Snowball Earth • 2024 • episode "S1E2" • Fateful Planet

Category: Nature | Subtitle:

Temperatures are about to plummet as our planet heads straight into a period known as 'Snowball Earth'. Throughout its history, Earth has continuously fluctuated between greenhouse and icehouse. But this particular icehouse phase is the most extreme period of cold our planet has ever witnessed, with ice encasing Earth from the poles to the equator. Life, which had only recently developed on the planet, seems doomed to extinction, but somehow manages to survive.

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Fateful Planet • 2024 • 5 episodes •

Dramatic Birth

Our planet has had a difficult and violent past. The potential for life all begins when Earth collides with another protoplanet, the size of Mars, shortly after the formation of our solar system. The impact nearly destroys our home, but Earth survives. And in the end a new world was created: The moon. Although it causes a lot of trouble on Earth, it is the moon that plays an important role in the story of how life ultimately came to be on our planet.

2024 • Nature

Snowball Earth

Temperatures are about to plummet as our planet heads straight into a period known as 'Snowball Earth'. Throughout its history, Earth has continuously fluctuated between greenhouse and icehouse. But this particular icehouse phase is the most extreme period of cold our planet has ever witnessed, with ice encasing Earth from the poles to the equator. Life, which had only recently developed on the planet, seems doomed to extinction, but somehow manages to survive.

2024 • Nature

Great Dying

540 million years ago, the ancestors of modern complex organisms suddenly emerge in the Cambrian seas. Evolution progresses and even manages to make the leap onto land. But 250 million years ago, massive volcanic eruptions trigger the most severe mass extinctions in Earth’s history.

2024 • Nature

Doom of the Dinosaurs

Doom of the Dinosaurs

In the Triassic period, dinosaurs rise to dominate our planet for 150 million years. 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs vanish—along with 75% of all species. Did an asteroid cause the last mass extinction? Experts are using the latest scientific methods to discover what killed the dinosaurs.

2024 • Nature

Age of Humankind

Age of Humankind

Shortly after humans appear, they become the dominant species on Earth, but face threats from both above and below—including super volcanic eruptions and falling asteroids. Today, scientists around the world use the latest technology to mitigate future catastrophes.

2024 • Nature

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Tokyo's Lost Islands: Minami Iwo-to

Tokyo's Lost Islands: Minami Iwo-to

In Tokyo, there are unapproachable "lost islands" with unspoiled environs and rich wildlife. Minami Iwo-to, part of the Ogasawara island chain, is about 1,300km from the Japanese capital. Normally, entry is banned to protect the environment. An exception was made in 2017 for the first comprehensive scientific survey in 10 years. The island compresses multiple climate zones into a small area, offering researchers a rare opportunity to view evolution in action. Braving an arduous climb and a swarm of seabirds, the team discovers one new species after another.

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Snow Animals

Liz Bonnin introduces a cast of charismatic animals to reveal the remarkable strategies they use to survive, and even thrive, in winter. For animals this is the toughest time of year, and preparations start early. In autumn, Siberian chipmunks collect food in their cheek pouches to stockpile in their burrows, while caribou make an epic journey to new feeding areas away from the worst weather. With the arrival of winter, the American bobcat has to find its prey beneath deep snow, while an Arctic fox must sniff out its very own frozen ready meal. A sea otter mum keeps her cub warm by blowing air into its coat, while some animals turn white to blend in with the snowy world around them. As winter begins to loosen its grip, an Arctic ground squirrel stirs from an eight-month hibernation and has to woo its mate in just twelve hours, and baby animals emerge to play in the snow before spring's imminent arrival. Along the way, Liz meets some of our most iconic winter animals to uncover the secrets behind their seasonal success stories.

2019 • Nature

Vredefort Dome Crater of Life

Vredefort Dome Crater of Life

Two billion years ago, a giant meteorite crashed into southern Africa's interior plateau, forming a six-mile-deep crater. Today, the site of this cataclysmic event is the Vredefort Dome--a dazzling and rich ecosystem of unique plant and animal life.

S1E2 • Africa's Wild Horizons • 2017 • Nature

Race Against Time (Coasts)

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Predators hunt on the dynamic border between land and sea, where chances are brief.

S1E6 • The Hunt • 2015 • Nature

Part 2

Part II

S1E2 • Expedition Borneo • 2007 • Nature