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Documentary, Dinosaur Planet - Part -3: Alpha's Egg 2003
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00:01In prehistoric South America, starting out can be rough.
00:09Rougher still, staying alive.
00:15But for a plucky dinosaur like Alpha, dodging hungry predators is a constant routine.
00:23When she grows up, she'll be one of the biggest dinosaurs alive.
00:27Still, danger lurks behind every tree.
00:33Stalking her is Dragonfly, a predator with a big bite and the will to use it.
00:40An encounter with him is a brush with death.
00:45As time goes by, their paths will cross many times in frightening and unexpected ways.
00:51For one remarkable dinosaur, a journey through life is a heart-pounding adventure.
00:57And it all begins 80 million years ago, in Alpha's Egg.
01:07In Alpha's Egg.
01:08The End
01:09The End
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01:56Mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts are heading for their nesting ground in a ritual as old as time.
02:08This is Alpha. She's making the trip for the first time in her life.
02:14Laden with eggs, she's anxious and wary.
02:23The journey hasn't been easy.
02:27These dinosaurs are constantly dodging predators, and the only protection they have is each other.
02:33The larger the herd, the better the odds.
02:40Still, many don't make it.
02:45Killers are on the loose.
02:49An Alcasaur is a ton of terror with an insatiable appetite for flesh.
02:56The redhead is Dragonfly. He was born the same time as Alpha, fifteen years ago, and their lives have been entwined ever since.
03:07A quick look to be sure they're alone.
03:12There's plenty of food for Dragonfly and his mate.
03:15But something is about to spoil their lunch.
03:18Something nastier, hungrier, and three times bigger.
03:24The Carcharodontosaurs.
03:25The Carcharodontosaurs.
03:26To them, everything that moves is a potential meal.
03:28To them, everything that moves is a potential meal.
03:29And something is about to spoil their lunch.
03:31Something nastier, hungrier, and three times bigger.
03:36The Carcharodontosaurs.
03:38The Carcharodontosaurs.
03:51To them, everything that moves is a potential meal.
03:54The Carcharodontrors.
03:55The Carcharodontентов.
03:56The Dreads of Carcharodont welfare.
03:57The Carcharodontans.
03:58The Carcharodont.
03:59sabemos
04:29No!
04:59No!
05:22Millions of years have passed since the last sauropod roamed the plains of North America.
05:27But here in South America, saltosaurs continue to thrive, each year returning to nest and lay a new generation of eggs.
05:44Leaving the forest behind, they move into the open.
05:51A flat river plain larger than three football fields.
05:57Year after year, female saltosaurs have come here to lay their eggs.
06:03Alpha's back for the first time since she was born.
06:08She's small, only 25 feet long, but in time, she'll reach her full adult size of 35 feet.
06:17Like all sauropods, Alpha operates on instinct.
06:23Her brain is the size and shape of a small banana, the smallest brain-to-body ratio of any dinosaur.
06:30But, she's a good learner.
06:37Alpha needs to find a place to lay her eggs.
06:41But, she's not the first to arrive.
06:43These older females are veterans at building nests.
06:46This spot must be good.
06:51A subtle scolding warns her off.
06:56As Alpha walks through the growing maze, she senses the need for caution and watches her step.
07:00She doesn't know what drives her, but her instincts tell her to keep moving, searching.
07:16How about here?
07:23Her feet tell her the ground is firm, yet warm and sandy.
07:31This is it.
07:32On impulse, she begins to dig.
07:39Heated by the sun, sand is a natural incubator.
07:49Alpha's never done this before.
07:51But, by the end of the season, hundreds of females like her will lay thousands of eggs to secure the next generation and complete the cycle of life.
08:10It's hardwired in all creatures to perpetuate their species.
08:14Otherwise, all life would cease to exist.
08:17The next generation lays in clutches of twenty to forty eggs each.
08:22Not all of them will make it, but by sheer numbers, they've got a fighting chance.
08:27Like the other mothers, Alpha has one last job.
08:35Falling in step, she heads for the forest to get branches to shelter her nest.
08:40And incubate her eggs.
08:41And incubate her eggs.
08:42And incubate her eggs.
08:43And incubate her eggs.
08:44And incubate her eggs.
08:45Like the other mothers, Alpha has one last job.
08:50Falling in step, she heads for the forest to get branches to shelter her nest.
08:57And incubate her eggs.
08:59Alpha's own story began here, in this same spot, when she was in her egg.
09:22Protected the eggs from exposure to the sun.
09:36When Alpha's mother has finished preparing her nest, she'll leave to rejoin the herd.
09:41Abandoning Alpha and her siblings to their fate.
09:47No larger than a human hand, Alpha's still an embryo, months away from hatching.
09:53No longer.
09:58Her mother and the rest of the females last ate before the egg-laying began.
10:03Now, they're weak and tired.
10:07And their offspring are all alone.
10:15The timing couldn't be better for a hungry predator.
10:23In 1997, three scientists met in Argentina to hunt for evidence of prehistoric birds.
10:51Instead, they made a discovery that changed what we know about the largest animals ever to walk the earth.
10:58The sauropods.
11:00Scattered across several square miles were thousands of eggshells.
11:05They clustered in nests of 15 to 40 eggs.
11:08And there were hundreds of nests just like this one.
11:14From that pattern emerged a startling revelation.
11:17The paleontologists had stumbled across something unique.
11:20A vast dinosaur maternity ward.
11:24They dubbed the site Aucamuevo.
11:27A play on the Spanish words for more eggs.
11:30From the huge number of nests, the scientists deduced that sauropods gathered here to lay their eggs.
11:36But how does an animal standing 12 feet off the ground lay an egg without breaking it?
11:43Maybe the mother had an egg tube extending from her body, as some turtles do, so the eggs could gently slide to the ground.
11:50Or maybe she managed to squat.
11:54Whatever the case, something as simple as laying an egg still mystifies us.
12:02And what really amazes me is that one of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth hatched from an egg a little larger than a grapefruit.
12:09A sentry keeps watch.
12:27At the nesting site, thousands of eggs have been left alone to incubate.
12:39The sentries keep some potential thieves at bay.
12:43But not all.
12:44Still tucked in her egg, Alpha's ready to hatch and join the outside world.
13:05Uh-oh. The nursery's got a visitor.
13:07It's the bird-like alvarosaurus.
13:22The sharp-eyed predators lust for eggs.
13:24And so does the crocodile, Notasuchus.
13:40At five feet long, one chomp, and it's bye-bye baby.
13:54A passing sentry is Alpha's first lucky break.
14:13It won't be her last.
14:19Notasuchus punctured her shell.
14:21Now, she's the first of her clutch to hatch.
14:30Only 12 inches long, she stumbles into the world.
14:34She's Alpha, the firstborn.
14:37Instinctively, she heads back towards the nest.
14:45The outside world can wait just one more day.
14:51In a glade not far away.
15:06Another family.
15:08Another sort of life.
15:12But this time, the parents stick around.
15:14These are Alcasaurs.
15:16Hard to imagine predators as caring parents.
15:23Unlike Saltasaurs, this mother fiercely guards her young.
15:33Nobody gets in without clearance.
15:35Not even dad.
15:38Only when he submissively shows his throat colors, do things calm down.
15:46She can't be too careful.
15:51Male carnivores eat their young.
15:53This is their next generation.
15:54Two females and a male.
15:55While mother dozes, her toddlers explore the wonders of their new world.
15:56While mother dozes, her toddlers explore the wonders of their new world.
15:57Chasing dragonflies is fun.
16:15While mother dozes, her toddlers explore the wonders of their new world.
16:24Chasing dragonflies is fun.
16:27Someday this little guy, dragonfly, will graduate to bigger prey.
16:33His enthusiasm is part of his charm, but at times it's also a pitfall.
16:44The saltasaur's nesting ground is teeming with new life, all hatched within the last 24 hours.
16:51Everyone's antsy because tonight is the night.
17:02On some unseen queue, a living convoy of thousands of hatchlings heads for the hills.
17:12It's time to die.
17:15It's time to die.
17:19It's time to die.
17:24Instinct propels them towards the forest, but death lurks in the trees.
17:31Alpha needs to stay close to the others.
17:43Her best shots play the numbers.
17:46There are many more saltasaurs than stomachs on the prowl.
17:53Chasing dragonflies is tough.
17:54You're a man.
17:55The people who want to die.
17:56And the people who want to die with the animal, the Mendel will a great inherent in the air.
17:57Chasing dragonflies.
17:58The human being it is the worst.
17:59The human being it is the worst of the world.
18:01What if the man is to die with theagneathus?
18:02The demon being it is the hardest to die with the animals of the animals.
18:03Glow inside, you're a man.
18:04My team is the best shot.
18:05The demon being the best shot.
18:07You're a man for nothing, which was when the dumbest to die with each cat.
18:08Weeeowwwwww!
18:12Awww!
18:14Pfft!
18:16Awww!
18:18Awww!
18:20Awww!
18:22Awww!
18:28Weee!
18:30Awww!
18:32Awww!
18:34Awww!
18:36Oh, my God.
19:06Alpha makes it through the night, but she's not out of the woods yet.
19:36Once again, luck is on her side.
19:48Oh, my God.
20:13Traveling with the adults is a safer way to go.
20:16The trick is to stay out of their way.
20:21Alpha is still smaller than a footprint.
20:23But she's programmed to grow fast.
20:30These Alcasaurs are biding their time.
20:41It's part of the drill when stalking prey.
20:43In a few years, Alpha's size will be her best defense.
20:54But for now, she's still on the menu.
20:57For a few precious moments, Alpha and her siblings are safely hidden in the underbrush.
21:14But it doesn't last long.
21:21The herd has stopped to browse.
21:25It's chow time.
21:26The ground is littered with twigs.
21:29Alpha spots an adult headed for a tree and follows.
21:33Treetops are a delicacy.
21:43Alpha's learning fast.
21:51Why make salad when you can order out?
21:53Someone else is on the learning curve.
22:05These Alcasaurs parents have their toddlers in tow.
22:11They're teaching them to hunt.
22:16While the adult Saltasaurs form up to make a stand,
22:19the hatchlings make a run for the trees.
22:23Alpha's on the opposite side of the clearing.
22:37Out of danger for the moment.
22:44The other hatchlings are not.
22:46Their fate rests with that curious little bug chaser,
22:55Dragonfly.
22:56Dragonfly.
22:56Alpha is beginning to grasp what the future holds for her.
23:08Alpha is beginning to grasp what the future holds for her.
23:24Her first encounter with Dragonfly.
23:41Her first encounter with Dragonfly.
23:44And quite possibly, her last.
23:47An animal is most vulnerable when it's small.
23:54So, how did a baby Saltasaurs manage to survive?
23:58Since hatchlings were easy targets,
24:00perhaps they quickly traded the exposed nests
24:03for the relative safety of the forest.
24:07If hundreds or thousands of babies hatched at the same time,
24:11predators would have had more prey than they could stomach.
24:14Safety in numbers.
24:19The young dinosaurs had a second line of defense.
24:23Clues have been found deep inside the bones.
24:27This cross-section of a leg bone reveals how fast a sauropod grew.
24:32The juvenile bone has lots of holes full of blood vessels,
24:36indicating a rich blood supply and rapid growth.
24:39The adult bone has fewer holes and less blood flow.
24:44Like tree rings, the adult bone displays lines of arrested growth.
24:50A Saltasaur could have reached its adult size of 35 feet long in under 12 years.
24:56At that rate, by the time a human child entered kindergarten,
25:00it would be 15 feet tall.
25:02For Saltasaurs, survival meant growing up fast.
25:08Dragonfly's attention span is pathetic.
25:30Alpha's on a roll.
25:31In just a few days of life, she's survived four brushes with death.
25:39She might as well get used to it.
25:42Danger will stalk her till the day she dies.
25:45In the lush forests of Patagonia, the Saltasaurs thrive.
25:59For plant-eaters like them, the years pass without notice.
26:03Between birth and death, one day resembles the next.
26:08But not for Alpha.
26:10She's now 15 years old, and she's 300 times bigger than she was at birth.
26:15Today, she's on the verge of adulthood.
26:31If her luck holds out, her future looks bright.
26:34But on Dinosaur Planet, things can go wrong in a New York minute.
26:53That's great.
26:54That's great.
26:58Hmph!
27:22For now, the Saltasaurs have their side of the river,
27:26and the Alcasaurs have theirs.
27:40Dragonfly's also grown up.
27:42He's no longer chasing bugs.
27:56He zeroes in on the smallest member of the herd.
28:02Alpha.
28:04Alpha.
28:20No longer a hatchling.
28:22She's no easy mark.
28:24Dragonfly still has a thing or two to learn.
28:28And today, there are no quick kills.
28:34Unless the Alcasaurs are starving, there's no sense risking injury.
28:40The herd has scoured the land for food, and is once again on the move.
28:58In the pecking order of the march, size and seniority count.
29:04Jostled by a bigger and older female, Alpha gives her a wide berth.
29:20Saltasaurs are constantly looking for something to eat.
29:24Because vegetation is hard to digest, their overblown stomachs are cauldrons of fermentation.
29:30Alpha's hit pay dirt, a tree just the right size.
29:52But she's got company, and there's no room for two.
29:56But she has a great idea.
29:58We can't get scared, but she can't go wrong.
30:00We can't get scared.
30:02Sirens are the same with no control of your body.
30:04We can't get scared.
30:06They're all overblown.
30:08Now she's here on our side.
30:10We'll be able to reach out.
30:12We'll be able to go to our arms and we'll be able to reach out,
30:14and we'll be able to reach out.
30:16And we'll be able to reach out, and we're going to reach out.
30:20Let it all be able to do some of the more powerful weapons that we can reach out.
30:22It's just a little bit better if they can reach out your hand.
30:24The sound of the fall is a dinner bell for Dragonfly and his family.
30:43Her leg is broken. She won't be getting up.
30:48The noise puts the saltasaurs on alert. They know what's coming.
30:54It's Dragonfly. Again.
31:19With fresh meat on the ground, the alkasaurs will leave the rest of the herd alone.
31:26The alkasaurs will leave the rest of the herd alone.
31:56Nick!
31:58Oh, my God.
32:28dragonfly. He's leaving home. As long as he stays, he'll always be second fiddle to
32:36his dad. It's time to find a mate and start his own family.
32:42Alpha's beginning to attract suitors, but finding a mate can be a hassle.
33:04As leader of the herd, this male has first dibs when it comes to breeding.
33:22To settle the score, the males engage in a shouting match, followed by pushing and shoving.
33:29It's usually bloodless.
33:34Eventually, somebody backs down.
34:00The winner gets bragging rights, and in this case, Alpha. It's not love, it's instinct.
34:18Still, from a clumsy giant comes the fragile gift of life.
34:30Now the pilgrimage to the nesting ground begins again.
34:32For the first time, Alpha knows you.
34:34Now the pilgrimage to the nesting ground begins again. For the first time, Alpha knows you.
34:36she has to go.
34:56Now the pilgrimage to the nesting ground begins again. For the first time, Alpha knows she has to go.
35:03But there's a hitch.
35:11But there's a hitch.
35:16Dogging her once again...
35:18Dogging her once again...
35:19As dragonfly.
35:24Open her!
35:25She can't take her eyes off of her.
35:27Which means she isn't watching her step.
35:34She's hurt. The timing couldn't be worse.
35:49She can't stop. She can't afford to be left behind.
36:08Experience has taught her all too well. The fate of stragglers.
36:38In the prehistoric forest, a siren calls.
36:54Dragonfly is captivated.
37:08To a young male in his prime, she's a babe.
37:15And...
37:17She's in heat.
37:18But winning her over won't be easy.
37:32She's bred to be wary.
37:34She's gotta be sure he's fit.
37:38Well...
38:01Maybe.
38:08...
38:11Finally...
38:14Finally...
38:15She relents.
38:24This could be the start of something big.
38:26leaving the cover of a forest is risky. In combat, open ground draws heavy fire.
38:49Of all the predators in South America, these 40-foot long carcharodontosaurs are the elite.
38:57Armed with cunning and teeth the size of knives, they strike at will with deadly force.
39:10Today, a saltosaur is going to die.
39:26Because of her injury, Alpha is lagging dangerously behind.
39:33Like other predators, carcharodontosaurs usually attack the slowest and weakest members of the herd.
39:39One thing's for sure, no one wants to be last. If Alpha can just outpace this older female...
39:49If Alpha can just outpace this older female...
39:55If Alpha can just outpace this older female...
39:59If Alpha can just outpace this older female...
40:29...in the blink of an eye, it's over.
40:46No sadness, no sorrow.
40:50Just business as usual.
40:59For Alpha, it's a red-letter day. Though lame, once again she's beaten the odds.
41:29Alpha's life has finally come full circle.
41:36She's back at the nesting ground where her story began.
41:48Here, she will leave her legacy to the next generation.
41:52Days later, the storm of the millennium strikes without warning.
42:12The sentries are helpless.
42:15The ancient plain is turned back into a river.
42:18Inch by inch, the water rises.
42:39Inch by inch, the water rises.
42:49Fate, which has been so good to Alpha, finally deals a tragic hand.
42:57Her first and only offspring are gone.
43:00Tragedy drowns the nests.
43:11It's going to be a very sad year.
43:14Among the thousands of fossilized eggs discovered at El Camuevo,
43:24paleontologists found an ancient mystery.
43:27The remains of hundreds of tiny unborn saltosaurs.
43:34Some of the fossils have tiny pencil-like teeth with clear signs of wear.
43:38The unborn babies were teeth-grinders, preparing themselves for life as vegetarians.
43:45But they never made it out of their shells.
43:49What killed them?
43:51The nest seemed undisturbed, which rules out predators.
43:53Clues to the mystery were found in the rocks.
43:57The eggs were buried in heavy silt.
44:00Signs of flooding.
44:02But what kind?
44:03A flash flood that suddenly swamped the nest?
44:08Unlikely.
44:09After all, the eggs weren't swept away.
44:12Instead, maybe a heavy rain and a rising river.
44:15Eventually, the river would overflow its banks and flood the plains.
44:21As flood water reaches the nests, it seeps through the porous membranes,
44:26drowning each embryo and the very shell meant to protect it.
44:30When the water recedes, it leaves the nest buried under a thick layer of mud and silt.
44:37A disaster for the saltosaurs proved a boon for paleontologists.
44:41In death, these creatures give us an extraordinary glimpse into their lives.
44:55Alpha's injured leg hasn't healed.
44:58She's at risk, and she's alone.
45:04Like a bad penny, Dragonfly keeps turning up.
45:11One way or another, today is the day of reckoning.
45:41Alpha's leg is giving out.
46:05Alpha's leg is giving out.
46:11Flüsses!
46:14diverse
46:24Her massive weight has crushed his skull.
46:29Today, her weakness turns out to be her strength.
46:32Today, her weakness turns out to be her strength.
46:52By destiny or dumb luck, even the underdog can beat the odds.
47:02In time, Alpha's wounds will heal and she'll mate again.
47:23Season after season, she'll lay more eggs and claim hundreds of saltosaurs as her descendants.
47:30Her life will be tough, but she'll survive to a ripe old age.
47:35That's the destiny of Alpha's Egg.
48:00The End
48:05The End
48:09The End
48:12The End
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