- 5/26/2025
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00:00Over 66 million years ago, our world was ruled by a giant, a giant, a giant, a giant, a giant,
00:27was ruled by dinosaurs.
00:39The largest animals that have ever walked the earth.
00:43Today, dinosaur experts across the globe are uncovering the bones they left behind.
01:01Allowing us to imagine how these extraordinary creatures may have lived.
01:08So that we can tell their stories.
01:17And they can walk again.
01:37Amongst the jagged mountain peaks, majestic valleys, and scattered hill towns of central Portugal.
02:07An astonishing discovery has been made.
02:16A find so remarkable, it's drawn a team of dinosaur hunters from across Europe.
02:28Buried here are the remains of a colossus.
02:33We have a lot of bones in this area.
02:36Yes, amazing.
02:39A monumental, long-necked lucid titan.
02:47These animals are giants of the Jurassic.
02:52Known as Old Grande, he's one of the largest dinosaurs ever to have lived.
03:04And using his bones, we can begin to imagine this giant's story.
03:11In the late Jurassic, our planet looks very different.
03:21Amongst its shifting continents, a small labyrinth has been discovered.
03:30An island, cut off from the rest of the world.
03:37Amongst its shifting continents, a small landmass known as the Iberian Meseta,
03:45that one day will include Portugal, lies surrounded by ocean.
03:53An island, cut off from the rest of the world.
03:59Dense, coniferous forest covers much of the land.
04:10Giving way to windswept beaches on the coast.
04:21Here, if you're in luck, an easy lunch can be found.
04:29For Torvosaurus, the island's top predator, it's an opportunity worth fighting for.
04:38For Torvosaurus, the island's top predator, it's an opportunity worth fighting for.
04:46For Torvosaurus, the island's top predator, it's an opportunity worth fighting for.
05:03But even these four-ton carnivores
05:10are no match for the enormous, looser titan, Old Grandy.
05:24At a staggering 40 tons,
05:30he is the undisputed king of the island.
05:40But as a herbivore, he isn't on the hunt for food.
05:49But as a herbivore, he isn't on the hunt for food.
05:57He's been drawn to the beach by the allure of a female.
06:05He's been drawn to the beach by the allure of a female.
06:15As an aging male, this may be his last chance to mate.
06:46But female looser titans are only receptive for a few weeks of the year.
06:54So he doesn't have long to make an impression.
07:16150 million years later,
07:24the true scale of Old Grandy is emerging from deep beneath the ground.
07:32the true scale of Old Grandy is emerging from deep beneath the ground.
07:41We definitely have a huge specimen.
07:45All the bones of this animal seem to be more or less complete here.
07:53As the most complete looser titan ever found,
07:57his remains allow the team, led by Professor Francisco Ortega
08:03and Doctors Elizabeth Malafaya and Pedro Mocho,
08:10to piece together the extraordinary dimensions of this animal.
08:19So I think we have for this animal probably a leg between three and three and a half metres.
08:27They're starting with how tall he was,
08:32which they can estimate using the bones from his gigantic front limb.
08:38So calculating how tall it is, I would say around ten metres.
08:44Ten metres? OK. Ten metres tall is very tall.
08:48It's a big animal.
08:50This animal is the biggest animal in his ecosystem.
08:54At least the tallest one.
08:58Their calculations make Old Grandy one of the tallest of his species ever discovered.
09:08Which is certainly one way to impress a mate.
09:24Female looser titans may have been most attracted to the biggest males.
09:32A sign their offspring will be healthy and strong.
09:41So it should be easy for Old Grandy to make his mark.
10:02But it's not all about him.
10:13Before they will mate, female looser titans must first wait for the seasonal rain,
10:20making sure there is enough fresh vegetation for their young.
10:32And this year the rains are late.
10:42Old Grandy has no choice but to wait.
10:49He must guard her closely and hope there is no other suitor close by.
11:01But love rarely runs smoothly.
11:19Three miles from where Old Grandy was found, the team has made an important discovery.
11:28Can you look at this?
11:31What do you think? What is this?
11:36We need to clean this area more.
11:39But the bone is here and continues there.
11:43This is bone also.
11:45OK.
11:47So this section seems a rib, a rib fragment.
11:55The fossilized rib is a similar size to Old Grandy's.
12:01But given its distance from the main dig, it's unlikely to be his.
12:09It's interesting because this bone is so big.
12:15There has to be another looser titan.
12:18It is interesting that we have here so close two individuals of this species.
12:27Unearthing two looser titans so close together is unheard of.
12:36So the team is keen to learn more.
12:40Can you put this in place, please?
12:44They cover the sections of rib in a layer of plaster.
12:52So they can be removed safely and examined in one piece,
12:58which is a massive three meters long.
13:07You know, this is a huge rib.
13:10Two looser titans with such a huge size is definitely impressive.
13:17It's very speculative, but this could be another whale.
13:21Amazing.
13:25Like elephants and rhinos today, looser titan bulls were likely solitary and very territorial.
13:34If these two big, strong animals live in the same ecosystem at the same time,
13:43there is going to be some kind of competition.
13:49Just like Old Grandy, this rival male would have been searching for a mate,
13:55creating the potential for a dangerous confrontation.
14:04Although this contender may be younger than Old Grandy,
14:13he's not afraid to challenge him for the attentions of the female.
14:33Old Grandy is a seasoned fighter, and the largest bull on the island.
14:39A stern warning.
15:09Should be enough to make this upstart back off.
15:19But all is fair in love and war.
15:40The surprise attack leaves Old Grandy seriously hurt.
15:48His leg badly injured.
16:03Struggling under his colossal weight.
16:09He is unable to right himself.
16:24He can only watch as the rival takes his place at the female's side.
16:40For a dinosaur of his size, a badly damaged leg could mean the end of the road.
16:58So could a looser titan survive this kind of injury?
17:10OK, I'm going down to find the track.
17:14On the coast, a significant piece of evidence might provide the answer.
17:22But reaching it won't be easy.
17:29Because what was once flat ground during the Jurassic is now a near vertical cliff face.
17:38Hi, Francisco, we are in position. We can see you, so you are ready to go.
17:46So Francisco must descend over 100 metres.
17:53OK, I'm ready. I'm going down.
18:07Hi, Francisco, how are you?
18:16Hey, Pedro, I am in the upper part of the track now.
18:23I can see several footprints and this part of the track seems to be very well preserved.
18:32Etched into the cliff face are footprints thought to have been made by a large looser titan.
18:44And they reveal something surprising.
18:51The length that there is between the footprints is 1.97 metres.
18:59OK, I got it.
19:09The right stride is 2.07 metres.
19:17We have a clear difference between the right and left stride.
19:24So, Francisco, we have a difference of about 10 centimetres from the right and left stride.
19:32The foot and the hands are OK, but this animal is not walking normally.
19:41Probably because it's limping.
19:48The discovery of a limping looser titan is important evidence.
19:57It suggests that injuries to their enormous limbs were survivable.
20:17Even so, old Grande is still weak and won't last long on a damaged leg.
20:34But he does have a remarkable way to speed up the healing process.
20:47It's known as osteophagia.
20:57Like modern day giraffes, he supplements his diet by breaking apart and swallowing the skeletons of dead animals.
21:10Like the carcass of this pliosaur, whose bones are rich in the minerals he needs to repair his own body.
21:23But he's still a long way from recovery, and a limp like his may not have gone unnoticed.
21:34Following the path of the looser titan footprints, something has caught Francisco's eye.
21:46From my position, I can see that Francisco is in a very bad shape.
21:54Something has caught Francisco's eye.
22:02From my position, I'm pretty sure that there are several other footprints, also on the cliff.
22:11Do you think they can approach that position?
22:18Okay, I'm going to try it.
22:25The second set of prints is another 85 meters down the sheer cliff face.
22:34No, I can't do it.
22:39It's very difficult to go down and take a look more closely.
22:48Unable to reach the prints by land, the team decides to take to the air.
23:05Okay, Francisco, we send the drone up.
23:11The footprints are just to my right.
23:18Whoa, whoa, whoa.
23:22I think...
23:24Oh, you see?
23:31It's very clear.
23:34Oh my gosh.
23:35It's very clear.
23:38Oh my gosh.
23:40And it is so close to the other trackway.
23:44The second set of prints follows the same path as the looser titan.
23:51But from their distinctive shape, it's clear they've been made by a different species.
23:58You have the middle finger, it's very large.
24:01Very different from the other prints that are rounded.
24:06So this could be a potential predator to this looser titan.
24:11It's a medium, large-sized theropod, clearly.
24:17Theropods are a group of dinosaurs that includes T. rex.
24:23But on this island, the prints are likely to come from a predator...
24:30...Old Grande would be much more familiar with.
24:40The torvosaurus.
24:42Ten meters long and over three meters tall...
24:46...this adult female would normally be no match for a healthy looser titan.
24:57But the pain in Old Grande's leg has become unbearable.
25:04And he must rest.
25:06It could mean days without food or water...
25:10...leaving him exhausted...
25:14...and vulnerable.
25:36An opportunity this big...
25:40...is rare.
25:45But Old Grande is too strong to take on now.
25:54So she's prepared to stay close...
25:58...and wait.
26:06As the days pass...
26:09...Old Grande rests.
26:37The torvosaurus...
26:40...risks an approach.
27:07A close call.
27:15Old Grande must recover soon.
27:19Because next time...
27:21...he may not be so lucky.
27:36To be continued...
28:06To be continued...
28:36At long last...
28:40...Old Grande's leg is finally on the mend.
28:55And he has unfinished business...
28:59...finding the female that left him behind.
29:07But both she and his rival...
29:11...are now miles away.
29:14And the clock is ticking.
29:24He must move as quickly as he can.
29:27150 million years later...
29:31...the team has made a discovery...
29:35...that could reveal how fast a giant like Old Grande travels.
29:41It's particularly interesting because it's a fragment of the scapula...
29:46...that is part of the shoulder.
29:49We have also here...
29:52...the scapula.
29:54The shoulder.
29:56We have also the humerus.
29:59We have the ulna.
30:01So we have the arm.
30:04The new find gives the team an almost complete profile...
30:09...of Old Grande's front limb.
30:16So we have here more or less 1.8 metres for the humerus...
30:21...and 1.8 metres for the scapula.
30:27Putting these measurements together with their findings from the cliffside footprints...
30:32His stride is 2.07 metres.
30:37They can now calculate his speed.
30:41We can estimate that this animal can walk...
30:46...from 4 to 5 miles per hour.
30:495 miles per hour.
30:52This is really interesting.
30:56It may sound slow, but like modern elephants...
31:00...it's thought Lusititans could keep up this pace over huge distances.
31:05This is just what Old Grande needs to do...
31:10...as he travels miles across the island...
31:14...looking for the female.
31:35But he's almost out of time.
31:46A distant storm heralds the arrival of the seasonal rains.
32:05The female will finally be ready to mate...
32:10...leaving Old Grande in danger of missing out to his rival.
32:21But he's not just relying on his pace alone.
32:28He's using an extraordinary ability to locate the female.
32:35One he's thought to share with modern day elephants.
32:45His stomps send powerful seismic waves through the ground.
32:52Many miles away...
32:55...she feels the earth move...
32:58...through specialised nerve endings in her feet.
33:08And she answers...
33:11...with a loud roar.
33:14The female is ready to mate.
33:18And she answers...
33:21...her suitor's call.
33:29Detecting her response...
33:32...keeps Grande heading in the right direction.
33:40But he must reach her...
33:43...before he misses his chance.
33:48At the dig site...
33:51...a new section of Old Grande's bones is emerging from the rock.
34:01This is the first one.
34:04Probably this is the second one.
34:07Including fossils that belong to his giant tail.
34:12I would say this one will be...
34:14But laying them out from the biggest on the right...
34:18...to the tip on the left...
34:21...Pedro has noticed something unusual.
34:24Everything should belong to the same individual.
34:28If we compare all these tail bones here...
34:32...this seems to be smaller.
34:35One of the bones doesn't belong in the sequence.
34:39And it's too small to be part of the sequence.
34:42And it's too small to be part of Old Grande.
34:46So I think we have two individuals in this group.
34:50I would say we have another smaller adult.
34:57It's a significant find.
35:00Because a second adult so close to Old Grande...
35:04...could mean he did find his mate.
35:13After miles of walking...
35:16...he's reached the area where the female last responded to his call.
35:42A few hours later...
35:46A few hours later...
36:09Reunited at last.
36:16But the moment...
36:19...is short lived.
36:46The rival male has stayed close.
36:50And he isn't going to give up without a fight.
37:10Each bull uses his colossal weight...
37:13...as a battering ram.
37:28But these giants are too closely matched.
37:37So changing tactics...
37:40...they use their teeth...
37:44...to inflict intense pain.
37:53But neither is backing down.
38:06Taking his chance...
38:10...the rival pins Old Grande.
38:21Rearing up to the height of a four-story building...
38:27...he bears down with his enormous weight.
38:41But this time...
38:45...Old Grande refuses to go down.
39:06A decisive victory.
39:11But Old Grande still faces one last challenge.
39:17Persuading the female...
39:21...he really is the bull for her.
39:41And it could be that Francisco has discovered the key...
39:45...to what made Old Grande irresistible.
39:50I can recognize that we have this group of bones here...
39:54...that are very close and are one touching the other.
39:59It's a series of disc-shaped vertebrae...
40:03...that once formed part of his long neck.
40:06It's not complete, but it's particularly well-preserved.
40:11Structurally, it's very delicate.
40:15The bones are incredibly fragile.
40:20So the team covers them in a protective membrane.
40:25We need to glue all these small cracks...
40:29...because if we take out the vertebrae...
40:32...we can lose the bones completely.
40:37But these neck bones are not delicate...
40:41...simply because of their age.
40:45Each one has a hollow structure...
40:49...which may have served a vital purpose.
40:56These animals are huge giants of the Taurasi...
40:59...with very long necks, huge tensions and stress.
41:03So one of the advantages of having these hollow bones...
41:07...is that it helps the animal to be lighter and more dynamic...
41:11...in the movement of these huge necks.
41:15Very useful.
41:19This dynamic movement would have allowed...
41:23...Old Grande irresistible to be discovered...
41:26...this dynamic movement would have allowed...
41:30...Old Grande to walk, fight and, crucially, display.
41:41It's exactly what he needs to charm the female.
41:48Because he hasn't won her over yet.
41:57Like many birds today...
42:01...it's thought he would use his long, lightweight neck...
42:05...and flexible tail in an elaborate courtship display.
42:27With every move he makes...
42:31...carefully assessed...
42:35...by this most discerning of judges.
42:42And she responds.
42:50Staying in sync with each other's moves...
42:53...will be crucial to proving they're compatible.
43:11But just as everything was going so well...
43:17...Old Grande gets a little overexcited.
43:24And he's off.
43:44Fortunately, he has one last trick up his sleeve.
43:54Just like modern birds such as frigates...
43:58...Old Grande has an inflatable sack...
44:02...to attract attention.
44:23It seems to have worked.
44:54And in the hills of central Portugal...
44:58...Pedro, Elizabeth and Francisco...
45:02...have also completed their mission.
45:06Finishing this year's dig...
45:10...with a treasure trove of fossils.
45:14This is a very good season.
45:18We have a lot of new things this year.
45:21256.
45:25Some of them are really large bones.
45:29Even as they pack up...
45:33...they're already making plans to return next year.
45:37It's interesting to try to find more bones of both individuals.
45:41Here, there's more areas to explore.
45:47While they may never know...
45:51...that Old Grande met his end...
45:55...his bones appear to be entwined...
45:59...with a female Lusititan.
46:09And so, just maybe, with her...
46:13...he was able to secure his legacy.
46:21A batch of giant eggs.
46:51The next generation of Lusititans.
47:09Buried safely beneath the ground...
47:13...this next generation of Lusititans...
47:16...will soon begin their own story.
47:46To be continued...
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