The Origin of Eyes • 2016 • episode "1/3" • Leaps in Evolution

43:50

Explore Europe's last great wildernesses - full of a stunning and surprising explosion of life.

5/5 • Wildest Europe • 2016 • Nature

52:18

David discovers the plants that have evolved to shed their dependency on water enabling them to survive in the driest environments. The story begins at midnight in midsummer as David steps into the Princess of Wales Conservatory to witness the extraordinary nocturnal blooming of a cactus. The Queen of the Night, with its giant flowers, is the centre piece of a stunning symphony of cacti blooms that burst open in the desert (and at Kew) at night. In a mesmerizing 3D slow motion sequence, we discover the extraordinary connections between cacti and their natural ...

3/3 • Kingdom of Plants • 2012 • Nature

58:53

For 10,000 years or more, humans created new plant varieties for food by trial and error and a touch of serendipity. Then 150 years ago, a new era began. Pioneer botanists unlocked the patterns found in different types of plants and opened the door to a new branch of science - plant genetics. They discovered what controlled the random colours of snapdragon petals and the strange colours found in wild maize. This was vital information. Some botanists even gave their lives to protect their collection of seeds. American wheat farmer Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel peace prize after he bred a new strain of wheat that lifted millions of people around the world out of starvation. Today, botanists believe advances in plant genetics hold the key to feeding the world's growing population.

3/3 • Botany: A Blooming History • 2011 • Nature

48:03

Kamuti the leopard has reigned supreme over her corner of the Luangwa Valley for 10 years. She's defended her territory, hunted antelope for food, and even kept the nearby pride of lions at bay. But a younger leopard is determined to replace her. Can she survive one more challenge, or will this be her last stand?

S1E2 • Africa's Hunters • 2015 • Nature

58:10

Investigates the greatest vanishing act in the history of our planet - the sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Experts suspect that the dinosaurs were wiped out after a city-sized asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico causing a huge crater. But until now, they haven't had any proof. In a world first, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod joins a multi-million pound drilling expedition into the exact spot the asteroid hit to get hard evidence of the link. The team overcomes huge obstacles as it attempts to drill 1,500 metres beneath sea level to pull up rock from the Chicxulub crater.

2017 • Nature

47:59

Discover how the colossal fury of water and ice have shaped and moulded Europe over thousands of years.

1/3 • Birth of Europe • 2011 • Nature