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Documentary, Walking with Dinosaurs Episode 5 - Spirits of the Ice Forest HD
#Dinosaurs #Documentary #Prehistoric #HD
#Dinosaurs #Documentary #Prehistoric #HD
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00Transcribed by ESO, translated by —
00:30Dawn over a silent forest a few hundred miles from the South Pole.
00:44It is the end of months of total darkness.
00:48And as the sun's rays filter down through the trees, they reveal a cold, harsh world.
00:54Here there are polar dinosaurs, adapted to cope with extreme conditions.
01:00But even they struggle to stay alive.
01:19This far south, the first day of spring lasts only a few minutes.
01:24But it triggers the start of an astonishing story of survival through the polar year.
01:30It is the mid-Cretaceous period, and dinosaurs are now more widespread than ever, reaching every part of the globe.
01:57But one place is a special challenge, the South Pole.
02:02Here, a giant continent made up of South America, Australia, and Antarctica is kept warm by ocean currents that are forced down from the equator to encircle it.
02:13Instead of ice caps, there are lush forests.
02:18But unlike the unchanging tropical climate elsewhere, Antarctica has seasons, from hot summers under midnight sun to cold winters of total darkness.
02:29And the other person has obsessed with its own winter.
02:38The Lelenosaura is a dinosaur that has adapted to this extreme climate.
02:44Throughout the winter, they survive in the warm, sheltered heart of the thick forest.
02:49But now, in spring, they emerge to feed on the fresh plant growth.
02:53They are just two meters long
02:57and their most distinctive feature is their large eyes
03:00which help them find food in the dark winter
03:02These dinosaurs are sociable little animals
03:08that live in small clans
03:10enabling them to make the most of scarce resources
03:13The clan is dominated by one breeding pair
03:16and the hierarchy ensures that a Lelinosaurer
03:19is always on lookout duty
03:20He regularly issues reassuring clicks
03:23as long as the coast is clear
03:50The sentry has spotted a giant amphibian
03:59Coolosuchus
03:59He has massively powerful jaws
04:02weighs about half a ton
04:04and is a carnivore
04:06In the water Coolosuchus is lethal
04:15but on land his legs have trouble dragging his bulk around
04:19and he is no threat to the lithe little dinosaurs
04:22He has been hibernating over winter in the forest
04:27and now faces what for him
04:29is an arduous journey of 200 meters
04:32to get back to the river where he will spend his summer
04:35This bizarre looking creature is a relic from a time before dinosaurs
04:45In most parts of the world competition from crocodiles
04:49has driven these magnificent amphibians to extinction
04:52but here the waters get too cold for crocodiles
04:56and the world's last Coolosuchus survive
04:59still patrolling the waterways
05:01just as their ancestors did
05:03150 million years before them
05:06as spring takes hold
05:33and the days grow longer
05:34a forest bursts into life
05:37Many of the plants in these unique conifer and fern forests
05:54have specially adapted
05:55to lie dormant during the dark of winter
05:58and only with the spring light
06:00do they start to photosynthesize again
06:02for the clan it is also a time of feverish activity
06:14having mated with the first spring sunrise
06:17they are now building nests
06:19it is a team effort
06:22with the dominant pair building in the centre
06:24and other subordinate animals working around them
06:27many of these piles of leaves will never hold eggs
06:31but act as decoys to help protect the main nest
06:35but no matter how busy these little dinosaurs are
06:39they always have to remain alert to danger
06:42a polar a polar alisaur
06:51a summer visitor
06:52from warmer lands to the north
06:54he is a one-ton ambush predator
07:03the alisaur
07:15the alisaur is the largest and fiercest killer
07:31in the forest
07:33but he was spotted early enough by the sentry
07:34and as the clan melt into the undergrowth
07:36he is no match for their speed and agility
07:39spring across the polar forests
07:52brings the movement of many animals
07:54in the sky lines of pterosaurs head south for their summer roosts
08:00and among the trees there is the echo of unfamiliar sounds
08:05the largest of all the summer migrants is coming to the forest
08:12the largest of all the summer migrants is coming to the forest
08:20these unusual calls herald the arrival of huge herds of mutter burrosaurus from the north
08:41for the last two months they have been migrating 800 kilometers down the coast of australia
08:47following the sun to the south
08:49these dinosaurs move towards the pole every year
08:53to strip the lush vegetation
08:55and find secure sites to lay their eggs
08:58the herds have a major impact on the forest
09:06each massive adult weighs about three tons
09:09and can pluck food from branches several meters off the ground
09:13while feeding
09:15the dinosaurs keep in touch
09:16using their specially adapted noses
09:18to produce a range of trumpeting calls
09:21as the forest becomes more crowded
09:29the clan's nests need constant attention
09:32the lead female treats her pile of rotting leaves like an incubator
09:37and uses her sensitive beak to monitor the temperature
09:40then she adds and removes vegetation
09:43to keep the eggs at about 30 degrees centigrade
09:46already the baby Leelinosaurer
09:49can be heard inside responding to their mother's cliques
09:59the nests also have to be protected round the clock
10:01fur-coated mammals thrive in these Antarctic forests
10:05and some are easily large enough to steal a dinosaur egg
10:08but the Leelinosaurer has an unusual defense
10:16it is enough to see off this egg thief
10:29but the little dinosaur knows there will be others
10:33the mutaburrasaurus continue to arrive on the flood plains
10:45and are watched from the forest edges
10:48by hungry eyes
10:49the allosaur
10:55is testing the herd
10:57probing for sick or old animals
10:59these herbivores are slow
11:01but find safety in size and numbers
11:04the allosaur is no match for a healthy bull
11:32mutaburrasaurus and he is forced to back down
11:39by late spring
11:42the tree ferns and conifers are in full flush
11:45and have formed a thick canopy soaking up every bit of sunlight
11:52many of the nests have now fallen victim to predators
11:56but the clan has ensured that at least the dominant pairs
11:59has survived
12:02secure within are three hatchlings
12:06for the first two weeks of their lives
12:08they will stay in the nest
12:10while the adults take turns collecting food
12:12and bringing it back to them
12:25the lead female takes great care to maintain the nest
12:29to stop predators sniffing out her brood
12:33she removes the old egg shells
12:35and eats
12:36the unhatched eggs
12:39this also recycles the nutrients
12:42at this stage the hatchlings are vulnerable
12:58and can easily become lost on the forest floor
13:01if they stray
13:03all the adults watch out for wanderers
13:05in case a predator moves in
13:10within weeks this little hatchling will be strong enough
13:12to keep up with the adults
13:14but for now he is promptly returned
13:16to the safety of the nest
13:28it is now full summer
13:30and permanently light
13:32the sun will not set for another five months
13:35at this time of year
13:37the forest floor around the nests
13:39comes alive with polar insects
13:41like this wetter
13:42out hunting for food among the leaf litter
13:45they themselves are food for larger animals
13:51like the tuatara
13:52it is a reptile
13:54but one surviving from a time long before the dinosaurs
13:58it will remain long after them too
14:01clinging on in the land
14:02that will become the islands of New Zealand
14:08out in the open
14:09the Mataburosaurus herd
14:10is being tormented by bloodsuckers
14:13summer brings out swarms of biting flies
14:16and although dinosaurs are covered in tough scaly skin
14:19they do have softer parts
14:22the insects concentrate on areas like the inside of the ear
14:25where their mouths can pierce the skin
14:28and suck out a meal
14:30these swarms can drive their gigantic hosts wild
14:43and soon the herd has to move away from the river
14:46inside the forest
14:52the Lielinosaurer enjoy the summer bounty
14:55and despite the dangers around them
14:58sleep
14:59during these long months of sun
15:01they rely heavily on their patterned skin
15:03to camouflage them among the ferns
15:05sleep is the last thing on the minds of the hatchlings
15:14that are playing nearby
15:15they have grown
15:16and are now practicing the sort of agile moves
15:19which may one day save their lives
15:21wherever the young are
15:31their mother is not far away
15:32acting as lookout for her increasingly active brood
15:36on the banks of the river
15:46an old Matabarasaurus has been brought down
15:49and a male allosaur feeds off the rotting flesh
15:52the polar allosaur is a smaller descendant of the great carnivores of the Jurassic
16:0150 million years before
16:03his type are rare in the Cretaceous
16:05but they survive here at the South Pole
16:15although there is enough meat at this kill for 20 allosaurs
16:18it is unlikely the approach of a rival female will be tolerated
16:33she is driven away by the hungry male
16:50a fully grown polar allosaur needs about 100 kilos of meat a week
16:55she will need to come back once the male has eaten his fill
17:00later under the light of the midnight sun
17:05later under the light of the midnight sun
17:08one of the young Lielinosaurer ventures down to the river alone
17:12saved by his lightning reactions
17:30saved by his lightning reactions
17:40but the young Lielinosaurer has much to learn about the dangers of his forest home
17:47in the time of dinosaurs
18:01Antarctica suffers regular summer thunderstorms
18:04that sweep across the polar forest causing widespread flooding
18:08these floods drive forest creatures together
18:15and this can lead to confrontation
18:20the Lielinosaurer have spotted a rival clan
18:27and it is enough to trigger an aggressive response
18:30each clan must defend its area of forest so it does not face competition for food
18:35it is crucial that the interlopers are put off by a convincing show of strength
18:42it has worked
19:03the rivals retreat
19:04and for the moment the clan's territory is safe
19:13after the rains the flood waters quickly subside
19:16and dinosaurs can return to the river banks to feed
19:21when there is plenty of food
19:23herbivores can be very tolerant of each other
19:25as the matabarasaurus pluck and tear at the podocarp trees
19:29the Lielinosaurer scamper among them
19:31gathering up the red fruit that gets scattered on the ground
19:34although a risky harvest
19:49the clan must take every opportunity the forest offers
19:53because time is running out
19:55the seasons draw on
20:00and for the first time in four months the sun sets
20:04autumn has arrived
20:06and the forest prepares for a polar winter
20:09up and down the river valleys
20:25the matabarasaurus sense the change
20:28and begin their long trek north
20:30occasionally some of these giant migrants get lost in the forest
20:48but what for them is a minor problem
20:52can mean life or death for the Lielinosaurer clan
20:56the noise these huge herbivores make
21:03prevents the Lielinosaurer sentry
21:06from hearing other more threatening sounds
21:26the giant carnivore has killed the dominant female
21:51the giant carnivore has killed the dominant female
21:54it is a bitter blow
21:59winter is coming
22:11and without a lead female there will be tension in the clan
22:14in the gathering gloom the cooler sukkah senses the drop in temperature
22:34and reluctantly leaves his summer home
22:37once again he lumbers into the forest
22:44in search of a suitable shelter
22:46to hibernate through the cold dark months that lie ahead
22:58the low light also triggers a change in the forest plants
23:02they stop growing and photosynthesis grinds to a halt
23:07some will shed their leaves
23:09others will just lie dormant
23:18the Lielinosaurer now have to work extra hard to find food
23:21searching for fungus and nutritious roots beneath the forest floor
23:30at this time of year their survival strategy is to move to the heart of the forest
23:34where it rarely freezes
23:36and to keep active to maintain their body temperature
23:39but as the clan gathers round a waterfall
23:42it is clear that the summer predators have taken their toll
23:45only one hatchling has survived
23:48and they still have no lead female
23:50and they still have no lead female
24:04towards the end of autumn
24:05the last day passes in a few minutes
24:08and the long twilight begins
24:11life in the polar forest faces its biggest killer
24:23freezing temperatures
24:30some polar creatures like the wetter
24:32have learned to cope with the cold
24:33by allowing themselves to become frozen
24:41in the winter sky
24:46the southern lights whip and flicker
24:49over the silent forest
25:04under the sleeping trees it is almost pitch black
25:07but with image enhancement
25:09it is possible to get a Lielinosaurer's eye view of the clan
25:15the dinosaurs are still active
25:17but this year the ground has frozen
25:19and it has become almost impossible
25:21to scrape a living out of the soil
25:29even pond water is frozen
25:31and the Lielinosaurer resort to using their hard beaks
25:39temperatures this low don't usually last long in the forest
25:50but facing this harsh time with their strict social order in tatters
25:54means the fate of this clan hangs in the balance
25:57they push deeper into the forest
26:00there has been no light for two months
26:12and another cold snap forces the clan to take drastic action
26:16they have evolved one further adaptation to the cold
26:19as a group they huddle together and drift into a state of torpor
26:23in this suspended animation
26:26their bodies can resist the effects of the cold
26:29but they cannot stay like this for more than a couple of days
26:32the first hints of salvation are small
26:37under his rock the wetter is revived from his deep freeze
26:40by a slight but sustained rise in temperature
26:58on the horizon the sun's rays grow stronger
27:01and there is the promise of spring
27:08the forest silence is shattered by an agitated clan
27:12two males are fighting
27:14this is the mating season for the Lielinosaurer
27:17and the males are competing for dominance
27:20these fights are short but can sometimes be vicious
27:47having asserted his authority the victorious male chooses a mate
27:51and at last the clan can start to re-establish round a dominant pair
27:56their annual struggle to survive can begin again
28:08life at the poles is a remarkable evolutionary achievement for the dinosaurs
28:13but eventually a slight cooling in the world's climate will spell doom for these lush Antarctic forests
28:22and without them all these unique dinosaurs will also disappear
28:28away from the poles the dinosaurs continue to thrive for another 40 million years before extinction
28:47in the final program we will see how just before the end of their reign
28:53they evolved the most terrifying predator that has ever walked the earth
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