insects like this

mountain hydrangea.

The larger florets are sterile
but have a showy appearance.

They trick insects and
butterflies into approaching.

In the center of the cluster lie
the smaller fertile florets.

Without this
camouflage tactic,

the mountain hydrangea would
not be able to reproduce.

The harsh winter
cold has arrived.

Though there are no
signs of any flowers,

the plants are not dead.

They are in hibernation.

In early spring, the
goldthread blooms after its

stem grows upwards.

It grows flower
petals before its leaves.

This type of goldthread blooms
once it matures in three years.

It does not
reproduce in large numbers.

It possesses an outsized flower
in relation to its small stem.

This is necessary to
attract bees and butterflies.

As a monocarpic flower, the
goldthread will die after it

is pollinated and
produces seeds.

The flower bud is
teeming with seeds.

In June or July, the seeds
will be ready to scatter.

The goldthread relies on
ants to spread its seeds.

The white substance on
the surface of the goldthread

seed is called elaiosome.

Giving off a sweet
scent to attract ants,

it is rich in
lipids and proteins.

When an ant is
carrying a goldthread seed,

it clambers around
in a zigzag pattern.

Since the white substance
cannot be separated from the

seed, the ants carry the
whole seed to their nest.

After the ants
eat the elaiosome,

they will discard the seed.

And the seed will grow
in its new surroundings.

In tropical regions you can
find the world's only tree

species that is viviparous.

It is the mangrove.

Mangrove seeds hang
from the tree branches.

Living in coastal habitats
which are harsh on plant life

due to the high
salinity levels, mangroves

have evolved to ensure
that their offspring survive.

When the tree produces a
seed, it doesn't scatter it.

A mangrove seed will
germinate while attached to the

parent tree for a long period.

They will hang from
the branch until they

form a propagule (seedling).

When the seedlings
fall to the ground,

they will stick out upright.

And they will take
root instead of being

carried off by the river.

Living in coastal regions
where freshwater and saltwater

meet, mangrove tress
have developed ways to

increase their survival.

In tropical forests, some
flowers depend more on birds

rather than insects
to be pollinated.

Birds are also pollinators.

The hummingbird is
very industrious.

They only inhabit
America and have co-evolved

with flowering plants.

About the size of an adult's
thumb finger, the hummingbird

can flap its wings as
many as 80 times per second.

It hovers in
mid-air to drink nectar.

It must hover because there is
no place for it to perch on.

Due to their high metabolism,
hummingbirds must constantly

drink nectar to survive.

Heliconia flowers feature
bright colors and over 200

types exist in nature.

They are mainly pollinated
by hummingbirds but specific

Heliconia species have specific
hummingbirds to pollinate them.

This long curved bill is
well-suited for reaching the

nectar inside the flower.

The hummingbird's
bill is a perfect fit

with the heliconia flower.

Without hummingbirds,
some heliconia species

cannot produce seeds.

When a hummingbird
drinks the nectar,

pollen will attach to its beak
to be spread to other flowers.

Heliconia and hummingbirds
have evolved together

to be perfectly compatible.

Plants are
intelligent in how they

adapt to their environment.

Like a living creature,
this ivy climbs a tree.

Its aerial roots
look like human hands.

But as the ivy
climbs it searches for

sunlight and moisture.

It does not blindly climb up
a tree in a straight line.

An ivy has a unique
structure that makes it well

adapted for tree climbing.

The secret lies in
its aerial roots.

The aerial roots are about 3
millimeters in length and each

one has several suction cups.

It uses these to affix
itself to the tree bark.

It also secretes a
sticky substance that has the

adhesive power of
solid concrete.

Thus, the stem of an ivy can
support 2 million times its

weight while
attached to a wall.

Using this
intelligent strategy,

an ivy can move where it wants
and grow its stem according to

the height of a tree or wall.

A plant's rapid
movement is as complex as the

reaction of living
creature's nervous system.

Shaped like a clamshell, the
leaves of a Flytrap have an

array of sensitive hairs.

Once an insect touches a
hair, the the leaves will

close in less than a second.

Resistance is futile.

Once it catches a prey, the
Flytrap will never let go no

matter how hard the
insect tries to free itself.

The trap will seal itself and
form a "stomach" where enzymes

are secreted by the plant.

It will take a week or
two to digest the insect.

There is a way to override
the flytrap's mechanism.

The leaves will close only
when a second hair is contacted

within 30 seconds from
which first contact was made.

When no prey is
caught in its trap,

it will open its
leaves a few hours later.

A trap that has been used
three to four times to catch

and digest an
insect will wither.

Even small frogs can be
digested by the Flytrap.

It is a cruel way
to kill prey but it is

vital for their survival.

These crafty and intelligent
survival tactics have allowed

plants to spread
throughout nature.

And nature reaps
benefits from plant diversity.

At the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute in Panama,

Dr. Edward Allen Herre
conducts research on figs.

Fig trees are called the
tree of life in these parts.

They bear fruit
all year round,

providing nourishment
to all kinds of animals.

Figs have entered a mutual
relationship with wasps.

But only a specific
species of wasp can

fertilize a specific fig.

Just a millimeter in
length, the fig wasp will lay

eggs inside the fig fruit.

The wasp would crawl
inside one of these things.

The scientific
name is syconium

Enclosed in this structure,
the fig fruit provides

adequate protection
to the wasp eggs.

The eggs hatch inside the
fruit and usually the male

wasps will hatch first.

The wingless male has a sperm
pouch at the end of its body.

As soon as the male hatches,
it will search for the eggs of

a female in order to mate.

The male can fertilize the
female before it even hatches.

After finding an egg
containing a female,

the male will penetrate it
and mate with the female.

Once the female wasp
hatches it has a dual mission.

First it must repay the fig
tree for providing it with

food and shelter by
pollinating it and at the same

time lay eggs to reproduce.

The winged female will
scrape pollen together

and attach it to its body.

Now it is ready
to leave the fig.

Like its ancestors, the wasp
will carry out its duty as it

has done for
millions of years.

The female will
pollinate another fig tree.

This is the coevolutional
relationship between

the fig wasp and figs.

It depends on the
female to follow

through with pollination.

After the female
lays its eggs,

it will die and the fig
will consume its corpse.

These two species have evolved
beautifully together for a

long period of time.

This is coevolution in
the sense that for over

90 million years, 80
million years at least,

figs have used wasps to
pollinate them and wasps have

used figs to reproduce.

And the characteristics of
each one have become very

finely tuned to allow the
other to exploit the system.

The fig fruit was made
possible through cooperation

between the fig and wasp.

Through
sacrifices and dedication,

trees have provided
food to creatures,

supporting forests
throughout the ages.

Many animals on earth
depend on plant life to live.

Evolving and overcoming
challenges posed by harsh

habitats, plants have
supported most life on earth.

But if plants had not moved
out of water onto the land,

we wouldn't have any
terrestrial ecosystems today.

Plants are
absolutely fundamental.

They are the energetic
foundation on which all of our

terrestrial
ecosystems are built.

Without plants, there
would have been no insects.

Without plants, there would
have been no land vertebrates.

Without land vertebrates,
there would have been no us.

Do you still believe that
smart humans are using plants?

Maybe it is the other way
around where plants are using

humans to propagate their
species through human farming.

Life on earth flourishes through
such mutual relationships.

This is the
eternal cycle of life.

Thus, animals and humans might
be the supporting cast on a

platform supported by plants.

Hidden in plain sight,
plants are the true

rulers of the planet.