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National Geographic The Story of Earth HD

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the earth

as far as we know it's the only home to

life in the universe so what makes our

to find answers we must travel back in

time see the first humans walk the earth

ride each colliding continent

face killer dinosaurs dive into oceans

full of bizarre life-forms

feel the bitter chill of global ice ages

and experience the fury of cosmic

by traveling back in time we can piece

together our planet's incredible story

and discover why all of this and all of

[Music]

the journey starts almost 5 billion

there's no sign of Earth just yet [Music]

[Music]

only the Sun a newborn star surrounded

but through time gravity pulls the dust

to our surprise something as complex as

a planet is made from nothing more than

over millions of years gravity pulls

these rocks together to form the earth

one of at least a hundred planets

[Music]

but four and a half billion years ago

earth looks more like hell that hole [Music]

up close the temperature is over 2,000

degrees Fahrenheit there's no air just

carbon dioxide nitrogen and water vapor

it's so hot in toxic that if we got any

closer we'd be incinerated and

this newborn planet is a boiling ball of

a young planet Coffea is heading

the size of Mars it travels nearly 10

miles per second 20 times faster than a bullet

bullet [Music]

the intruders gravity distorts the

Earth's surface [Music]

the blastwave races around the planet

it's as though both young planets turn

trillions of tons of debris blast out

but over the course of a thousand years

gravity turns the rubble into a ring of

red-hot dust and rock that circles the earth

from this ring a ball falls over 2,000

it's the birth of our Moon [Music]

but it's much closer than the moon today

just 14,000 miles away instead of a

the Sun rises over a cooling earth and

sets just three hours later the earth is

spinning so fast that an entire day

lasts six hours the days may pass

quickly but the earth changes slowly to

understand the making of our planet we

need to fast forward through millions of units

3.9 billion years ago a hail of media's

it's debris left over from the solar

inside the medias are crystals that look

and inside the crystals are minut

these deadly missiles could contain the

only a small amount of water exists

inside each meteorite but as they

bombard the earth for over 20 million

years pools of water growth your score

remains molten but its surface has

cooled enough to form a crust the air is

around 170 degrees [Music]

in the future there's a chance we could

swallow this very water every sip every

puddle every drop of water in every

ocean is billions of years old and it

may have traveled millions of miles to

the earth looks more familiar but it's

winds are faster than the most

destructive hurricanes today it's a mega

storm ripped up by the planets graphic rotation

the moon is so close to Earth that it's

gravity is over well creating huge tides

but over time the moon moves away the

waves calm down and the planet spins slower

[Music]

700 million years after the planets

birth life-giving water covers its

surface and scattered throughout our

molten rock bursts through the Earth's

over time the lava cools forming a

in the future these islands will join

earth now has water and lag it's

beginning to look like the planet we

call home but the atmosphere is still

toxic and the temperature is scorching

life here is impossible since the

planets formation media's had been

but now 3.8 billion years ago the

assault enters a violent new things some

things disturbed the orbits of these meteorites

in addition to water the media's carry

[Music]

as they dissolve the meteorites release

minerals carbon and primitive proteins

made of amino acids are transported from

outer space to the bottom of the ocean [Music]

thousands of feet below the waves it is

dog and close to freezing [Music]

see water seeps down into the earth

through cracks in the crust collecting

minerals and gases along the way this

potent mixture is released back out into

the ocean building these towers [Music]

combined with the minerals and chemicals

from the meteorites the water becomes a

chemical soup it's impossible to know

how or where but somehow these chemicals

come together to create life the water

is now full of microscopic organisms

these single-celled bacteria are the

earliest forms of life on Earth [Music]

[Music]

this is a defining moment in the making

[Music]

for hundreds of millions of years

nothing changes [Music]

[Music]

the only life is single-celled bacteria [Music]

to find more complex life we need to

these look like rocks or even plants

growing out of the c-pen each mound is a

colony of living bacteria called a stromatolite

stromatolite [Music]

[Music]

these bacteria turns sunlight into food

a process called photosynthesis it uses

the power of sunlight to transform

carbon dioxide and water into glucose a

simple form of sugar [Music]

[Music]

and this magical transformation releases

underwater the stromatolites slowly fill

the oxygen then turns traces of iron

into rust which fall to the ocean floor

to form deposits of iron rich rock it's

this mineral that will one day be used

[Music]

above the waves the oxygen transforms

the atmosphere these stromatolites are

creating the most important element for

life on earth without them virtually

over the next two billion years oxygen

levels continue to rise and as the

planet spins slows the days get longer

three billion years after the planets

birth there's still no complex life no

but the earth has something unlike any

other planet in this solar system a

force with the power to change

everything one and a half billion years

ago the earth is a beautiful blue ball

dotted with volcanic islands over

millions of years a mysterious force

rearranges these islands hidden beneath

the ocean the Earth's crust breaks into

vast plates but even deeper the Earth's

core is so hot that it generates

movement in the rock beneath the cross

these movements push and pull the plates

around the globe carrying the oceans and

islands with them millions of years

raced by our planet is alive and changing

over 400 million years a vast new

supercontinent takes shape

it's called Rodinia [Music]

[Music]

in the shallow waters surrounding

Rodinia stromatolites work their magic

for more than two billion years pumping

oxygen into the atmosphere the

temperature is 85 degrees and the days

are 18 hours long [Music]

but this planet looks more like Mars

to find life we must fast-forward

Washington State 750 million years ago a

force deep inside the planet rips the

crust to pieces

it's as though the world is breaking a

ha and there's only one force powerful

enough to do this heat it escapes from

the Earth's molten core stretching and

weakening the crust inch by inch year by

year the great supercontinent is

[Music] [Applause]

[Music]

the intense geological activity spawns a

mass of volcanoes they pump carbon

the carbon dioxide mixes with water and

when the consonant or paw many rocks

were exposed [Music]

these rocks absorb the acid rain

including its carbon dioxide vast

quantities of co2 are absorbed out of

[Music]

now there's not enough carbon dioxide in

the air to trap the sun's heat around

the planet in just a few thousand years

the temperature plummets to around minus

60 degrees

this frozen wasteland is southern

it's the start of what some scientists

called snowball earth a period they

believed to be the longest coldest ice

a vast wall of ice lose thousands of

the more ice there is the more sunlight

it reflects away from the planet and the

nearby is a second ice sheet just as hot

the two sheets spread away from the

poles toward each other to meet at the equator

now an ice sheet up to 10,000 feet thick

earth first began as a molten ball of

fire now it's a frozen ball of ice [Music]

[Music]

virtually all the sun's light and warm

reflects back into space [Music]

[Music]

and it seems as though nothing not even

the Sun can rescue the planet now [Music]

[Music]

615 million years ago ice in tombs the

planet for 15 million years the earth is

but it can't last forever something must

release the earth from this frozen

prison and when it does who knows

whether life has survived beneath the

ice the surface is frozen but the core

volcanoes have been erupting since the

world began to freeze but up until now

even their heat and power made no impact

volcanoes pump out billions of tons of

carbon dioxide before the big freeze the

Earth's rocks absorb most of the co2 but

now with the rocks smothered in ice

there's nothing to absorb the gas so it

like a blanket it traps the sun's warmth

around the play allowing the

temperatures to rise now after 15

it's thought that during snowball earth

the ice pushed the crust down but now as

it melts the crust bounces up creating

tissues and weak spots

the volcano's release more carbon

dioxide and push the temperature up even

higher the Milt gathers momentum and

through a series of chemical reactions

the ice has created oxygen while the

planet was frozen the sun's ultraviolet

rays reacted with water molecules in the

ice to produce hydrogen peroxide a

now as the ice melts the hydrogen

peroxide breaks down and releases

massive amounts of oxygen the earth is

waking up and it's a very different place

600 million years ago the atmosphere is

warmer like a summer day and the days

[Music]

and all this water and it's the perfect

before snowball earth primitive bacteria

emerged in the oceans but surely they

couldn't have survived an ice age 75

times longer than the entire span of

human history if something has survived

then life may be found where it was last

[Music]

now 540 million years ago in an ocean

full of oxygen those primitive bacteria

have evolved a handful must have clung

on through the big freeze there are

plants scattered on the seafloor [Music]

[Music]

what looks like an armored slug takes up residence

residence

it's called relax eeeh a new generation

of complex multi-celled organisms the

earth enters one of the most dynamic

periods in its history the Cambrian

explosion increased oxygen levels allow

creatures to grow larger and develop

and these trilobite

distant relatives of insects lobsters

life in the oceans blossoms from

[Music]

this is anomalocaris nearly two feet

long it has large eyes razor-sharp teeth

[Music]

the trilobite can't write itself it's

[Music]

also found in the sea is pacaya only an

inch and a half long they may be the

first organism with a spine over

millions of years this simple structure

will evolve into the spine that keeps us standing

[Music]

expecting to find life in ruins the

the trilobite scavenge monsters prowl

and we're creatures began to take on

familiar forms beneath the waves there

are already tens of thousands of plant

and animal species the advance of life

seems unstoppable [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Music]

460 million years ago the plates have

been moving again a new continent now

it's 90 degrees and oxygen levels are

the land should be covered with plants

and crawling with creatures but there's

not much here besides a few patches of algae

algae [Music]

it blasts the surface with deadly

radiation so the complex life in the

ocean doesn't stand a chance on land but

30 miles up where the Rays enter the

Earth's atmosphere something is happening

when oxygen meets the sun's radiation it

turns into another kind of gas called ozone

this gas forms a blanket around the

over 120 million years the ozone layer

gets sticker and prevents more and more

radiation from reaching the Earth's

surface without this layer life on land

simply wouldn't exist now shielded from

radiation life takes off small mossy

they pump out even more oxygen levels saw

saw [Music]

375 million years ago a new species

it uses its neck to raise itself up [Music]

and it's fins function its legs allowing

this is one of the most important

moments in the making of our planet over

15 million years creatures like these of

all they grow stronger limbs and spend

more time out of the water where plant

life is exploded until 360 million years

ago their relatives called tetrapods

make the land their home from tetrapods

four-legged vertebrates evolved into

dinosaurs birds mammals and eventually

humans there are mosses and ferns

everywhere some at least a hundred feet

tall a seed is carried by the wind until

now plants reproduced using spores

single-cell particles that need plenty

but this seed is miles from water this

embryonic plant has its own food and

water supply unlike a Spore this seed

can survive far from water for months

the humble seed spreads life across the

plan and each tree and plant pumps out

even more oxygen [Applause]

[Music]

it's an environment very much like today [Music]

the planet has come a long way from a

lump of burning rock and dust to a blue

the dragonfly it's called mega Nora

this insect is the size of an eagle what

were once legs have evolved into wings

extending the dragonflies hunting

territory over a vast area there are

[Music]

these creatures called arthropods were

among the first to set foot on land

hundreds of millions of years ago they

look almost identical to the bugs that

invade our homes today except for one

big difference like the mega Nora

they're monsters it's a world full of

Giants where millipedes are six feet

long and scorpions are the size of wolves

wolves [Music]

[Music]

this is because the oxygen level is much

higher than it is today which allows

their respiratory systems to be more

efficient fuelling their bodies to grow larger

larger [Applause]

so far animals have been laying their

eggs in the water but a lizard-like

creature called the high/low Namas

prefers lack its eggs contain all the

water and nutrients that the developing

fetus needs the babies grow in their own

self-contained pond the egg is a major

evolutionary breakthrough allowing

animals to leave the water behind and

conquer left [Music]

this baby Hyland almost leads the advance

advance [Music]

as a new creature the reptile [Music]

[Music]

inevitably with life comes death dead

plant matter builds up and decays into

dense soggy layers over hundreds of

millions of years rocks cover these

layers and heat from the Earth's core

and pressure from the overlying rocks

transform these layers into scenes of :

each lump of coal burned today is made

of plants that died 300 million years ago

ago [Music]

amidst the decay hidden from sight life

is stirred soon seeds will germinate

plants will grow and this wasteland will

live again life seems to have conquered

the planet but will it last [Music]

a herd of creatures graze the Siberian

[Music]

evolution takes a huge leap forward

small lizards are now giant reptiles

these scooter saws are distant relatives

of turtles [Music]

if these plant eaters look tough the

carnivores must be seriously mean like

this worgen opposite a perfectly

the gorgonopsids saber teeth wound the

SCOOTER saw [Music]

the predator watches as its prey grows

something strange happens

enormous pressure builds beneath the

but the llama isn't from one single

volcano the entire landscape is erupting [Music]

[Music]

it's a flood basalt eruption a massive

plume of mantle rises up from deep

inside the earth and pushes molten rock

out through fissures in the Earth's crust

crust [Music]

a lush paradise is now a lifeless hell

the SCOOTER sauce and the gorgonopsids

are dead

they're the first casualties in the

greatest mass extinction the world has

[Music]

on the other side of the continent

it appears to be snowing but the

temperature is about 70 degrees

it's actually ash fall out from the

the ash burns and suffocates the animals

sulfur dioxide from the eruptions fills

the atmosphere

as it rains the gas turns to sulfuric

what was a local disaster has now turned global

the Siberian eruptions increase the

Earth's carbon dioxide levels the

atmosphere gets harder water evaporates

around the world life on land is being

wiped out and life in the oceans has

also been compromised the waters turned pink

plants trilobites and predators disappear

disappear [Music]

a new hotter atmosphere heated the

oceans and stripped them of oxygen

now this pink algae is one of the few

life-forms that can survive in the

stagnant water

the Siberian eruptions transformed the

entire planet nothing not even the

deepest ocean floor is beyond their reach

reach [Music]

bubbles of methane gas escape from

methane is a greenhouse gas at least 20

times deadlier than carbon dioxide until now

now

the gas has been frozen but as the sea

[Music]

released into the atmosphere

this powerful gas pushes up temperatures

even further it's now almost 105 degrees

11 degrees hotter than before the

creatures that survived the initial

destruction now face a new and deadly

environment few will live it's been 500

thousand years since the eruptions first

began and all this time the lavas been

pouring out by now it covers an area the

size of the United States with a layer

a few survived by eating anything they

can find

250 million years ago the earth reverts

back to an almost lifeless planet but

that's about to change again it's been

50 million years since virtually all

life on Earth was wiped out and the

planet has been transformed it's now 200

million years ago and just one

supercontinent Pangea stretches from

after the trauma of the mass extinction

the planet he is temperature stabilized

the acid rain neutralizes and vegetation

returns with 95 percent of all life on

Earth wiped out the field opens for a

new species to emerge one that will

these are called Amazon's like all dinos

they evolved from the reptiles that

survived the Permian extinction at 15

feet tall their size makes them slow and

[Applause]

the AMA Soros is too big a meal for one

Dilophosaurus but not for too [Music]

[Music]

the dinosaurs have repopulated the earth

but no species contain this Restless

the Earth's crust is thinning it's

releasing lava and shaking with

earthquakes as it being stretched by

it's also happening near what will

the Earth's plates are on the move again

190 million years ago the great

a vast slab of land breaks away creating

a chasm it fills with a new ocean called

the tifa's / what will one day be the

currents push nutrients up into the

coastal waters and the nutrients attract

fish in the millions but again with so

dead fish and plankton carp at the ocean floor

floor

over the next 10 million years layers of

rock will bury and heat the dead

creatures ancient fish and plankton will

become boy [Music]

every gallon of gas in our cause every

piece of plastic on the platter paint all our walls the carpet under our

paint all our walls the carpet under our feet even the soap we wash with almost

feet even the soap we wash with almost all originated in this way

all originated in this way [Music]

180 million years ago the North American plate is still moving away from the

plate is still moving away from the European an Asian plate

it's shifting about one inch each year the same speed at which our fingernails

the same speed at which our fingernails grow

but fast-forward 35 million years and a new ocean forms as well as new

new ocean forms as well as new confidence the United States breaks away

confidence the United States breaks away from Africa

the world as we know it takes shape the chasm between the two continents builds

chasm between the two continents builds creating the Atlantic Ocean

creating the Atlantic Ocean [Music]

and in the middle lives of all cake [Music]

like before currents deep beneath the earth's crust move the plates again

the entire seafloor tears in to and is pushed up into a ridge of mountains and

pushed up into a ridge of mountains and volcanoes

it grows higher than the Himalayas and longer than the rocket's the water here

longer than the rocket's the water here is hot as molten lava forces its way out

is hot as molten lava forces its way out from deep inside the earth

as the lava cools it creates a new range of volcanic mountains and a new ocean

of volcanic mountains and a new ocean floor

Pangaea breaks apart and our world rearranges again

rearranges again [Music]

[Music] it's this geological activity that makes

it's this geological activity that makes the earth Restless creative and unique

the earth Restless creative and unique and every time the planet reinvents

and every time the planet reinvents itself its inhabitants adapt and evolve

like the ichthyosaurus their reptile ancestors lived on land but as the

ancestors lived on land but as the planet changed so did these animals they

planet changed so did these animals they grew fins moved into the newly formed

grew fins moved into the newly formed Atlantic Ocean

this one it's 20 feet long and can travel at a quick 25 miles an hour

it's the ocean's fastest creature and most efficient predator it rules the

most efficient predator it rules the oceans for 50 million years

oceans for 50 million years [Music]

longer than a bus and as heavy as a truck its jaws are eight times more

truck its jaws are eight times more powerful than a great white shocks with

powerful than a great white shocks with teeth 12 inches long

teeth 12 inches long [Music]

the earth and its inhabitants have changed beyond recognition this was once

changed beyond recognition this was once solid ground now it's the Atlantic Ocean

solid ground now it's the Atlantic Ocean the very spot where amasau is raised and

the very spot where amasau is raised and the lava soars stalk their prey the

the lava soars stalk their prey the dinosaurs world may be different but

dinosaurs world may be different but they're as dominant as ever they appear

they're as dominant as ever they appear invincible

invincible [Music]

[Music] they're one of the planet's most

they're one of the planet's most successful species they've survived

successful species they've survived volcanic eruptions earthquakes and

volcanic eruptions earthquakes and entire continents splitting apart the

entire continents splitting apart the dinosaurs have thrived for 165 million

dinosaurs have thrived for 165 million years

a number of mammals have also survived like this shrew my cat

like this shrew my cat [Music]

they're prey to the dinosaurs so they live in trees or underground and venture

live in trees or underground and venture out only at night mammals pose no threat

out only at night mammals pose no threat to the dinosaurs

nothing on earth can challenge their dominance nothing on earth

a large piece of space rock heads toward Earth

this asteroid is at least 6 miles across and traveling over 40,000 miles an hour

and traveling over 40,000 miles an hour it's bigger than Mount Everest

it's bigger than Mount Everest [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

[Music] and has straight for the Gulf of Mexico

it travels so fast that its impact would be missed in a blink of an eye

[Music] a split-second changes the world forever

at impact the asteroids back edge stands at 35,000 feet

it strikes with such immense force that it destroys everything it hits

the asteroid itself instantly vaporizes [Applause]

[Applause] unleashing the energy of millions of

unleashing the energy of millions of nuclear weapons

nowhere is safe with debris flying everywhere

debris as big as entire city blocks circled the earth

the blastwave races out from the impact zone like shrapnel from an exploding

zone like shrapnel from an exploding bomb

minutes after impact hundreds of miles from where the asteroid struck the earth

from where the asteroid struck the earth is under attack

[Music] earthquakes shake the ground

earthquakes shake the ground [Music]

but the onslaught has only just begun the plume of molten rock and dust

the plume of molten rock and dust spreads out and engulfs the planet

spreads out and engulfs the planet the entire sky acts like a giant lamp

the entire sky acts like a giant lamp [Music]

heating the Earth's surface to over 500 degrees vegetation spontaneously ignites

even months after the impact smoke and ash still block out the sun's rays and

ash still block out the sun's rays and with less sunlight plants die and the

with less sunlight plants die and the animals stop

sixty-five million years ago the impact has blasted stoned and burnt the

has blasted stoned and burnt the dinosaurs

but the dinosaurs demise brings opportunity for another species a mammal

opportunity for another species a mammal [Music]

[Music] by living underground mammals have

by living underground mammals have avoided the heat and fires and by eating

avoided the heat and fires and by eating anything

anything they thrive while more selective eaters

they thrive while more selective eaters die

they are the unlikely inheritors of the dinosaurs crowd

dinosaurs crowd [Music]

and as one story ends another begins with the dinosaurs out of the way our

with the dinosaurs out of the way our ancestors may now have a chance at life

[Music] the dinosaurs are long dead the planet

the dinosaurs are long dead the planet is peaceful in this new world our mammal

is peaceful in this new world our mammal ancestors are evolving

ancestors are evolving [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] 47 million years ago this Lake in what

47 million years ago this Lake in what will one day be Germany is the perfect

will one day be Germany is the perfect place to spot them

place to spot them [Music]

[Music] unlike early enamels its eyes and brain

unlike early enamels its eyes and brain are bigger

are bigger [Music]

[Music] this is Darwinian assaleh or eden she

this is Darwinian assaleh or eden she looks nothing like humans but fossil

looks nothing like humans but fossil evidence today indicates that these

evidence today indicates that these creatures might evolve into monkeys apes

creatures might evolve into monkeys apes and eventually humans looking back

and eventually humans looking back through 47 million years of evolution

through 47 million years of evolution might reveal one of our earliest known

might reveal one of our earliest known ancestors the lake sits on a volcanic

ancestors the lake sits on a volcanic crater it belches out noxious gas that

crater it belches out noxious gas that eventually kills either

eventually kills either [Music]

the lake preserves her in its oxygen-depleted depths one day when the

oxygen-depleted depths one day when the water is gone and EDA's fossil is found

water is gone and EDA's fossil is found [Music]

[Music] this primitive primate could help piece

this primitive primate could help piece together the beginning of our own story

together the beginning of our own story the story of human life

we're closer to understanding how everything we've seen from ocean

everything we've seen from ocean bacteria through walking fish and

bacteria through walking fish and subterranean rodents leads to us and to

subterranean rodents leads to us and to understanding how our planet was made 47

understanding how our planet was made 47 million years ago the atmosphere is much

million years ago the atmosphere is much like today

temperature is 75 degrees and a day lasts just under 24 hours the earth is

lasts just under 24 hours the earth is now almost identical to the planet we

now almost identical to the planet we call home

call home almost

almost [Music]

India moves north toward Asia [Music]

the Indian and Asian plates are locked in a titanic struggle

[Music] and neither plate is winning

as they buckle the ocean floor contorts upward along a 1500 mile line

a vast mountain range rises up over 27,000 feet

these are the Himalayas [Music]

and the highest melton of all Mount Everest

Everest [Music]

it's summit reaches up into the Earth's Jetstream the same altitude where planes

Jetstream the same altitude where planes fly

when the snow on the peaks melts it feeds rivers like the Ganges Indus

feeds rivers like the Ganges Indus yellow and Yangtze

yellow and Yangtze [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

[Music] the Himalayas are like a vast water

the Himalayas are like a vast water tower one day their rivers will supply

tower one day their rivers will supply water for almost half the world's

water for almost half the world's population

20 million years ago this is our planet with every continent and every ocean as

with every continent and every ocean as we know it

[Music] except one thing is still missing the

except one thing is still missing the human race

human race [Music]

[Music] and for humans to evolve something needs

and for humans to evolve something needs to change

along the African coast a great rift opens up

it stretches nearly 4,000 miles [Music]

with mountains growing along its edge [Music]

this ape-like creature may stay in these trees forever but its world is changing

the growing mountains act like a wall prohibiting moisture from the Indian

prohibiting moisture from the Indian Ocean from passing over the land it's

Ocean from passing over the land it's getting hotter and drier

getting hotter and drier a lush rainforest becomes an arid

a lush rainforest becomes an arid savanna

the new hotter climate changes the creatures habitat forcing them to search

creatures habitat forcing them to search further for food soon they stop dragging

further for food soon they stop dragging their knuckles like Apes and begin to

their knuckles like Apes and begin to stand and walk on two feet it's the most

stand and walk on two feet it's the most important step in the human story

this mountain range could be the reason humans walk on two feet

the random movement of two plates may have kick-started a chain of events that

have kick-started a chain of events that leads to the first humans

leads to the first humans [Music]

a man and child I seen very much like today but it's one and a half million

today but it's one and a half million years ago they are an early species of

years ago they are an early species of human called Homo erectus and these are

human called Homo erectus and these are the first footprints like our own

the first footprints like our own [Music]

[Music] civilizations past and present everyone

civilizations past and present everyone that's ever lived the greatest

that's ever lived the greatest inventions the most brilliant ideas

inventions the most brilliant ideas human history in all its complexity and

human history in all its complexity and splendour begins here and now

splendour begins here and now [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

the climate changes again 70,000 years ago sea levels fall and the gap between

ago sea levels fall and the gap between Africa and Arabia shrinks to just 8

Africa and Arabia shrinks to just 8 miles the Red Sea is now narrow and

miles the Red Sea is now narrow and shallow enough for a small group to

shallow enough for a small group to cross out of Africa there another later

cross out of Africa there another later species of human called Homo sapiens

scientists believe that the entire world beyond Africa was populated from

beyond Africa was populated from descendants of these 200 individuals

over time our ancestors multiply and spread out to India on to Asia

spread out to India on to Asia and into Europe

[Music] but while humans head north a giant wall

but while humans head north a giant wall of ice travels south

of ice travels south [Music]

[Music] Europe 40,000 years ago Homo sapiens

Europe 40,000 years ago Homo sapiens arrived only to find a world that's

arrived only to find a world that's quickly changing it should be the height

quickly changing it should be the height of summer but it's getting colder the

of summer but it's getting colder the plants are frostbitten and the rivers of

plants are frostbitten and the rivers of frozen natural changes in the Earth's

frozen natural changes in the Earth's orbit co2 levels and the flow of warm

orbit co2 levels and the flow of warm water around the planet conspired to

water around the planet conspired to lower the earth's temperature the earth

lower the earth's temperature the earth and its inhabitants enter an ice age

and its inhabitants enter an ice age Glacius as high as skyscrapers creep

Glacius as high as skyscrapers creep over the northern hemisphere about a

over the northern hemisphere about a foot every day slow and powerful they

foot every day slow and powerful they sculpt the landscape gouging out great

sculpt the landscape gouging out great depressions

the planet will never look the same again

now around 20,000 years ago they grind to a halt

to a halt much of the northern hemisphere is

much of the northern hemisphere is covered by ice sheets up to one and a

covered by ice sheets up to one and a half miles thick

half miles thick [Music]

[Music] with trillions of gallons of water

with trillions of gallons of water locked up as ice sea levels fall

locked up as ice sea levels fall [Music]

[Music] a strip of land emerges from the ocean

a strip of land emerges from the ocean between Siberia and Alaska

[Music] it's a bridge between two vast

it's a bridge between two vast continents a gateway that takes humans

continents a gateway that takes humans from Asia to a new world the Americas

they're the last great continents to be colonized the last great human migration

colonized the last great human migration and the first Americans

now 14,000 years ago the changes that trigger the ice age reverse as the ice

trigger the ice age reverse as the ice retreats it reveals a very different

retreats it reveals a very different northern hemisphere the huge depressions

northern hemisphere the huge depressions that the glaciers create fill with water

that the glaciers create fill with water to become North America's Great Lakes

[Music] 6,000 years ago the ice retreats back to

6,000 years ago the ice retreats back to the poles toward the Arctic and

the poles toward the Arctic and Antarctic

Antarctic [Music]

after a four and a half billion years on a we're finally home this is our world

a we're finally home this is our world our time

the planets incredible story helps us understand how and why everything around

understand how and why everything around us is here today

us is here today [Music]

[Music] from the skies above to water the

from the skies above to water the essential ingredient for life

[Music] to the ground beneath our feet

to the ground beneath our feet [Music]

[Music]

and finally life [Music]

a chain of catastrophes and coincidences creating a spectacular result each

creating a spectacular result each triumph and disaster is a step leading

triumph and disaster is a step leading to here

this journey is only half the story a lot more is yet to come the earth will

lot more is yet to come the earth will live for at least another 4.5 billion

live for at least another 4.5 billion years

years [Music]

more wonders more terrorists and more strange creatures lie ahead for our

strange creatures lie ahead for our restless and creative planet

restless and creative planet [Music]

[Music] the next chapter of a story is still to

the next chapter of a story is still to be written

be written [Music]

the asteroid itself instantly vaporizes [Applause]

[Applause] unleashing the energy of millions of

unleashing the energy of millions of nuclear weapons

nowhere is safe with debris flying everywhere

debris as big as entire city blocks circle the earth

the blastwave races out from the impact zone like shrapnel from an exploding

zone like shrapnel from an exploding bomb

minutes after impact hundreds of miles from where the asteroid struck the earth

from where the asteroid struck the earth is under attack

[Music] earthquakes shake the ground

earthquakes shake the ground [Music]

but fianc law has only just begun the plume of molten rock and dust spreads

plume of molten rock and dust spreads out and engulfs the planet

the entire sky acts like a giant lamp [Music]

feeding the Earth's surface to over 500 degrees vegetation and the nutrients

degrees vegetation and the nutrients attract fish in the millions but again

attract fish in the millions but again with so much life also comes death

dead fish and plankton carp at the ocean floor over the next 10 million years

floor over the next 10 million years layers of rock blueberry and heat the

layers of rock blueberry and heat the dead creatures ancient fish and plankton

dead creatures ancient fish and plankton will become boy

will become boy [Music]

every gallon of gas in our cars every piece of plastic on the platter

piece of plastic on the platter paint all our walls the carpet under our

paint all our walls the carpet under our feet even the soap we wash with almost

feet even the soap we wash with almost all originated in this way

all originated in this way [Music]

180 million years ago the North American plate is still moving away from the

plate is still moving away from the European an Asian plate

it's shifting about one inch each year the same speed at which our fingernails

the same speed at which our fingernails grow

but fast-forward 35 million years and a new ocean forms as well as new

new ocean forms as well as new confidence the United States breaks away

confidence the United States breaks away from Africa

the world as we know it takes shape the chasm between the two continents builds

chasm between the two continents builds creating the Atlantic Ocean

and in the middle lives of all cake [Music]

like before currents deep beneath the earth's crust move the plates again

the entire seafloor tears into and is pushed up into a ridge of mountains and

pushed up into a ridge of mountains and love

but the dinosaurs demise brings opportunity for another species a mammal

opportunity for another species a mammal [Music]

[Music] by living underground mammals have

by living underground mammals have avoided the heat and fires and by eating

avoided the heat and fires and by eating anything

anything they thrive while more selective eaters

they thrive while more selective eaters stop they are the unlikely inheritors of

stop they are the unlikely inheritors of the dinosaurs crowd

the dinosaurs crowd [Music]

and as one story ends another begins with the dinosaurs out of the way our

with the dinosaurs out of the way our ancestors may now have a chance at life

[Music] the dinosaurs are long dead the planet

the dinosaurs are long dead the planet is peaceful in this new world our mammal

is peaceful in this new world our mammal ancestors are evolving

ancestors are evolving [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] 47 million years ago this lake in what

47 million years ago this lake in what will one day be Germany is the perfect

will one day be Germany is the perfect place to spot them

place to spot them [Music]

[Music] unlike early enamels its eyes and brain

unlike early enamels its eyes and brain are bigger

are bigger [Music]

[Music] this is Darwinian assaleh for Edith she

this is Darwinian assaleh for Edith she looks nothing like humans but fossil

looks nothing like humans but fossil evidence today indicates that these

evidence today indicates that these creatures might evolve into monkeys apes

creatures might evolve into monkeys apes and eventually humans looking back

and eventually humans looking back through 47 million years of evolution

through 47 million years of evolution might reveal one of our earliest known

might reveal one of our earliest known ancestors our fingernails grow

but fast-forward 35 million years and a new ocean forms as well as new

new ocean forms as well as new confidence the United States breaks away

confidence the United States breaks away from Africa

the world as we know it takes shape the chasm between the two confidence builds

chasm between the two confidence builds creating the Atlantic Ocean

creating the Atlantic Ocean [Music]

and in the middle lives of all cake [Music]

like before currents deep beneath the earth's crust move the plates again

the entire seafloor tears into and is pushed up into a ridge of mountains and

pushed up into a ridge of mountains and volcanoes

it grows higher than the Himalayas and longer than the rocket's the water here

longer than the rocket's the water here is hot as molten lava forces its way out

is hot as molten lava forces its way out from deep inside the earth

as the lava cools it creates a new range of volcanic mountains and a new ocean

of volcanic mountains and a new ocean floor

Pangaea breaks apart and our world rearranges again

rearranges again [Music]

[Music] it's this geological activity that makes

it's this geological activity that makes the earth Restless creative and unique

the earth Restless creative and unique and every time the planet reinvents

and every time the planet reinvents itself its inhabitants adapt and evolve

like the ichthyosaurs their reptile ancestors lived on land but as the

ancestors lived on land but as the planet changed so did these animals they

planet changed so did these animals they grew fins and moved into the newly

grew fins and moved into the newly formed Atlantic Ocean

this one it's 20 feet long except one thing is still missing the human race

thing is still missing the human race [Music]

[Music] and for humans to evolve something needs

and for humans to evolve something needs to change

along the African coast a great rift opens up

it stretches nearly 4,000 miles [Music]

with mountains growing along its edge [Music]

this ape-like creature may stay in these trees forever but its world is changing

the growing mountains act like a wall prohibiting moisture from the Indian

prohibiting moisture from the Indian Ocean from passing over the land it's

Ocean from passing over the land it's getting hotter and drier

getting hotter and drier the lush rainforest becomes an arrant

the lush rainforest becomes an arrant savanna the new hotter climate changes

savanna the new hotter climate changes the creatures habitat forcing them to

the creatures habitat forcing them to search further for food

search further for food soon they stop dragging their knuckles

soon they stop dragging their knuckles like Apes and begin to stand and walk on

like Apes and begin to stand and walk on two feet it's the most important step in

two feet it's the most important step in the human story

this mountain range could be the reason humans walk on two feet

the random movement of two plates may have kick-started a chain of events that

have kick-started a chain of events that leads to the first humans

leads to the first humans [Music]

a man and child a scene very much like today but it's one and a half million

today but it's one and a half million years ago they are an early species of

years ago they are an early species of human cop

even months after the impact smoke and ash still block out the sun's rays

and with less sunlight plants Don and the animals stop

sixty-five million years ago the impact has blasted stoned and burnt the

has blasted stoned and burnt the dinosaurs

but the dinosaurs demise brings opportunity for another species a mammal

opportunity for another species a mammal [Music]

[Music] by living underground mammals have

by living underground mammals have avoided the heat and fires and by eating

avoided the heat and fires and by eating anything

anything they thrive while more selective eaters

they thrive while more selective eaters stop they are the unlikely inheritors of

stop they are the unlikely inheritors of the dinosaurs crowd

the dinosaurs crowd [Music]

and as one story ends another begins with the dinosaurs out of the way our

with the dinosaurs out of the way our ancestors may now have a chance at life

[Music] the dinosaurs are long dead the planet

the dinosaurs are long dead the planet is peaceful in this new world our mammal

is peaceful in this new world our mammal ancestors are evolving

ancestors are evolving [Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause] 47 million years ago this lake in what

47 million years ago this lake in what will one day be Germany is the perfect

will one day be Germany is the perfect place to spot them

place to spot them [Music]

[Music] now around 20,000 years ago they grind

now around 20,000 years ago they grind to a halt

to a halt much of the northern hemisphere is

much of the northern hemisphere is covered by ice sheets up to one and a

covered by ice sheets up to one and a half miles thick

half miles thick [Music]

[Music] with trillions of gallons of water

with trillions of gallons of water locked up as ice sea levels fall

locked up as ice sea levels fall [Music]

[Music] a strip of land emerges from the ocean

a strip of land emerges from the ocean between Siberia and Alaska it's a bridge

between Siberia and Alaska it's a bridge between two vast continents a gateway

between two vast continents a gateway that takes humans from Asia to a new

that takes humans from Asia to a new world the Americas they're the last

world the Americas they're the last great continents to be colonized the

great continents to be colonized the last great human migration and the first

last great human migration and the first Americans

now 14,000 years ago the changes that trigger the ice age reverse as the ice

trigger the ice age reverse as the ice retreats it reveals a very different

retreats it reveals a very different northern hemisphere the huge depressions

northern hemisphere the huge depressions that the glaciers create fill with water

that the glaciers create fill with water to become North America's Great Lakes

[Music] 6,000 years ago the ice retreats back to

6,000 years ago the ice retreats back to the poles toward the Arctic and

the poles toward the Arctic and Antarctic

Antarctic [Music]

after a four and a half billion years on a we're finally home this is our world

a we're finally home this is our world our time

the planets incredible story helps us understand how and why everything around

understand how and why everything around us is here today

us is here today [Music]

[Music] from the skies above to water the

from the skies above to water the essential ingredient for life

[Music] to

to [Music]

this baby Hyland almost leads the advance

advance [Music]

as a new creature the rep top [Music]

[Music] inevitably with life comes death dead

inevitably with life comes death dead plant matter builds up and decays into

plant matter builds up and decays into dense soggy layers over hundreds of

dense soggy layers over hundreds of millions of years rocks cover these

millions of years rocks cover these layers and heat from the Earth's core

layers and heat from the Earth's core and pressure from the overlying rocks

and pressure from the overlying rocks transform these layers into scenes of :

transform these layers into scenes of : each lump of coal burned today is made

each lump of coal burned today is made of plants that died 300 million years

of plants that died 300 million years ago

ago [Music]

amidst the decay hidden from sight life is stirred soon seeds will germinate

is stirred soon seeds will germinate plants will grow and this wasteland will

plants will grow and this wasteland will live again life seems to have conquered

live again life seems to have conquered the planet but will it last

the planet but will it last [Music]

a herd of creatures graze the Siberian Plains and they are big

[Music] evolution takes a huge leap forward

evolution takes a huge leap forward small lizards are now giant reptiles

small lizards are now giant reptiles these scutosaurus are distant relatives

these scutosaurus are distant relatives of turtles

of turtles [Music]

if these plant eaters look tough the call of ORS must be seriously mean like

call of ORS must be seriously mean like this gorgonopsids

this gorgonopsids a perfectly engineered prehistoric

a perfectly engineered prehistoric killing machine

the eruptions first began and all this time the lavas been pouring out by now

time the lavas been pouring out by now it covers an area the size of the United

it covers an area the size of the United States with a layer of molten rock

States with a layer of molten rock nearly four miles deep 95% of the

nearly four miles deep 95% of the species are gone

a few survived by eating anything they can find

can find and living in burrows underground

250 million years ago the earth reverts back to an almost lifeless planet but

back to an almost lifeless planet but that's about to change again it's been

that's about to change again it's been 50 million years since virtually all

50 million years since virtually all life on Earth was wiped out and the

life on Earth was wiped out and the planet has been transformed it's now 200

planet has been transformed it's now 200 million years ago and just one

million years ago and just one supercontinent Pangea stretches from

supercontinent Pangea stretches from pole to pole

after the trauma of the mass extinction the planet heals temperatures stabilize

the planet heals temperatures stabilize the acid rain neutralizes and vegetation

the acid rain neutralizes and vegetation returns with 95% of all life on Earth

returns with 95% of all life on Earth wiped out the field opens for a new

wiped out the field opens for a new species to emerge one that will dominate

species to emerge one that will dominate the planet like no other

these are called Amazon's like all dinos they evolved from the

like all dinos they evolved from the reptiles that survived the Permian

reptiles that survived the Permian extinction at 15 feet tall their size

extinction at 15 feet tall their size makes them slow and vulnerable nearby is

makes them slow and vulnerable nearby is the Dilophosaurus it's small