1 00:00:00,361 --> 00:00:02,007 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:02,007 --> 00:00:03,910 (birds chirping) 3 00:00:03,910 --> 00:00:07,260 Europe is a continent of contrasts, 4 00:00:07,260 --> 00:00:12,250 with ancient landscapes and icons of modern civilization. 5 00:00:12,250 --> 00:00:15,210 From the densely populated central areas, 6 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:18,133 to the sheer endless expanses of Russia. 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,420 It's home to invaluable natural monuments 8 00:00:22,420 --> 00:00:24,733 from the highest peaks of the Alps, 9 00:00:25,570 --> 00:00:28,200 to the coast of the great ocean. 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:32,803 Geologist Colin Devey is on an expedition across Europe. 11 00:00:36,260 --> 00:00:39,630 It's a huge continent and there's lots to discover. 12 00:00:39,630 --> 00:00:41,950 He's on a quest to experience 13 00:00:41,950 --> 00:00:44,510 the beauty of European nature. 14 00:00:44,510 --> 00:00:45,423 Fascinating. 15 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,870 And discover amazing landscapes 16 00:00:48,870 --> 00:00:51,390 packed with mysteries. 17 00:00:51,390 --> 00:00:54,309 They bear evidence of lost inhabitants, 18 00:00:54,309 --> 00:00:57,483 their origins, and their transformations. 19 00:01:01,650 --> 00:01:04,453 Accompany Colin Devey on a journey, 20 00:01:05,580 --> 00:01:07,820 through the natural history of a continent 21 00:01:07,820 --> 00:01:11,303 from prehistoric beginnings to the present day. 22 00:01:26,615 --> 00:01:27,448 (ominous music) 23 00:01:27,448 --> 00:01:30,990 Rough terrain marks the northwest of the continent. 24 00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:34,703 Scotland has some of the most pristine landscapes in Europe. 25 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,593 It's June, the last full moon before the summer solstice. 26 00:01:42,670 --> 00:01:46,150 A Stone Age cult site on Lewis Island. 27 00:01:46,150 --> 00:01:49,830 These stones have been here for 3,000 years. 28 00:01:49,830 --> 00:01:51,830 Experts believe their arrangement 29 00:01:51,830 --> 00:01:54,010 follows the course of the moon. 30 00:01:54,010 --> 00:01:56,710 They emit a special magic, 31 00:01:56,710 --> 00:01:59,723 especially now in the bright summer nights. 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,150 The rock that makes up these monuments 33 00:02:08,150 --> 00:02:12,033 holds a deeper meaning for the island and its inhabitants. 34 00:02:16,512 --> 00:02:19,262 (birds chirping) 35 00:02:23,009 --> 00:02:23,842 (dramatic music) 36 00:02:23,842 --> 00:02:26,590 It's the basic substance of this landscape, 37 00:02:26,590 --> 00:02:28,640 people built their houses from it 38 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:31,083 as protection against the changeable weather. 39 00:02:33,690 --> 00:02:37,453 The robust rock also provides shelter for many animals. 40 00:02:38,313 --> 00:02:40,490 (birds cawing) 41 00:02:40,490 --> 00:02:44,503 Large populations of sea birds breed on the steep cliffs, 42 00:02:45,470 --> 00:02:47,525 such as common murres. 43 00:02:47,525 --> 00:02:48,660 (birds cawing) 44 00:02:48,660 --> 00:02:50,733 Whose young are now hatching. 45 00:02:56,340 --> 00:03:01,340 Razorbills and cormorants. 46 00:03:03,230 --> 00:03:05,160 The soft earth beneath the rocks 47 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,369 is ideal for puffins to dig their nests. 48 00:03:08,369 --> 00:03:11,120 (puffin cawing) 49 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:12,810 They're undisturbed here. 50 00:03:12,810 --> 00:03:15,270 The young are safe and the cliffs provide 51 00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:18,216 perfect starting points for an excursion. 52 00:03:18,216 --> 00:03:20,130 (upbeat music) 53 00:03:20,130 --> 00:03:23,950 A diverse ecosystem has developed around these rocks. 54 00:03:23,950 --> 00:03:26,423 It's one of the richest habitats in Europe. 55 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,103 And it's not just about the big animals. 56 00:03:33,170 --> 00:03:36,350 Countless microorganisms live in the water, 57 00:03:36,350 --> 00:03:39,630 which in turn attract fish and larger predators. 58 00:03:39,630 --> 00:03:42,203 Here there's plenty for everyone. 59 00:03:48,130 --> 00:03:50,530 The northern gannet pierces the deep 60 00:03:50,530 --> 00:03:52,389 at high speed to catch prey. 61 00:03:52,389 --> 00:03:55,139 (dramatic music) 62 00:04:01,150 --> 00:04:05,373 This is a natural paradise thriving on stone. 63 00:04:12,870 --> 00:04:16,350 Welcome to the beautiful Island of Lewis. 64 00:04:16,350 --> 00:04:20,190 Now it's the middle of summer, but it's really quite cold. 65 00:04:20,190 --> 00:04:23,510 The reason for that lies 2,000 kilometers in this direction. 66 00:04:23,510 --> 00:04:25,870 It's the southern tip of Greenland 67 00:04:25,870 --> 00:04:29,260 and between us there's only the open North Atlantic. 68 00:04:29,260 --> 00:04:32,160 Now the landscape here is raw and ancient, 69 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,450 and that fits really well with the rocks. 70 00:04:34,450 --> 00:04:37,010 These rocks are called gneiss. 71 00:04:37,010 --> 00:04:39,180 They're very hard and solid 72 00:04:39,180 --> 00:04:41,990 and they were formed three billion years ago. 73 00:04:41,990 --> 00:04:45,120 They're some of the oldest rocks in the whole of Europe. 74 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:46,540 They were formed deep in the earth 75 00:04:46,540 --> 00:04:48,930 under high-pressure and high-temperature 76 00:04:48,930 --> 00:04:50,390 and that's made them very compact 77 00:04:50,390 --> 00:04:51,990 and very resistant to erosion 78 00:04:51,990 --> 00:04:54,000 and that's why we still find them here. 79 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,200 And they form the core, the nucleus of our continent. 80 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,110 Now originally, these rocks were laid down 81 00:05:01,110 --> 00:05:02,960 on the floor of an ocean as the earth 82 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,560 was only a quarter as old as it is now. 83 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,420 And that earth was a way different place 84 00:05:07,420 --> 00:05:08,470 to what we find here. 85 00:05:09,660 --> 00:05:11,774 Even rock changes. 86 00:05:11,774 --> 00:05:14,357 (wind howling) 87 00:05:16,180 --> 00:05:17,720 A few millennia ago, 88 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,203 the coastline might have looked like this. 89 00:05:22,370 --> 00:05:25,360 This rock gate does not yet exist. 90 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,140 The mighty ocean is still hard at work here 91 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:33,950 and three billion years ago, not even the coast exists yet. 92 00:05:33,950 --> 00:05:37,763 A huge ocean lies under a hostile atmosphere. 93 00:05:38,950 --> 00:05:41,850 Islands, small primordial continents 94 00:05:41,850 --> 00:05:44,650 are formed by volcanic activity 95 00:05:44,650 --> 00:05:46,665 and something's happening in the ocean. 96 00:05:46,665 --> 00:05:49,332 (ominous music) 97 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,713 The chemical composition is right. 98 00:05:54,270 --> 00:05:55,800 As the perfect combination 99 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,350 of nearly infinite variables align, 100 00:05:58,350 --> 00:06:01,290 the first lifeforms emerge. 101 00:06:01,290 --> 00:06:04,400 So far, there are only simple organisms, 102 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,403 the first steps of evolution. 103 00:06:08,290 --> 00:06:09,673 That's when it happens. 104 00:06:11,670 --> 00:06:15,050 In the depth, the Lewis gneiss begins to form 105 00:06:15,050 --> 00:06:17,490 under extreme conditions. 106 00:06:17,490 --> 00:06:21,520 High temperatures and immense pressure shape the stone, 107 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,280 which today is one of the oldest in Europe. 108 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,863 (wind howling) 109 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,010 This is how the first chapters of European natural history 110 00:06:32,010 --> 00:06:33,778 were written in the sea. 111 00:06:33,778 --> 00:06:36,361 (upbeat music) 112 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:42,623 Colin Devey accompanies fisherman to the Scottish Sea. 113 00:06:45,650 --> 00:06:48,070 As a geologist, he's a specialist 114 00:06:48,070 --> 00:06:51,353 in the development of the oceans and their natural history. 115 00:06:53,290 --> 00:06:56,210 (birds cawing) 116 00:06:56,210 --> 00:06:58,760 So the core of our continent was produced 117 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,910 three billion years ago. 118 00:07:00,910 --> 00:07:04,320 That's an impossible amount of time to grasp, isn't it? 119 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,520 But even then, there was an ocean 120 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,550 and life on earth probably developed in that ocean. 121 00:07:10,550 --> 00:07:13,490 And even now, the creatures that live in the ocean 122 00:07:13,490 --> 00:07:15,313 are very old types of life. 123 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,070 Hopefully we're catching some of them right now. 124 00:07:19,070 --> 00:07:21,170 I'm terribly interested to see what these guys 125 00:07:21,170 --> 00:07:22,420 are gonna bring on board. 126 00:07:24,490 --> 00:07:27,190 Since the emergence of Lewis gneiss, 127 00:07:27,190 --> 00:07:29,434 life on earth has developed rapidly. 128 00:07:29,434 --> 00:07:32,681 (dramatic music) 129 00:07:32,681 --> 00:07:35,930 And the ocean still holds traces of that development. 130 00:07:35,930 --> 00:07:40,094 With every catch, fishermen capture a piece of prehistory. 131 00:07:40,094 --> 00:07:42,677 (birds cawing) 132 00:07:47,090 --> 00:07:48,850 Okay, the fishermen have given me 133 00:07:48,850 --> 00:07:49,940 some things from their catch. 134 00:07:49,940 --> 00:07:51,820 Let's have a look and see what they got. 135 00:07:51,820 --> 00:07:54,490 First up is this little cod. 136 00:07:54,490 --> 00:07:55,550 What a beauty. 137 00:07:55,550 --> 00:07:58,640 It's on the boney fishes and boney fish appeared 138 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,060 on our plant about 200 million years ago. 139 00:08:02,060 --> 00:08:04,840 Now another boney fish of course, 140 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:06,493 things like this, the plaice. 141 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:08,793 What else have we got? 142 00:08:08,793 --> 00:08:13,000 Oh, langoustines, they're a member of the crustaceans 143 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,380 and crustaceans are also a very old type of life. 144 00:08:16,380 --> 00:08:19,320 380 millions years old is the first fossil 145 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:20,870 that we know of the crustacean. 146 00:08:22,430 --> 00:08:24,380 And last but not least a real treasure, 147 00:08:24,380 --> 00:08:26,320 this is a lamprey. 148 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,510 Now lampreys are a member of a really, 149 00:08:28,510 --> 00:08:29,700 really old type of life. 150 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:32,310 They're not fish, they don't have an lower jaw 151 00:08:32,310 --> 00:08:33,450 so they can't chew things 152 00:08:33,450 --> 00:08:36,260 and their ancestors lived in the oceans 153 00:08:36,260 --> 00:08:39,170 540 million years ago. 154 00:08:39,170 --> 00:08:42,610 Now this guy looks as if he's still alive. 155 00:08:42,610 --> 00:08:43,919 I'm gonna put him back. 156 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:47,002 (boat motor humming) 157 00:08:51,285 --> 00:08:54,200 (dramatic music) 158 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:55,650 A truly peculiar 159 00:08:55,650 --> 00:08:58,770 prehistoric animal, the lamprey. 160 00:08:58,770 --> 00:09:02,240 An elegant swimmer in its familiar environment. 161 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,930 This parasite feeds by boring into the flesh of other fish 162 00:09:05,930 --> 00:09:07,730 to suck their blood. 163 00:09:07,730 --> 00:09:11,520 It's extremely rare and particularly protected in Europe. 164 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,610 Their natural home is the cold 165 00:09:13,610 --> 00:09:15,860 oxygen-rich waters of the north, 166 00:09:15,860 --> 00:09:19,181 where many creatures remind us of a bygone era. 167 00:09:19,181 --> 00:09:22,764 (soothing classical music) 168 00:09:25,940 --> 00:09:30,643 Prehistoric animals are widespread, like the crab. 169 00:09:34,090 --> 00:09:35,673 Or the moon jellyfish. 170 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,950 The basking shark also seems like a relic from the past. 171 00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:47,120 These majestic animals roam thousands of kilometers 172 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:48,913 through the sea every year. 173 00:09:52,580 --> 00:09:55,070 But what did the ocean really look like 174 00:09:55,070 --> 00:09:57,513 over 500 million years ago? 175 00:10:00,550 --> 00:10:04,510 Plants have already lived in the sea for a long time now, 176 00:10:04,510 --> 00:10:07,123 but animals are rapidly catching up. 177 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,420 Mysterious worms leave their traces 178 00:10:10,420 --> 00:10:12,303 in the sediment of the seabed. 179 00:10:14,990 --> 00:10:16,940 Jellyfish are the first animals 180 00:10:16,940 --> 00:10:20,694 to swim through the sea with their own muscle power. 181 00:10:20,694 --> 00:10:23,430 (ominous music) 182 00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:26,940 Predators appear, many of them strange arthropods, 183 00:10:26,940 --> 00:10:29,163 with claws and compound eyes. 184 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:36,280 An amazing variety of trilobites live on the ocean floor. 185 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,220 They have robust exoskeletons 186 00:10:38,220 --> 00:10:40,630 that protect them from predators. 187 00:10:40,630 --> 00:10:44,530 All main groups of the animal kingdom develop at this time, 188 00:10:44,530 --> 00:10:47,410 including the ancestor of the lamprey. 189 00:10:47,410 --> 00:10:52,280 It possess a special innovation of evolution, a spine, 190 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,933 that provides stability and bolsters its locomotion. 191 00:10:57,270 --> 00:11:00,450 Sharks came later in evolution, 192 00:11:00,450 --> 00:11:04,070 but these sea-dwellers, so different in age and size 193 00:11:04,070 --> 00:11:06,210 still meet to this day. 194 00:11:06,210 --> 00:11:10,083 For the basking shark, the lamprey is an annoying parasite. 195 00:11:14,023 --> 00:11:14,856 (dramatic music) 196 00:11:14,856 --> 00:11:17,320 Scotland's waters are richly populated 197 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,330 with prehistoric animals. 198 00:11:19,330 --> 00:11:22,320 Perhaps this explains why some legends have persisted 199 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:23,843 through the generations. 200 00:11:25,230 --> 00:11:28,713 It's a strange and kind of mystical place at Loch Ness. 201 00:11:30,270 --> 00:11:31,530 I remember when I was a kid, 202 00:11:31,530 --> 00:11:33,510 we came here with the family on holiday, 203 00:11:33,510 --> 00:11:35,830 and my parents went swimming in there. 204 00:11:35,830 --> 00:11:38,290 Not a chance that I would have joined them 205 00:11:38,290 --> 00:11:41,460 and even now, I'm not going in. 206 00:11:41,460 --> 00:11:42,650 Although of course as a scientist, 207 00:11:42,650 --> 00:11:44,750 I know there is no such thing as monsters. 208 00:11:47,230 --> 00:11:48,830 Geologically speaking, this is also 209 00:11:48,830 --> 00:11:51,570 a very interesting place. 210 00:11:51,570 --> 00:11:52,810 At about the same time as those creatures 211 00:11:52,810 --> 00:11:55,400 that we've just seen were developing out in the oceans, 212 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,850 here two continents were colliding. 213 00:11:57,850 --> 00:11:58,928 Let's have a look. 214 00:11:58,928 --> 00:12:01,250 (electronic beeping) 215 00:12:01,250 --> 00:12:02,990 On the one side, there's Laurentia. 216 00:12:02,990 --> 00:12:05,440 That's what we now call America. 217 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,130 On the other side, Baltica, that's Norway and Sweden. 218 00:12:09,130 --> 00:12:11,080 And they collided right here 219 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,610 producing a huge mountain range. 220 00:12:13,610 --> 00:12:15,810 Now I can tell you about it from down here, 221 00:12:15,810 --> 00:12:18,303 but I can show it to you from up in the mountains. 222 00:12:19,191 --> 00:12:24,191 (dramatic music) (birds chirping) 223 00:12:26,090 --> 00:12:28,720 Loch Ness is located in the heart 224 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,640 of the Scottish Highlands. 225 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,680 With a relatively low population density, 226 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:35,653 there's enough space for nature. 227 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,073 The ascent is steep, and soon the forest thins out. 228 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,663 Colin encounters the inhabitants of the raised bogs. 229 00:12:56,300 --> 00:12:59,630 Here, where the black grouse fight in early summer, 230 00:12:59,630 --> 00:13:02,453 the typical landscape of the highlands blossoms. 231 00:13:03,746 --> 00:13:06,329 (upbeat music) 232 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,723 Heather adds a special shine to the already amazing view. 233 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:18,210 For a short time, the otherwise barren highlands 234 00:13:18,210 --> 00:13:21,473 explode in a unique splendor of color. 235 00:13:32,595 --> 00:13:34,720 Well, that climb was worth it. 236 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:37,510 Of course, for the scenery but also for the geology. 237 00:13:37,510 --> 00:13:38,530 Look at it. 238 00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:40,330 I'm standing on Baltica. 239 00:13:40,330 --> 00:13:43,990 Over there, the other side of Loch Ness is Laurentia. 240 00:13:43,990 --> 00:13:45,990 The Great Glen Fault runs through here 241 00:13:45,990 --> 00:13:48,070 and separated those two continents. 242 00:13:48,070 --> 00:13:51,287 500 million years ago, there was a huge mountain range here. 243 00:13:51,287 --> 00:13:53,710 (rocks rumbling) 244 00:13:53,710 --> 00:13:54,543 Wow. 245 00:13:55,460 --> 00:13:58,360 Now the whole area will have been shaken time and time again 246 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,330 by earthquakes because we know that these two continents 247 00:14:01,330 --> 00:14:04,618 rubbed passed each other over 200 kilometers. 248 00:14:04,618 --> 00:14:06,720 (rocks cracking) 249 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,670 Wind and weather has worn the mountains down to stumps now. 250 00:14:12,130 --> 00:14:13,460 Now the last thing that happened here 251 00:14:13,460 --> 00:14:15,620 was during the last ice age. 252 00:14:15,620 --> 00:14:18,423 A glacier carved out Loch Ness. 253 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,650 And although it's a really impressive lake, 254 00:14:21,650 --> 00:14:24,663 it's nowhere near the total length of this plate boundary. 255 00:14:27,330 --> 00:14:29,960 The elongated shape of the famous lake 256 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,810 hints that it's part of a much large structure. 257 00:14:32,810 --> 00:14:35,560 (dramatic music) 258 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,330 Loch Ness belongs to a border of continental dimensions 259 00:14:41,330 --> 00:14:44,650 that stretches across the Northern Hemisphere. 260 00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:49,140 This structure was created some 450 million years ago. 261 00:14:49,140 --> 00:14:51,360 The collision of two old continents 262 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,330 led to the formation of Europe's first 263 00:14:53,330 --> 00:14:55,823 primeval mountain range, the Caledonides. 264 00:14:58,530 --> 00:15:01,170 The romantic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands 265 00:15:01,170 --> 00:15:04,805 still bear witness to the former high mountain range. 266 00:15:04,805 --> 00:15:08,200 (dramatic music) 267 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,710 The next chapter of European natural history 268 00:15:10,710 --> 00:15:12,763 is written in Central Europe. 269 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,330 Colin crosses the North Sea. 270 00:15:19,330 --> 00:15:22,993 He's headed south in search of the center of the continent. 271 00:15:25,350 --> 00:15:29,553 The European mainland, here lie the most densely populated 272 00:15:29,553 --> 00:15:32,093 ares of Europe with their cities, 273 00:15:33,910 --> 00:15:34,903 industry, 274 00:15:37,660 --> 00:15:38,783 and traffic. 275 00:15:39,970 --> 00:15:42,560 Large metropolitan regions. 276 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,603 Paris, one of the centers of European culture. 277 00:15:49,580 --> 00:15:54,133 And further southeast, Frankfurt, a major financial hub. 278 00:16:01,876 --> 00:16:02,805 (plane engine humming) 279 00:16:02,805 --> 00:16:04,770 However, the geographical center 280 00:16:04,770 --> 00:16:07,023 of the continent is further east. 281 00:16:11,750 --> 00:16:16,750 Regensburg, southwest of the Bavarian forest. 282 00:16:17,110 --> 00:16:20,780 The landscape forms a unit with the Bohemian Forests 283 00:16:20,780 --> 00:16:22,680 of the Czech Republic. 284 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,210 One of the oldest regions 285 00:16:24,210 --> 00:16:27,023 of Central Europe in geological history, 286 00:16:28,100 --> 00:16:30,935 and the center of the continent. 287 00:16:30,935 --> 00:16:33,685 (dramatic music) 288 00:16:35,810 --> 00:16:38,750 On a small mountain, the Tillenberg. 289 00:16:42,116 --> 00:16:44,670 And there I am, the middle of Europe, 290 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:47,940 and about 10 meters from the Czech, German border. 291 00:16:47,940 --> 00:16:49,940 Now of course the midpoint of a continent 292 00:16:49,940 --> 00:16:51,520 is impossible to define. 293 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,860 But Austrian scientists 150 years ago 294 00:16:53,860 --> 00:16:55,440 said this is where it is. 295 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,163 And so, we've got this beautiful stone standing here. 296 00:16:59,090 --> 00:17:02,333 But this place is important for other reasons. 297 00:17:04,471 --> 00:17:05,304 (electronic beeping) 298 00:17:05,304 --> 00:17:09,970 350 million years ago, two continents collided here 299 00:17:09,970 --> 00:17:11,530 and for the first time ever, 300 00:17:11,530 --> 00:17:14,413 Europe existed as a single unit. 301 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:18,870 At the same time, a massive mountain range was built, 302 00:17:18,870 --> 00:17:20,290 probably the largest mountains 303 00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:21,840 that this planet's ever seen, 304 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:25,100 and they formed a band around half the global. 305 00:17:25,100 --> 00:17:26,660 The remains of these mountains 306 00:17:26,660 --> 00:17:29,110 can still be found all over Europe, 307 00:17:29,110 --> 00:17:32,460 mostly not higher than 1,800 meters. 308 00:17:32,460 --> 00:17:34,770 But nevertheless, these Mittelgebirge 309 00:17:34,770 --> 00:17:36,920 as they're called, running all through Europe 310 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,882 are some of the most beautiful landscapes we have. 311 00:17:39,882 --> 00:17:42,632 (dramatic music) 312 00:17:44,830 --> 00:17:47,560 From the Ural Mountains in the east, 313 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,400 to the Rhine in the West, 314 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:53,110 Germany is home to the remains of the so-called Variscites, 315 00:17:53,110 --> 00:17:55,453 named after an ancient Germanic tribe. 316 00:18:07,660 --> 00:18:10,070 They're a welcome retreat for wild animals 317 00:18:10,070 --> 00:18:12,593 in the otherwise densely populated area. 318 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,930 After facing near extinction, 319 00:18:17,930 --> 00:18:21,799 the Eurasian lynx roams through some of these forests again. 320 00:18:21,799 --> 00:18:24,651 (relaxing music) 321 00:18:24,651 --> 00:18:25,484 (boar grunting) 322 00:18:25,484 --> 00:18:29,040 The wild boar is a different case altogether. 323 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,130 It's among the most adaptable of all wild animals 324 00:18:32,130 --> 00:18:34,201 and can be found almost anywhere. 325 00:18:34,201 --> 00:18:37,590 (stag braying) 326 00:18:37,590 --> 00:18:40,220 In September, stags gather in the clearings 327 00:18:40,220 --> 00:18:41,573 for the rutting season. 328 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,150 But the forest is much more than just the home 329 00:18:52,150 --> 00:18:53,983 of these typical inhabitants. 330 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,500 It's a living system, 331 00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:02,623 functioning like a single entity in minute detail. 332 00:19:04,270 --> 00:19:06,660 Many creatures depend on each other, 333 00:19:06,660 --> 00:19:10,643 like mosaic pieces forming one big whole. 334 00:19:15,180 --> 00:19:17,590 They all create the habitat that we know 335 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:20,940 as the enchanting forest of the Central Uplands, 336 00:19:20,940 --> 00:19:23,497 important natural areas throughout Europe. 337 00:19:23,497 --> 00:19:26,916 (birds chirping) 338 00:19:26,916 --> 00:19:29,666 (dramatic music) 339 00:19:32,230 --> 00:19:35,253 The Massif Central in Southern France. 340 00:19:37,050 --> 00:19:40,330 With its gently rising slopes, Mont Caroux 341 00:19:40,330 --> 00:19:43,263 is a typical remnant from the time of the Variscites. 342 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,320 Today, only about 1,000 meters high, 343 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,313 a perfect home for wild sheep, mouflon. 344 00:20:00,550 --> 00:20:03,773 These graceful animals are often seen on Mont Caroux. 345 00:20:04,710 --> 00:20:07,083 The search the Heric River Valley for food. 346 00:20:09,450 --> 00:20:13,550 The Massif Central is a popular destination for hikers, 347 00:20:13,550 --> 00:20:17,170 an exciting stage for Colin Devey's research. 348 00:20:17,170 --> 00:20:19,260 The Gorge d'Heric offers hints 349 00:20:19,260 --> 00:20:21,141 to the great past of the Variscites. 350 00:20:21,141 --> 00:20:23,130 (water rushing) 351 00:20:23,130 --> 00:20:26,390 So how can we know that these gently rolling hills 352 00:20:26,390 --> 00:20:30,000 are all that remains of a once gigantic mountain range? 353 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,430 We can look back into the past in this gorge, 354 00:20:33,430 --> 00:20:35,010 and the rocks will tell us something about 355 00:20:35,010 --> 00:20:37,313 how big the mountain range really was. 356 00:20:39,090 --> 00:20:41,930 The water has done a remarkable job. 357 00:20:41,930 --> 00:20:43,860 The constant force of the stream 358 00:20:43,860 --> 00:20:45,729 has hollowed out the rock massif. 359 00:20:45,729 --> 00:20:48,479 (dramatic music) 360 00:20:49,470 --> 00:20:52,950 The gorge leads several kilometers into the mountain. 361 00:20:52,950 --> 00:20:57,270 350 million years ago, these rocks formed the base 362 00:20:57,270 --> 00:21:00,610 of the highest mountain range of all time. 363 00:21:00,610 --> 00:21:03,170 So we're now right in the middle of the mountain 364 00:21:03,170 --> 00:21:05,750 and the rocks are telling us everything we need to know 365 00:21:05,750 --> 00:21:08,030 about the enormous pressures 366 00:21:08,030 --> 00:21:10,120 and temperatures they've experienced. 367 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:11,940 The high pressure has made the mineral 368 00:21:11,940 --> 00:21:14,760 separate from one another and produce this banding. 369 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:16,510 And the high temperatures caused 370 00:21:16,510 --> 00:21:18,730 these big white crystals to form. 371 00:21:18,730 --> 00:21:20,990 The temperatures were in some places so high 372 00:21:20,990 --> 00:21:23,040 that the rock started to melt. 373 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,710 We look up behind me here, you see this white vein. 374 00:21:27,710 --> 00:21:30,530 It's magma produced deep underground 375 00:21:30,530 --> 00:21:32,430 and pressed out of the rock, 376 00:21:32,430 --> 00:21:34,563 and it's flown up towards the surfaces. 377 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,680 Gives us some impression of how huge 378 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,783 this mountain range must have been. 379 00:21:39,783 --> 00:21:41,200 (dramatic music) 380 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,143 The traces of the magma flows are everywhere. 381 00:21:49,260 --> 00:21:52,653 These areas used to bear the burden of the mountains. 382 00:21:55,230 --> 00:21:57,630 350 million years ago, 383 00:21:57,630 --> 00:22:00,730 it was a truly gigantic mountain range, 384 00:22:00,730 --> 00:22:04,550 wider and higher than the Himalayas today. 385 00:22:04,550 --> 00:22:07,180 It stretched across half the globe 386 00:22:07,180 --> 00:22:09,260 and was so wide that today, 387 00:22:09,260 --> 00:22:10,990 it would straddle the distance 388 00:22:10,990 --> 00:22:12,893 from the South of France to Norway. 389 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,343 A time full of contrasts. 390 00:22:17,343 --> 00:22:18,760 (crickets chirping) 391 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,760 Extensive swamp forests lie in the valleys 392 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,046 beyond the mountain peaks. 393 00:22:23,046 --> 00:22:24,420 (insect buzzing) 394 00:22:24,420 --> 00:22:28,600 They were home to the first land plants and giant insects. 395 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,266 Dragonflies as large as hawks. 396 00:22:31,266 --> 00:22:33,933 (ominous music) 397 00:22:35,700 --> 00:22:38,240 The forests are extremely productive. 398 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,150 Peat forms in the ground and over time 399 00:22:41,150 --> 00:22:42,993 is transformed into coal. 400 00:22:43,890 --> 00:22:47,810 Bituminous coal, for us humans, an important fuel source, 401 00:22:47,810 --> 00:22:50,970 and for a long time, the driving force 402 00:22:50,970 --> 00:22:53,215 of European industrialization. 403 00:22:53,215 --> 00:22:56,600 (dramatic music) 404 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,260 Many old mines are decaying or declared monuments. 405 00:23:00,260 --> 00:23:02,820 Like in the Ruhr area, which was at the center 406 00:23:02,820 --> 00:23:06,440 of Germany's economic growth in the 1950s and '60s. 407 00:23:11,770 --> 00:23:15,210 Globally, coal extraction is still on the rise. 408 00:23:15,210 --> 00:23:17,810 It's estimated that the black coal reserves 409 00:23:17,810 --> 00:23:19,900 formed over millions of years 410 00:23:19,900 --> 00:23:22,546 will last for only another century. 411 00:23:22,546 --> 00:23:25,213 (ominous music) 412 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,980 Wherever coal mining towers stand today, 413 00:23:29,980 --> 00:23:33,050 there used to be swamp forests in the Carboniferous period. 414 00:23:33,050 --> 00:23:38,050 (birds chirping) (relaxing music) 415 00:23:46,426 --> 00:23:49,009 (birds cawing) 416 00:23:53,310 --> 00:23:56,963 Portugal, the western-most point of mainland Europe. 417 00:24:01,770 --> 00:24:04,090 The steady swell of the great ocean 418 00:24:04,090 --> 00:24:05,963 has formed a steep coast. 419 00:24:09,130 --> 00:24:12,400 On the cliffs, relics of the past come to light. 420 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,753 The coast is more than 150 million years old. 421 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,470 Working on the steep slope is risky, 422 00:24:22,470 --> 00:24:26,853 but scientists are often rewarded with sensational finds. 423 00:24:31,630 --> 00:24:34,790 Octavio Mateus, chief paleontologist 424 00:24:34,790 --> 00:24:36,990 shows Colin Devey his findings. 425 00:24:36,990 --> 00:24:39,980 The ground is full of dinosaur bones. 426 00:24:39,980 --> 00:24:42,610 These cliffs are made of rocks 427 00:24:42,610 --> 00:24:44,610 which are late Jurassic in age, 428 00:24:44,610 --> 00:24:46,880 about 150, 200 million years. 429 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,723 And here we see a sauropod bone. 430 00:24:51,550 --> 00:24:54,100 And in the same layer, we find four more. 431 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:56,520 This telling, there is probably entire sauropod 432 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:57,510 inside this cliff. 433 00:24:57,510 --> 00:24:58,343 Oh really? 434 00:24:58,343 --> 00:25:00,000 Quite amazing, and look at that. 435 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,760 That's a big sauropod bone right there. 436 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,210 We see the peripheral bone 437 00:25:05,210 --> 00:25:08,580 and the cast of a very large animal. 438 00:25:08,580 --> 00:25:10,561 That was a very big sauropod, wasn't it? 439 00:25:10,561 --> 00:25:11,540 My goodness. It was indeed. 440 00:25:11,540 --> 00:25:12,663 My goodness. 441 00:25:15,516 --> 00:25:17,750 (dramatic music) 442 00:25:17,750 --> 00:25:19,630 It's one of the largest bones 443 00:25:19,630 --> 00:25:22,563 in the body of any vertebrate, a femur. 444 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:28,850 And the femur's owner was one of the largest land creatures 445 00:25:28,850 --> 00:25:31,163 ever to set foot on our continent. 446 00:25:33,420 --> 00:25:35,373 A truly giant quadruped. 447 00:25:36,870 --> 00:25:39,453 It lived in the tropical coastal landscapes. 448 00:25:43,490 --> 00:25:46,830 In the Late Jurassic, these habitats are very common, 449 00:25:46,830 --> 00:25:49,080 almost everywhere in the world. 450 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,533 Temperatures worldwide are higher than in modern times. 451 00:25:54,420 --> 00:25:56,300 Similar to today's elephants, 452 00:25:56,300 --> 00:25:59,370 sauropods have massive column-like legs 453 00:25:59,370 --> 00:26:01,550 that stand directly under their bodies 454 00:26:01,550 --> 00:26:03,583 to support the enormous weight. 455 00:26:04,540 --> 00:26:08,607 Over 35 tons, and up to 30 meters long. 456 00:26:08,607 --> 00:26:13,607 (electronic beeping) (ominous music) 457 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:15,390 (dinosaur groaning) 458 00:26:15,390 --> 00:26:18,370 These giants don't care for their offspring. 459 00:26:18,370 --> 00:26:21,690 They hide their eggs in the loose sand on the seashore. 460 00:26:21,690 --> 00:26:24,153 The young have to fend for themselves. 461 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,770 A risk strategy because there are plenty 462 00:26:28,770 --> 00:26:33,450 of predators roaming about, like this Allosaurus europaeus, 463 00:26:33,450 --> 00:26:35,763 one of the largest carnivores at the time. 464 00:26:36,883 --> 00:26:38,615 (wind howling) 465 00:26:38,615 --> 00:26:40,540 (dinosaur growling) 466 00:26:40,540 --> 00:26:42,960 It's the heyday of the dinosaurs. 467 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:47,400 They will rule the earth for over 170 million years, 468 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,520 an extremely long reign, 469 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,070 during which their world 470 00:26:51,070 --> 00:26:54,047 and our continent changes dramatically. 471 00:27:01,881 --> 00:27:02,960 Octavio and his team are finding 472 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,443 amazing things in this cliff. 473 00:27:06,420 --> 00:27:08,940 The fascinating stuff is that they're finding 474 00:27:08,940 --> 00:27:11,220 exactly the same types of dinosaurs 475 00:27:11,220 --> 00:27:14,110 thousands of kilometers away over there in America. 476 00:27:14,110 --> 00:27:15,770 The dinosaur groups are so similar, 477 00:27:15,770 --> 00:27:18,040 they could almost be brother and sister. 478 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,430 Now how on earth can that happen? 479 00:27:20,430 --> 00:27:22,060 Well, the answer to that lies out there 480 00:27:22,060 --> 00:27:24,065 in the middle of the Atlantic. 481 00:27:24,065 --> 00:27:26,732 (ominous music) 482 00:27:30,020 --> 00:27:32,610 The European and American coasts 483 00:27:32,610 --> 00:27:35,323 are more than 5,000 kilometers apart. 484 00:27:38,610 --> 00:27:42,210 And in the middle of the sheer endless expanse 485 00:27:42,210 --> 00:27:43,731 is an abundance of life. 486 00:27:43,731 --> 00:27:46,660 (dramatic music) 487 00:27:46,660 --> 00:27:50,893 A sperm whale, the largest-toothed whale on earth. 488 00:27:59,830 --> 00:28:02,153 This female has her calf. 489 00:28:04,870 --> 00:28:07,350 The young animal has to be nursed by its mother 490 00:28:07,350 --> 00:28:09,093 for almost three years. 491 00:28:18,862 --> 00:28:22,060 (whales clicking) 492 00:28:22,060 --> 00:28:23,313 But they are not alone. 493 00:28:27,260 --> 00:28:30,120 Manta rays feed on plankton, 494 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:33,130 tiny microorganisms that are difficult to see 495 00:28:33,130 --> 00:28:34,323 with the naked eye. 496 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,330 And with them come many other fish, 497 00:28:40,330 --> 00:28:43,330 attracted by the nutrient-rich waters. 498 00:28:43,330 --> 00:28:47,430 The smaller fish in turn are followed by big hunters. 499 00:29:00,470 --> 00:29:03,780 But why is this mysterious meeting place here, 500 00:29:03,780 --> 00:29:05,693 in the middle of a vast ocean? 501 00:29:09,860 --> 00:29:11,850 It's these rocks rising 502 00:29:11,850 --> 00:29:15,203 from the seafloor called seamounts. 503 00:29:16,430 --> 00:29:20,010 Nutrients are flushed up seamounts from the depths, 504 00:29:20,010 --> 00:29:23,310 making these waters extremely species rich, 505 00:29:23,310 --> 00:29:26,987 from microscopic plankton to myriad fish. 506 00:29:26,987 --> 00:29:29,737 (relaxing music) 507 00:29:33,130 --> 00:29:36,820 An underwater paradise, and Colin Devey 508 00:29:36,820 --> 00:29:38,503 is right in the middle of it. 509 00:29:49,142 --> 00:29:50,350 (oxygen hissing) 510 00:29:50,350 --> 00:29:53,106 It's amazing how many fish there are here. 511 00:29:53,106 --> 00:29:54,140 Oh, and there's quite a current. 512 00:29:54,140 --> 00:29:56,100 I've got to hold on tight. 513 00:29:56,100 --> 00:29:59,020 This is a biodiversity hotspot 514 00:29:59,020 --> 00:30:01,430 and the reason for that is these rocks. 515 00:30:01,430 --> 00:30:02,850 They create an environment 516 00:30:03,730 --> 00:30:06,633 that attracts the fish, absolutely astounding. 517 00:30:10,150 --> 00:30:12,940 Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 518 00:30:12,940 --> 00:30:16,350 the sea mountains offer protection and refuge 519 00:30:16,350 --> 00:30:18,480 to many marine animals. 520 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,350 Between the rocks, there are numerous 521 00:30:20,350 --> 00:30:22,410 hiding places and caves. 522 00:30:22,410 --> 00:30:23,973 But how was the rock formed? 523 00:30:25,997 --> 00:30:27,120 (oxygen hissing) 524 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,270 So I've had a look at these walls 525 00:30:29,270 --> 00:30:31,703 and they're made completely of basalt lava. 526 00:30:33,010 --> 00:30:36,030 I'm in this lava tube that's been opened up 527 00:30:36,030 --> 00:30:39,450 by the waves because I'm on the top of a volcano. 528 00:30:39,450 --> 00:30:44,410 Deep below me is really intense volcanic activity 529 00:30:44,410 --> 00:30:46,430 and that's built this whole mountain. 530 00:30:46,430 --> 00:30:48,075 I'm gonna go have a look around. 531 00:30:48,075 --> 00:30:50,825 (relaxing music) 532 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,830 This whole area is extremely large. 533 00:31:00,830 --> 00:31:04,253 Colin's position can only be determined from a distance. 534 00:31:05,510 --> 00:31:08,330 The rock face is only a small point 535 00:31:08,330 --> 00:31:09,663 at the top of a mountain. 536 00:31:11,670 --> 00:31:15,895 The mountaintop in turn is only part of a massif. 537 00:31:15,895 --> 00:31:18,930 (dramatic music) 538 00:31:18,930 --> 00:31:20,663 A whole mountain range. 539 00:31:23,850 --> 00:31:26,560 The longest mountain range on earth. 540 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,460 The Mid-Atlantic Ridge crosses the Atlantic Ocean 541 00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:32,973 stretching 20,000 kilometers. 542 00:31:36,970 --> 00:31:40,300 But not all peaks end underwater. 543 00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:42,373 Some break through the surface. 544 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,313 And some of them are large islands. 545 00:31:56,420 --> 00:31:59,250 The highest peaks of this undersea mountain range 546 00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:01,350 are well-known to us. 547 00:32:01,350 --> 00:32:02,713 They are the Azores. 548 00:32:05,660 --> 00:32:08,200 The archipelago is where the European 549 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,560 and North American Plates meet, 550 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:12,970 and marks the actual western border 551 00:32:12,970 --> 00:32:14,673 of the European Continent. 552 00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:22,940 The highest peak rises 2,350 meters above sea level, 553 00:32:23,820 --> 00:32:26,643 the steep tip of the Island of Pico. 554 00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:30,360 Ponta do Pico is a volcano 555 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,573 with a striking crater and sparse vegetation. 556 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:40,400 It's a unique habitat with lichens, small bushes, 557 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,791 and only a few animals surviving near the sparse summit. 558 00:32:43,791 --> 00:32:46,824 (relaxing music) 559 00:32:46,824 --> 00:32:49,450 (wind howling) 560 00:32:49,450 --> 00:32:51,320 The lower regions are covered 561 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:53,463 in enchanting subtropical rainforests. 562 00:33:03,896 --> 00:33:05,890 (wind howling) 563 00:33:05,890 --> 00:33:10,460 300 kilometers further east, it is a whole different world. 564 00:33:10,460 --> 00:33:13,960 Santa Maria, this island is less rugged 565 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,883 with wide plains and gentle elevations. 566 00:33:18,230 --> 00:33:20,540 As different as these islands are, 567 00:33:20,540 --> 00:33:24,073 the stones here bear witness to a common origin. 568 00:33:29,550 --> 00:33:31,730 This is a piece of basaltic lava 569 00:33:31,730 --> 00:33:34,410 and you find pieces like this all over the Azores Islands 570 00:33:34,410 --> 00:33:36,460 because they're all volcanoes. 571 00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:37,780 But they look really different. 572 00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:39,150 The reason for those differences 573 00:33:39,150 --> 00:33:40,630 have to do with different ages, 574 00:33:40,630 --> 00:33:43,063 and age is really important in the Atlantic. 575 00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:45,598 Let's look at that in a bit more detail. 576 00:33:45,598 --> 00:33:47,850 (electronic beeping) 577 00:33:47,850 --> 00:33:51,290 This is the present day Atlantic seafloor. 578 00:33:51,290 --> 00:33:55,023 Now, let's turn the clock back 240 million years. 579 00:33:56,130 --> 00:33:57,350 Europe and America are part 580 00:33:57,350 --> 00:33:59,533 of a supercontinent that we call Pangaea. 581 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,240 If we let time run forward a little bit, 582 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,470 we get to 220 million years 583 00:34:05,470 --> 00:34:08,000 and the first little bit of water appears 584 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,750 in the middle of that supercontinent. 585 00:34:09,750 --> 00:34:12,130 It's the birth of the Atlantic. 586 00:34:12,130 --> 00:34:15,010 And from that time on, the Atlantic is gonna grow. 587 00:34:15,010 --> 00:34:17,140 Europe and America progressively 588 00:34:17,140 --> 00:34:18,540 move apart from one another. 589 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,600 At eight million years, tiny little point 590 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,900 appears in the middle of the Atlantic, that's Santa Maria. 591 00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:28,470 The other Azores Islands appear one after the other, 592 00:34:28,470 --> 00:34:30,680 and at 300,000 years ago, 593 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:32,980 Pico pops its head out of the water. 594 00:34:32,980 --> 00:34:35,280 And that's the reason why they look so different. 595 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,080 There are seven million years between those two islands. 596 00:34:38,990 --> 00:34:40,980 Every bit of the Atlantic seafloor 597 00:34:40,980 --> 00:34:43,173 has its own specific age. 598 00:34:44,010 --> 00:34:46,850 In the meantime, there are 5,000 kilometers 599 00:34:46,850 --> 00:34:49,170 between America and Europe. 600 00:34:49,170 --> 00:34:50,870 Or as a geologist would say, 601 00:34:50,870 --> 00:34:53,533 over 200 million years of Earth's history. 602 00:34:54,460 --> 00:34:56,400 Like the entire Atlantic, 603 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,940 the Azores were formed on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 604 00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:01,780 The young Island of Pico 605 00:35:01,780 --> 00:35:05,740 as well as the oldest island in the Azores, Santa Maria, 606 00:35:05,740 --> 00:35:08,130 whose mountains have already been worn down 607 00:35:08,130 --> 00:35:10,485 by millions of years of erosion. 608 00:35:10,485 --> 00:35:15,130 (wind howling) (dramatic music) 609 00:35:15,130 --> 00:35:17,790 What all the islands have in common 610 00:35:17,790 --> 00:35:22,090 is that they are home to a unique, sensitive environment 611 00:35:22,090 --> 00:35:24,530 far away from the big continents, 612 00:35:24,530 --> 00:35:27,525 something special has developed here. 613 00:35:27,525 --> 00:35:30,275 (birds chirping) 614 00:35:32,673 --> 00:35:34,560 (upbeat music) 615 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,350 Tarphius, a bark beetle, 616 00:35:37,350 --> 00:35:39,780 is one of the smallest inhabitants. 617 00:35:39,780 --> 00:35:42,790 It can be found on all the Azores Islands, 618 00:35:42,790 --> 00:35:45,970 but on each island, it looks a little different. 619 00:35:45,970 --> 00:35:48,720 (birds chirping) 620 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:53,983 The Azores bullfinch, also known as priolo, 621 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:56,973 is a finch that only exists here. 622 00:35:58,310 --> 00:36:00,870 These ancient islanders live side-by-side 623 00:36:00,870 --> 00:36:04,180 with the chaffinch, which was brought in by settlers 624 00:36:04,180 --> 00:36:05,873 just like the Madeira lizard. 625 00:36:19,910 --> 00:36:24,460 The Mid-Atlantic Ridge has created small natural paradises. 626 00:36:24,460 --> 00:36:28,301 A new seabed is still being created here today. 627 00:36:28,301 --> 00:36:31,860 (relaxing music) 628 00:36:31,860 --> 00:36:35,509 The west coast of Portugal was separated from America 629 00:36:35,509 --> 00:36:38,380 220 million years ago. 630 00:36:38,380 --> 00:36:41,300 Since then, the distance between the continents 631 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:44,723 has been growing by several centimeters each year. 632 00:36:48,490 --> 00:36:51,120 The great predator Allosaurus 633 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:55,260 lived in Portugal 152 million years ago. 634 00:36:55,260 --> 00:36:58,900 Back then, the dinosaurs on both sides of the Atlantic 635 00:36:58,900 --> 00:37:02,120 looked very similar, like relatives. 636 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,290 An indication that Europe and North America 637 00:37:05,290 --> 00:37:07,173 were connected for a long time. 638 00:37:07,173 --> 00:37:09,519 (dinosaur growling) 639 00:37:09,519 --> 00:37:12,269 (dramatic music) 640 00:37:15,530 --> 00:37:18,490 The Atlantic Ocean has had a crucial influence 641 00:37:18,490 --> 00:37:21,163 on the development of the European Continent. 642 00:37:23,210 --> 00:37:26,170 Europe continues to change after the emergence 643 00:37:26,170 --> 00:37:27,810 of the great ocean. 644 00:37:27,810 --> 00:37:30,150 With temperatures rising worldwide, 645 00:37:30,150 --> 00:37:34,940 much of the continent is underwater, an island world. 646 00:37:34,940 --> 00:37:37,720 Its extent from west to east however 647 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:39,740 already corresponded to the distance 648 00:37:39,740 --> 00:37:42,363 from Portugal to the Urals today. 649 00:37:44,067 --> 00:37:45,610 (dramatic music) 650 00:37:45,610 --> 00:37:48,710 Colin Devey has set himself a goal 651 00:37:48,710 --> 00:37:51,270 to walk through Europe from the southwest 652 00:37:51,270 --> 00:37:53,080 to the eastern border. 653 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,100 An exciting journey through nature 654 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,123 and time for the geologist. 655 00:38:00,390 --> 00:38:03,570 He crosses the Tabernas Desert in Southern Spain 656 00:38:03,570 --> 00:38:05,770 and reaches the shores of the Mediterranean. 657 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:14,363 North to the mouth of the Rhone. 658 00:38:18,470 --> 00:38:21,204 Through the South of France, and Switzerland. 659 00:38:21,204 --> 00:38:23,787 (wind howling) 660 00:38:27,830 --> 00:38:30,633 Then, to the foothills of the Alps. 661 00:38:33,310 --> 00:38:35,773 Passed rugged, towering mountains. 662 00:38:40,730 --> 00:38:43,270 Followed by the extensive woodlands 663 00:38:43,270 --> 00:38:45,440 of the low mountain ranges, 664 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:48,283 where winter arrives halfway through the route. 665 00:38:51,430 --> 00:38:54,323 Along the Masurian Lake District in Poland. 666 00:38:58,650 --> 00:39:00,700 It's only east from here. 667 00:39:00,700 --> 00:39:02,860 An enormous stretch through the forests 668 00:39:02,860 --> 00:39:05,013 of the Eastern European Plains. 669 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,380 After almost 7,000 kilometers, 670 00:39:15,380 --> 00:39:17,843 Colin reaches Yekaterinburg. 671 00:39:19,570 --> 00:39:23,470 The city is considered a border between Europe and Asia 672 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,946 and you can feel it on the streets. 673 00:39:26,946 --> 00:39:29,529 (upbeat music) 674 00:39:42,660 --> 00:39:45,630 A gigantic column just outside the city 675 00:39:45,630 --> 00:39:48,503 is the final destination of Colin's journey. 676 00:39:52,020 --> 00:39:53,100 Okay, I'll be honest with you, 677 00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:56,070 I didn't walk all that way in one go. 678 00:39:56,070 --> 00:39:59,470 Even if I seem to have been going for quite a long time. 679 00:39:59,470 --> 00:40:00,800 At the end of the walk through 680 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,790 this beautiful forested plain, you come up on this column. 681 00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:07,350 And this is really quite a rarity 682 00:40:07,350 --> 00:40:09,330 because it's a geological monument 683 00:40:09,330 --> 00:40:11,730 and there aren't many of them on this plant. 684 00:40:11,730 --> 00:40:15,240 In the 1900s, the Czar sent out many 685 00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:17,400 West European geologists in this region 686 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:19,900 looking for riches in the ground. 687 00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:22,240 And amazingly, they found exactly 688 00:40:22,240 --> 00:40:23,850 the same types of rocks here 689 00:40:23,850 --> 00:40:25,510 as they knew from their homeland 690 00:40:25,510 --> 00:40:27,013 thousands of kilometers away. 691 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:30,480 That is right up until this point 692 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,570 because here there's a fundamental change 693 00:40:33,570 --> 00:40:36,080 in the way the earth is put together. 694 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:39,563 To commemorate that, they put up this monument in 1837. 695 00:40:40,490 --> 00:40:44,120 Now a change like that, which is of continental size 696 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,370 is difficult to see from down here. 697 00:40:46,370 --> 00:40:47,560 And to really appreciate it, 698 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:49,929 we need to get a bit more of an overview. 699 00:40:49,929 --> 00:40:53,096 (helicopter whirring) 700 00:40:54,690 --> 00:40:56,070 That's because the junction 701 00:40:56,070 --> 00:40:58,395 from Europe to Asia is enormous. 702 00:40:58,395 --> 00:41:01,145 (dramatic music) 703 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:14,840 The Ural Mountains, vast landscapes and snow-covered ridges. 704 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:26,870 Far up in the north, a mountain relief becomes recognizable. 705 00:41:26,870 --> 00:41:28,463 It has a long history. 706 00:41:37,270 --> 00:41:39,113 A look back into the past. 707 00:41:49,340 --> 00:41:51,400 500 million years ago, 708 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:54,400 this part of the world is mostly ocean. 709 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,180 Siberia is an island. 710 00:41:57,180 --> 00:41:59,860 The Ural Mountains are formed at the same time 711 00:41:59,860 --> 00:42:02,970 as the low mountain ranges in Central Europe. 712 00:42:02,970 --> 00:42:06,480 It's the seam between Russia and Siberia 713 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,060 and has been preserved to this day. 714 00:42:09,060 --> 00:42:10,990 It's not particularly high, 715 00:42:10,990 --> 00:42:15,903 but from North to South, it's almost 2,400 kilometers long. 716 00:42:22,470 --> 00:42:25,140 Colin and his crew have been dropped off. 717 00:42:25,140 --> 00:42:27,950 He's looking for a famous rock formation 718 00:42:27,950 --> 00:42:30,900 situated in the middle of a high plateau 719 00:42:30,900 --> 00:42:32,367 in the Northern Urals. 720 00:42:32,367 --> 00:42:37,367 (dramatic music) (wind howling) 721 00:42:42,190 --> 00:42:44,770 A bitter cold wind whistles 722 00:42:44,770 --> 00:42:47,773 and meter deep snow slows progress. 723 00:42:48,890 --> 00:42:52,300 But the goal is well worth the effort. 724 00:42:52,300 --> 00:42:55,453 They're considered one of the Seven Wonders of Russia. 725 00:42:56,590 --> 00:42:59,033 The rock columns of Manpupuner. 726 00:43:01,870 --> 00:43:04,820 At 40 meters high, these sentinels 727 00:43:04,820 --> 00:43:08,453 watch over the vast expanses of the Northern Urals. 728 00:43:10,490 --> 00:43:14,443 The locals tell tales of the so-called seven strong men. 729 00:43:18,730 --> 00:43:22,840 According to legend, they were once threatening giants 730 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:24,643 that were turned into stone. 731 00:43:27,140 --> 00:43:31,000 The climate in this area is extreme and dangerous. 732 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:32,700 The weather's changing. 733 00:43:32,700 --> 00:43:36,260 In just a few moments a raging blizzard arrives 734 00:43:36,260 --> 00:43:38,835 and Colin Devey is right in the middle of it. 735 00:43:38,835 --> 00:43:41,418 (wind howling) 736 00:43:44,710 --> 00:43:48,530 Sudden weather changes are not unusual in late winter. 737 00:43:48,530 --> 00:43:51,790 With effort, Colin manages to reach his goal 738 00:43:51,790 --> 00:43:54,070 and finds protection in the slipstream 739 00:43:54,070 --> 00:43:55,713 of the gigantic columns. 740 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:01,170 I read the Manpupuner stones in the Northern Urals 741 00:44:01,170 --> 00:44:04,200 is one of the natural wonders of Russia, 742 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:06,090 and hardly surprising. 743 00:44:06,090 --> 00:44:08,610 I'm on a plateau at about 800 meters high 744 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:11,470 and the real question I've got is, 745 00:44:11,470 --> 00:44:14,500 how can stones like this survive 746 00:44:14,500 --> 00:44:17,470 although the rest of the mountains have been removed? 747 00:44:17,470 --> 00:44:20,110 Why are they so resistant to weathering? 748 00:44:20,110 --> 00:44:22,480 Now the answers got to be in the rocks, 749 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:25,583 so let's have a look at the rocks. 750 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:30,270 Yeah, it's not surprising that 751 00:44:30,270 --> 00:44:32,370 that's a pretty hard piece of rock. 752 00:44:32,370 --> 00:44:34,900 It's composed almost entirely of quartz. 753 00:44:34,900 --> 00:44:38,840 There's some mica in there as well and it's very compact. 754 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:42,330 Water and frost is not gonna be able to get into there. 755 00:44:42,330 --> 00:44:43,870 That's probably the reason 756 00:44:43,870 --> 00:44:46,123 why these columns are standing here. 757 00:44:47,030 --> 00:44:49,500 I've no idea how long they have stood here. 758 00:44:49,500 --> 00:44:52,010 It could be millions of years. 759 00:44:52,010 --> 00:44:54,220 And they're a real silent witness 760 00:44:54,220 --> 00:44:57,203 to the enormous mountain range that used to stand here. 761 00:44:58,046 --> 00:45:00,796 (dramatic music) 762 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:07,810 There resilient stones 763 00:45:07,810 --> 00:45:09,670 stand on the edge of the largest 764 00:45:09,670 --> 00:45:12,510 contiguous primeval forest in Europe, 765 00:45:12,510 --> 00:45:14,855 situated in the Komi Republic. 766 00:45:14,855 --> 00:45:17,438 (wind howling) 767 00:45:19,300 --> 00:45:21,530 Many large mammals live here, 768 00:45:21,530 --> 00:45:25,483 most of which have become extremely rare in Central Europe. 769 00:45:29,810 --> 00:45:32,840 Winter is a hard time for moose. 770 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,983 Although they seem impervious to the freezing temperatures. 771 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,450 Food is scarce, only tough bark 772 00:45:42,450 --> 00:45:44,750 and a few old shoots. 773 00:45:44,750 --> 00:45:47,910 It's hardly enough, and so the mighty animals 774 00:45:47,910 --> 00:45:50,447 lose a considerable amount of weight. 775 00:45:56,570 --> 00:45:59,130 Wolves are also at home here. 776 00:45:59,130 --> 00:46:01,280 Now in winter, they have to roam 777 00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:03,627 vast areas to catch prey. 778 00:46:03,627 --> 00:46:06,210 (wolf howling) 779 00:46:07,210 --> 00:46:11,950 Food is only available under a meter thick layer of snow. 780 00:46:11,950 --> 00:46:14,640 The fox takes what he can find. 781 00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:17,430 Winter is hard on these animals. 782 00:46:17,430 --> 00:46:20,280 However, they have all developed strategies 783 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:23,533 to survive the cold in this extreme region, 784 00:46:28,300 --> 00:46:31,423 a region that once knew vastly different conditions. 785 00:46:37,630 --> 00:46:40,000 65 million years ago, 786 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:43,090 the temperatures are higher than today. 787 00:46:43,090 --> 00:46:46,783 It's pleasantly warm in the swamp forests of the Urals. 788 00:46:49,260 --> 00:46:51,430 It's at this time that the history 789 00:46:51,430 --> 00:46:54,460 of the pillars of Manpupuner begins. 790 00:46:54,460 --> 00:46:57,210 (birds chirping) 791 00:47:04,450 --> 00:47:06,430 Change is imminent. 792 00:47:06,430 --> 00:47:10,130 Flowering plants have been around for some time. 793 00:47:10,130 --> 00:47:13,313 Now they are entering a lasting partnership. 794 00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:21,240 Bees help pollinate and spread flowering plants 795 00:47:21,240 --> 00:47:23,603 in exchange for pollen and nectar. 796 00:47:25,850 --> 00:47:30,221 And the world is still dominated by old animal groups. 797 00:47:30,221 --> 00:47:32,464 (bee buzzing) 798 00:47:32,464 --> 00:47:35,670 (dinosaur cawing) 799 00:47:35,670 --> 00:47:38,543 There are still many ancient plants in the forests. 800 00:47:40,410 --> 00:47:44,580 Mosses, ferns, and gigantic conifers. 801 00:47:44,580 --> 00:47:47,420 (relaxing music) 802 00:47:47,420 --> 00:47:50,920 The forests are lush green all-year round, 803 00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:52,970 with many slow-growing plants 804 00:47:52,970 --> 00:47:56,783 that do not shed their leaves, an impenetrable thicket. 805 00:47:59,150 --> 00:48:04,150 Hidden in there is a small rodent, multituberculata. 806 00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:08,083 It shares many traits with modern mammals, 807 00:48:09,010 --> 00:48:12,063 a differentiated set of teeth to process food. 808 00:48:14,700 --> 00:48:17,420 Front paws for grasping. 809 00:48:17,420 --> 00:48:21,720 Fur, and the ability to regulate body temperature. 810 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:24,120 Properties that will prove useful. 811 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:25,845 Radical changes are coming. 812 00:48:25,845 --> 00:48:30,050 (meteor rumbling) (rodent squeaking) 813 00:48:30,050 --> 00:48:31,663 And they're coming fast. 814 00:48:34,700 --> 00:48:36,950 After a global catastrophe, 815 00:48:36,950 --> 00:48:40,110 temperatures are falling worldwide. 816 00:48:40,110 --> 00:48:43,040 The climate is changing rapidly. 817 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,160 Only those who adapt quickly to the new conditions 818 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:47,823 have a chance of survival. 819 00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:54,670 Seed plants and mammals emerge from the crisis 820 00:48:54,670 --> 00:48:55,977 stronger than before. 821 00:48:55,977 --> 00:48:58,500 (rodent squeaking) 822 00:48:58,500 --> 00:49:02,133 Both seem to have been made for bad times. 823 00:49:07,808 --> 00:49:08,650 (dramatic music) 824 00:49:08,650 --> 00:49:11,760 For many mammals, the forests of the Urals 825 00:49:11,760 --> 00:49:13,573 are still a safe haven. 826 00:49:19,110 --> 00:49:23,397 And these ancient columns still stand guard. 827 00:49:23,397 --> 00:49:26,760 (wind howling) 828 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:29,410 Colin Devey has finished his expedition 829 00:49:29,410 --> 00:49:32,040 to the stones of Manpupuner. 830 00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:33,963 It's time to return home. 831 00:49:39,060 --> 00:49:40,820 Yeah, we've seen lots of Europe already, 832 00:49:40,820 --> 00:49:43,210 from the extreme northwest corner, 833 00:49:43,210 --> 00:49:46,723 to here where Europe butts up against Asia. 834 00:49:47,590 --> 00:49:50,660 It's a huge continent and there's lots to discover. 835 00:49:50,660 --> 00:49:52,180 It's really worth taking the time 836 00:49:52,180 --> 00:49:54,480 to go out and look in detail. 837 00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:57,000 I have to go back to Germany tomorrow morning, 838 00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:58,670 but I'm gonna spend a nice evening now 839 00:49:58,670 --> 00:50:02,230 with my new Russian friends in front of the log fire 840 00:50:02,230 --> 00:50:05,190 in this cozy wooden hotel over here. 841 00:50:05,190 --> 00:50:06,545 See you next time. 842 00:50:06,545 --> 00:50:09,378 (dramatic music)