| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (55 min. 6 sec.) ; 333266507 bytes |
| Summary |
With the appearance of mouths and mobility, evolution took off. Attenborough explores Canada's Rocky Mountains where 542 million years ago, animals increased in number, diversity and size as never before.Eventually predation stimulated an evolutionary arms race between predators and prey, resulting in the proliferation of protective body parts. Arthropods went a step further and encased their entire bodies in jointed plates, creating the first exoskeletons.Attenborough travels to Morocco to examine specimens from one group of arthropods that would become more successful than any other: the trilobites, which developed multi lensed eyes. While the oceans teemed with life, the land lacked animals of any kind. To survive on land, animals would need to prevent their bodies from drying out and evolve the ability to breathe air. How did animals start to breathe? In Scotland Attenborough examines a tiny fossil of the first animal with evidence of air breathing apparatus. The oxygen rich atmosphere of the Carboniferous period allowed them to grow huge. It wasn't just arthropods that made the move on to land. Pikaia, a worm like creature developed an internal gristly rod instead of an exoskeleton. This creature is thought to be the ancestor of us all. From such creatures the first fish evolved. As Attenborough concludes, the first animals may seem to us very remote and strange, but all of us alive today, owe our very existence to them.PRODUCTION DETAILSExecutive producer for BBC Cassian Harrison, presenter & writer David Attenborough, series producer Anthony Geffen, series director Martin Williams |
| Notes |
Closed captioning in English |
| Event |
Broadcast 2011-03-06 at 19:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Life -- Origin.
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Millipedes.
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Natural history.
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Onychophora.
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Rain forests.
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Trilobites.
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Canada.
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Queensland.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Attenborough, David, host
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Caron, Jean-Bernard, contributor
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Fortey, Richard, contributor
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Marshall, Justin, contributor
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Williams, Martin, director
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