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In life, he was the most magnificent
beast ever to take to the wing

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He ruled the skies supreme,

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flying far and wide

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over the lands of the dinosaurs

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This is the story
of the last journey

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this giant ever made

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It is the start
of a time called the Cretaceous

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The movement of the continents

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is not only breaking up
the landmasses,

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but it continues
to push up sea levels

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This has opened new seaways
and coastlines

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(Squawking)

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Where once there was solid land,
now there are ragged cliffs,

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buzzing with an abundance of
flying reptiles called pterosaurs

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Pterosaurs have been here
for 100 million years

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Many species are huge Wingspans
of six metres and more are common

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But there is one species
that dwarfs them all

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He is Ornithocheirus -

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12 metres
from wing tip to wing tip

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and a body bigger than a man's

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The undisputed king of the skies

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This giant is over 40 years old

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Most of his life has been spent
wandering the globe,

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in search of food,

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but every year, there is an
interruption to this nomadic life

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It will soon be time to find a mate

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On the rocks, the mating season
for another pterosaur is under way -

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the bizarre-looking Tapejara

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Pterosaurs' wings
are thin membranes of skin

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that stretch from elongated fingers
on their forelimbs

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to the ends of their hindlimbs

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Their bones are hollow and light

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They are masters of the air,

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but on land they are cumbersome,

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with their legs joined up
by the wings

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Squatting on all fours,
the males try and claim an area

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from which to display
to the females

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They show off their colourful crests

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until one competitor backs down

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A large crest is also a lure
to the females

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A potential mate
soon makes a cautious approach,

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her head dipped in submission

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As in any competition,
there are losers

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Unable to secure himself
a good display patch,

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this male is perilously close
to a blowhole

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Down here, he has little chance
of attracting a mate

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(Honking call)

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Instinct tells the Ornithocheirus
that it is time to move on

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He must return
to his breeding site in Europe,

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on the other side of the world

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For this giant of the sky,

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it will be the last great flight
he ever makes

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What he is about to undertake

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is the most astounding journey
in the animal kingdom

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From the shores
of the great southern continent,

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he will travel to North America,

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cross the Atlantic seaway,

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and fly on to the islands

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which mark where Europe
will one day be formed

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Spread out below him
will be the majesty and spectacle

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of a world ruled by dinosaurs

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In just a few days, he reaches
the southern tip of North America

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Below him, a column of Iguanodon

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stretches along a beach,

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grazing the edge of a dense forest

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A thousand tonnes of dinosaur
are on the move

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Hundreds of mouths are searching

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for a fresh place
to satisfy their enormous appetites

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The young play around the adults

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Although these herbivores
walk on four legs,

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Iguanodon can run on just two

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This makes them quite nimble,

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certainly more so than the
lumbering plant-eater, Polacanthus,

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that is accompanying the herd

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(High-pitched shrieking)

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The wall of flesh
travels slowly onward,

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following the path
of the Ornithocheirus,

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but there is a setback ahead

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(Thunder)

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The climate in the time of
the dinosaurs is warm and tropical

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There are only two seasons -
dry and wet

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Now is the time of year
for tropical storms

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In moments, the short stretch
of coast is drenched -

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welcome relief for thirsty plants

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and lean rivers,

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but it is a disaster
for a migrating pterosaur

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The Ornithocheirus
is grounded by the heavy rain,

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frustrating his urge
to get to the breeding site

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He shelters as best he can -

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the downy fur on his body
must be kept dry

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For the Iguanodon herd,
the rain is no hindrance

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These are among the most successful
dinosaurs on the planet,

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populating every continent,

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thriving on a variety of vegetation

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The river estuary provides them
with an ideal break in the forest

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There is fresh water

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and the banks here are thick with
lush podocarp scrub and tree ferns

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One reason Iguanodon
are so successful

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is they have a new way
of tackling plants

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Most dinosaurs can only crudely
slice food with their teeth,

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but Iguanodon
are the first herbivores

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to have back teeth
that can grind up vegetation

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This ability to chew

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speeds digestion
of even the toughest plant material

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The forests near the equator

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are also witness
to another landmark in evolution

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The first simple flowers
have arrived,

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adding a dash of colour
to an otherwise green world

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It is the start
of a new relationship with insects

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Attracted by the colour and smell,

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this wasp is feasting on pollen

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It will unwittingly spread it
to other flowers,

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speeding up
the plant's reproduction

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The plants that have evolved
this feature are flourishing,

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and soon will dominate
the flora of the world

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The next day,
the weather starts to improve

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The Ornithocheirus
waits impatiently in his cave,

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and busies himself with grooming

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He is plagued by parasites that
bite vessels on his wing membrane

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If he is to find a mate,

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he must be in prime condition

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He has to keep the parasites
in check

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In the morning air,

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smaller reptiles
are now out on the wing

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But the Ornithocheirus is so large,
he must wait

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until the heat of the day
creates warm updraughts of air,

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strong enough to lift him

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But time is short
His body is already showing signs

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of readiness for mating

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Faint colours have started to bloom

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on his beak's display crest

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At last,
he can resume his epic journey

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For thousands of kilometres, he
follows the coast of North America

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Like all giant pterosaurs,
he uses his enormous wings

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to ride on the warm air currents
that rise over land

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His whole body weighs
less than 100 kilograms,

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and this helps him glide
effortlessly over huge distances

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But soon he must face open water

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This is the young Atlantic

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It is still
only 300 kilometres wide

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To reach the other side,
he'll need all his gliding skills

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to exploit air currents
that form over waves

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Along the way, he must feed

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But flying low brings its dangers

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Hungry monsters watch him
from below the waves

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An entire day on the wing,

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and he has arrived on the most
western of Europe's islands

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Again, the landscape is dominated
by a huge herd of Iguanodon

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But this time,
it is a larger European species,

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up to three tonnes apiece

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These animals are again accompanied

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by a spiky Polacanthus

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00:14:02,828 --> 00:14:04,785
These armoured herbivores

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00:14:04,868 --> 00:14:07,781
are often found
around Iguanodon herds,

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presumably for mutual protection

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There is safety in numbers

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(Growling)

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They are being watched

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by a pack
of carnivorous Utahraptors

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For the moment,
they are biding their time

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Meanwhile,
another conflict is looming

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A small pterosaur
fishes the waters of the lake

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Its success has not gone unnoticed
by Ornithocheirus

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The giant turns bully

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Under cover of the pencil pines,

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a female Utahraptor
has been stalking

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Her chosen prey are the Iguanodon

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Somewhere close by
are the rest of the pack

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(Low growling)

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With lethal claws, this
five-metre killer is well-armed

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And long fingers help her

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to latch on
to swift-moving larger prey

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(Bellowing)

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(Hissing)

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(Bellowing)

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Raptors have
the short legs of a sprinter

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and do not pursue
their prey for long

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This one saves her energy for later

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Eventually, the herbivores
lose their nervousness,

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and they start to move on

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As the Iguanodon file down
to a lake to drink,

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a Polacanthus lags behind
to gorge on conifers,

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and becomes separated from the herd

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The Utahraptors soon reappear,

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tails held rigid for balance,

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but the Polacanthus
displays his formidable defences

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For a predator,
there are far easier meals nearby

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The whole herd
has reached the lakeside

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In the background,

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the Ornithocheirus
sits safe on his rock

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00:18:05,416 --> 00:18:07,885
The raptors are closing in

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The Iguanodon sense the threat

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and start to get nervous

194
00:18:37,096 --> 00:18:39,053
After one unsuccessful attack,

195
00:18:39,136 --> 00:18:43,927
the raptors are being
more cautious, and it is paying off

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They are within striking distance

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(Guttural roar)

198
00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:41,770
This is the first kill
they have made for over a week

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00:19:41,850 --> 00:19:46,970
They will eat as much as
100 kilograms each in one sitting

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00:19:47,050 --> 00:19:50,600
The youngest of the Utahraptors
hovers nearby

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00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:53,330
There is a pecking order
to this feast,

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00:19:53,410 --> 00:19:56,721
and the large adults come first

203
00:20:01,250 --> 00:20:03,367
However, the youngster is hungry

204
00:20:03,450 --> 00:20:06,010
and he tries his luck

205
00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:10,441
(Snarling)

206
00:20:10,530 --> 00:20:15,082
The response from the adults
is immediate and intimidating

207
00:20:20,050 --> 00:20:23,566
This is not
a confrontation he can win

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00:20:43,970 --> 00:20:48,362
High above, the Ornithocheirus
leaves these killing fields

209
00:20:48,450 --> 00:20:51,648
for a safer place to pass the night

210
00:21:13,930 --> 00:21:17,719
He finds what appears to be
an ideal spot to rest,

211
00:21:17,810 --> 00:21:21,770
before his final push
to the mating grounds

212
00:21:22,850 --> 00:21:26,844
But from within the dense forest,
he is being watched

213
00:21:26,930 --> 00:21:29,525
by relatives of the raptors

214
00:21:41,570 --> 00:21:44,449
These, though, are birds -
flying dinosaurs

215
00:21:44,530 --> 00:21:48,490
that share the same ancestors
as the carnivorous raptors

216
00:21:48,570 --> 00:21:53,122
They have evolved feathers
which turn their arms into wings

217
00:21:53,210 --> 00:21:57,124
At this time of year,
they have eggs to protect,

218
00:21:57,210 --> 00:21:59,281
and the presence of the intruder

219
00:21:59,370 --> 00:22:02,329
sets off a chain reaction
of aggression

220
00:22:12,570 --> 00:22:14,527
Next to the Ornithocheirus,

221
00:22:14,610 --> 00:22:17,921
the birds look no bigger
than insects

222
00:22:18,010 --> 00:22:21,890
Their feathered wings
are more resistant to damage

223
00:22:21,970 --> 00:22:24,963
than the skin membrane
of the pterosaur,

224
00:22:25,050 --> 00:22:28,282
especially among branches and twigs

225
00:22:28,370 --> 00:22:30,327
In the future,

226
00:22:30,410 --> 00:22:33,369
the pterosaurs will
surrender the skies to the birds

227
00:22:57,050 --> 00:23:02,842
He eventually reaches Cantabria,
which will one day form Spain

228
00:23:05,428 --> 00:23:09,183
He is exhausted
by his 14,000 km journey

229
00:23:11,868 --> 00:23:14,337
Ahead lies the mating ground

230
00:23:17,148 --> 00:23:19,105
Every year of his adult life,

231
00:23:19,188 --> 00:23:22,147
he has returned
to this same spot to mate

232
00:23:22,228 --> 00:23:25,346
The beach is full of male
Ornithocheirus competing for space

233
00:23:54,701 --> 00:23:56,658
As the old male approaches,

234
00:23:56,741 --> 00:24:02,214
he knows that the nearer the centre
of this intimidating throng,

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00:24:02,301 --> 00:24:06,614
the more attractive
he will be to the females

236
00:24:06,701 --> 00:24:08,897
He heads for the dominant position

237
00:24:08,981 --> 00:24:13,658
he has occupied in previous years -
right in the middle

238
00:24:13,741 --> 00:24:18,452
But this time, he faces
a challenge to his supremacy

239
00:24:20,501 --> 00:24:23,335
Again and again, he tries to land,

240
00:24:23,421 --> 00:24:27,540
but the males on the ground
fend him off

241
00:24:30,421 --> 00:24:32,936
Eventually, his weariness tells,

242
00:24:33,021 --> 00:24:35,934
and he has to land elsewhere

243
00:24:49,221 --> 00:24:51,690
His position among the males

244
00:24:51,781 --> 00:24:54,694
has been usurped by younger animals

245
00:24:55,781 --> 00:24:58,580
They advertise their vigour and size

246
00:24:58,661 --> 00:25:00,971
to warn off rival males,

247
00:25:01,061 --> 00:25:04,771
and to attract females
out of the air

248
00:25:10,535 --> 00:25:12,492
For the outcast,

249
00:25:12,575 --> 00:25:16,046
the world has been
turned upside down

250
00:25:16,135 --> 00:25:19,811
Now banished to the outskirts
of the mating area,

251
00:25:19,895 --> 00:25:24,128
he will be lucky
to attract a female at all

252
00:25:24,215 --> 00:25:27,014
(Honking call)

253
00:25:30,015 --> 00:25:32,450
In the blistering heat of midday,

254
00:25:32,535 --> 00:25:37,087
his instincts
force him to keep trying

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00:25:41,855 --> 00:25:44,324
The females are unmoved

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00:25:50,128 --> 00:25:52,438
The centre of the beach

257
00:25:52,528 --> 00:25:54,884
A female has just landed

258
00:25:54,968 --> 00:25:57,437
and submits herself to a male

259
00:25:57,528 --> 00:25:59,679
who flashes his red crest
to impress her

260
00:26:05,206 --> 00:26:08,486
Mating itself is brief Afterwards,
the male will resume displaying

261
00:26:08,566 --> 00:26:10,558
to attract more females

262
00:26:10,646 --> 00:26:13,605
The female herself will now leave

263
00:26:22,326 --> 00:26:25,000
Three days later and, at last,

264
00:26:25,086 --> 00:26:28,204
the breeding site
is emptying of males

265
00:26:28,286 --> 00:26:32,041
It is still fiercely hot

266
00:26:36,486 --> 00:26:39,445
Our Ornithocheirus has yet to mate

267
00:26:41,606 --> 00:26:45,395
Worse still, his fruitless exertions
under the blazing sun

268
00:26:45,486 --> 00:26:48,240
have taken a heavy toll

269
00:26:48,326 --> 00:26:50,602
(Weak honks)

270
00:26:53,166 --> 00:26:57,240
Heat stress and lack of food
have all but killed him

271
00:26:57,326 --> 00:27:01,525
The king of the skies
has lost his majesty

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00:27:30,006 --> 00:27:32,726
His life has run full circle

273
00:27:32,806 --> 00:27:36,356
In his time,
he travelled the globe,

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00:27:36,446 --> 00:27:38,677
but death finds him here,

275
00:27:38,766 --> 00:27:40,723
in the very same place

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00:27:40,806 --> 00:27:43,799
where he first mated
some 40 years ago

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00:27:48,526 --> 00:27:51,086
On the beach are others who lost out

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00:27:51,166 --> 00:27:53,726
in this struggle to reproduce

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00:27:58,366 --> 00:28:00,926
But nature is seldom wasteful-

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00:28:01,006 --> 00:28:05,239
they have become food
for the next generation

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00:28:32,246 --> 00:28:35,205
The pterosaurs
continued to rule the skies

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00:28:35,286 --> 00:28:37,846
for millions of years,
while on land,

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00:28:37,926 --> 00:28:41,203
the dinosaurs spread
to every part of the globe

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00:28:41,286 --> 00:28:44,563
In the next episode,
we will see how they conquered

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00:28:44,646 --> 00:28:47,639
the most extraordinary
environment of all-

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00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:50,685
the dark forests of the South Pole

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00:28:50,766 --> 00:28:54,362
(Fierce roar and high-pitch screams)