01x01 - When the Earth Burned

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR:
Earth, a breathtaking planet

that has supported life
for billions of years.

[energetic music playing]

But it can be a challenging
and cruel home.

[thunder rumbling]

From the beginning, creatures
have had to be tough to survive.

[loud roar]

Mass extinctions
wiped out entire species.

From super volcanoes
to an asteroid apocalypse.

[wind howling]

From megafloods to a frozen
planet strangled by darkness

With every disaster,
there was suffering,

but each time life returned...

even stronger.

Witness the heart
and the hope of our planet.

Travel back in time to see
how life fights back...

and wins.

[theme music playing]

[ethereal music playing]

NARRATOR:


At this time all our planet's
continents are fused together

in one giant landmass that
stretches from pole to pole.

It is called, Pangaea.

Its climate is a blistering


and its vast heartlands are
dominated by endless deserts.

Life clings on here
but it is not an easy existence.

And something is about to happen

that will make it everything

- much worse.
- [loud expl*si*n]

[bright music playing]

Not all of Pangaea is barren.

Towards both poles

the temperatures are cooler
and forests grow.

Conifers cover
these northern hills.

[bird squawks]

And, beneath their branches
life thrives.

[soft roar]

A young Gorgonopsian...

on a mission...

to irritate his brother.

[soft growling]

Oh well, how about a sneak
attack on his mother.

These Gorgons are early,
distant relatives of mammals...

and, long before the dinosaurs,

[loud yawns]

this is what an apex
predator looks like.

In this world,
the only thing a Gorgon fears...

is another Gorgon.

[tense music playing]

[deep growling]

[loud roar]

Bigger than a tiger, this
alpha bears the battle scars

from years of defending
his position

as leader of this family.

[soft, enchanting music playing]

He has fathered generations
of young Gorgons

with this group of
three different mothers.

In this overheated world,

he has led his family up from
the baking plains

to find food and shade
among these foothills.

[tense music playing]

[soft growling]

But now, he smells trouble.

Skulking in the shadows
a lone, younger male.

These are his woods.

Males will fight to the death
for the right to mate.

This one is waiting to see

if the old alpha shows
any signs of weakness.

Not all creatures in
these northern forests

survive by being aggressive.

[shrieks]

Some, like this burrowing Elph,
have to rely on their wits.

[soft growling]

Playing dead is one trick.

[sniffs]

It's a good performance...

if he can just hold on...

- [shrieks]
- [dramatic music playing]

Too late.

- [shrieks]
- [Gorgon growling]

[loud growling]

[tense music playing]

Our young Gorgon
has run straight into a giant.

A whole herd of them...

Scutosaurus.

Growing over 10 feet long
and weighing over a tone,

these bulky plant eaters
are reptiles

and some of the largest
creatures on Earth.

They're slow,

but with creatures this size
he could easily be crushed.

His frantic mum has only
now realized he's missing.

[Gorgon calling]

As long as they remain calm
our little guy should be safe.

But, across the plains below,
trouble is brewing.

[thunder rumbling]

The herd can sense it
and a thunderstorm.

And they are getting restless.

[thunder rumbling]

Up here in the mountains,
lightning strikes are common.

None of which is good
news for our youngster.

NARRATOR:


modern humans walked the Earth,

all the continents are fused

as one giant landmass
called Pangea.

It is a dry desolate place,

except at the poles

where lush conifer
forests grow.

[thunder rumbling]

Here a sudden storm has spooked
a herd of giant Scutosaurus.

[growling]

Caught in the middle
is our young Gorgon.

One wrong step
and he will be crushed to death.

[dramatic music playing]

[Gorgons calling]

His panicked mom needs
to find him.

[baby Gorgon calling]

She spots him
and her every instinct is

to save her son at all cost.

[dramatic music playing]

[Gorgon squeeze, cries]

[nostalgic music playing]

Our mother succeeded in
protecting her little one.

But, in doing so,
she made the ultimate sacrifice.

He doesn't want to leave
her side.

[cries]

[loud growling]

But his father's call
echoes through the forest.

The old alpha leads the family
away from the panicked herd.

After the storm,
the sun sets and the sky flares

a spectacular blood red.

It's an ominous sign.

Not far from our Gorgon family
the forces of nature are

about to put on a show that will
bring all life to its knees.

The mighty continent of Pangaea,

the world's single
landmass that has shaped life

for almost 50 million years

is being torn apart.

[dramatic music playing]

A vast system of rifts
is reshaping the landscape.

Over thousands of years
pulses of volcanic activity

have produced enough lava

to cover the entire
United States

in molten rock half a mile deep.

Now, all the side to the rift

is ramping up
for its biggest eruption yet.

Emissions from these
volcanoes are already having

a profound effect on life.

The vast amounts of carbon
dioxide being pumped out

are sending atmospheric
temperatures soaring and forcing

animals like our Gorgon
family to take extreme measures.

The rising heat
is driving our alpha

to keep migrating higher.

For every 1,000 feet higher
he leads his family,

the temperature drops
almost four degrees.

It isn't just the heat
that threatens them.

Gases from the volcanoes
are destroying the Ozone layer,

and this father wears
the damage of

too much UV radiation
on his back.

Eventually our family of
Gorgons reach somewhere

higher and cooler to rest.

But unlike the heat, one threat
has followed them up here.

One that is focused exclusively
on our protective father.

The desperate lone rival has
been shadowing his every step

waiting for the right time
to strike.

NARRATOR: Dawn breaks
across the northern hills

on the hot dry continent
of Pangea.

The one giant landmass
on our planet.

Volcanic activity
is making an already

stifling world even hotter.

To find cooler temperatures

our Gorgon family has
climbed higher into the hills.

They wake
in unfamiliar surroundings

and they are starving.

None have eaten in days...

[Suminia squeaks]

But just when they need it most,
a small meal appears.

[soft growling]

[Suminia squeaks]

This should be no contest
for our hungry alpha.

[loud growling]

But this little creature isn't
playing fair, he can climb.

And just to rub it in...

These little
climbers are Suminia.

They are among
the first vertebrates

to take to the trees.

Living up here
requires good balance,

coordination and hands
that can grasp.

All of which can be put
to the test by a playful game

of steal the cone.

[joyful music playing]

[Suminia squeaks]

However,
these ancient conifer groves

are no longer
a sanctuary for the Suminia.

[tense music playing]

The trees are secreting resin.

This is what they do when
they're under severe stress.

[Suminia squeaks]

You'd think this dry,
overheated world

could use a fresh rain fall
to cool it all down.

But rain is the problem.

[rain pattering]

All the volcanic eruptions
have poisoned the air

and turned the rain into acid.

This strips
the leaves of nutrients,

and poisons the soil.

[dramatic music playing]

The forests are dying.

The tank-like Scutosaurus
have nowhere to hide.

And the acid rain
is burning their eyes.

[roar in pain]

Nearby, the lone younger
male is also in distress.

He's had to abandon
his long pursuit

of the alpha to find shelter.

But there is no escape.

The burning acid rain
is a telltale sign

that the northern rift volcanoes
are becoming even more active.

Across the vast lava fields,
new fissures have appeared.

The ground itself is on fire.

[sizzling]

Molten rock has ignited
giant swathes of coal beneath

the surface across almost
half a million square miles.

There is more coal burning
here than during the whole

of the industrial revolution.

Deserts are expanding.

Seas are dying.

There is no place on Earth
to hide from this catastrophe.

In the desert heart of Pangaea

temperatures are now
a lethal 140 degrees.

From this ever-expanding
death zone,

any life that can
is now migrating away.

[Scutosaurus growling]

Moving at night,
to avoid the heat of the day,

herds of Scutosaurus
try to escape

toward the cooler
polar regions.

Weeks pass...

the days are brutal
and sweltering.

Herds arrive
on the baking plains.

Just below
the forested foothills

where our Gorgon family
is taking shelter.

As the blistering sun rises,

they all jockey
for the same thing...

Shade.

With their survival
depending on it,

competition for space
is intense.

As the shadows
move throughout the day,

these clumsy animals
jostle to stay with them.

[intense music playing]

This is not good news
for the locals.

Elph are tough, little animals

that survive on
the baking plains by burrowing.

But now the bulky Scutosaurus

are about to trample all over
their underground homes.

NARRATOR:


and the Earth's equatorial
regions have become so hot

they cannot support life.

Animals that can,
like these Scutosaurus,

are migrating away towards

cooler temperatures
at the poles.

But even here
they have to take refuge

in the shade during the day.

Beneath their feet,
Elph live in tunnels.

And these migrants are not
welcomed by the locals.

[deep growling]

Now, the sun
is driving the shadows,

and the Scutosaurus herd,

closer to their homes.

The tiny locals can see

unless they do something,

they are in danger of
being crushed...

[Elph squeaking]

[Scutosaurus grunting]

[Elph squeaking]

And the Scutosaurus
soon learn...

[Elph squeaking loudly]

...Never to underestimate
an angry Elph.

[Scutosaurus grunting]

[energetic music playing]

[poignant music playing]

In the forested hills above...

our Gorgon father
continues to lead

his starving family higher
in search of cooler air.

- They are struggling.
- [growling]

Across the world,
oxygen levels are dropping

and, although it's getting
cooler as they climb,

the lack of oxygen
means they are exhausted.

[Gorgon grunting]

Then, the starving alpha
picks up the scent of blood.

Gorgons have
long skulls with huge jaws

that carry six-inch canines.

[growling loudly]

But their real superpower

is their extraordinary
sense of smell

which allows them
to track prey from miles away.

Somewhere,
an animal is wounded,

and for his family's sake
he needs to find it.

Frustratingly, another Gorgon
has gotten there first.

Worse, it is the lone male.

[growling]

It's clear he won't give up
his prize...

[roaring]

...Without a fight.

[roaring]

The two desperate predators

must face off against each other

This confrontation
has been a long time coming.

[growling]

[roaring]

Then, suddenly...

[insects rustling]

...Clouds of insects
fill the air.

Only one thing can cause insects
to behave like this...

[loud rumbling]

An earthquake.

[intense music playing]

[loud rumbling]

The Gorgons must flee
for their lives.

But nothing can save them
from what's coming next.

[dire music playing]

As the ancient
supercontinent, Pangaea,

continues to tear apart...

vast cracks in the Earth's crust
erupt on a staggering scale...

relentlessly pumping
even more of carbon dioxide,

methane, and other deadly gases
into the atmosphere.

[lava rumbling]

This supercharges
a global apocalypse.

Temperatures skyrocket.

In the hills, our old alpha
continues to run from the heat.

He has led his family so far.

But the problem
with migrating higher

is eventually,
you run out of road.

[distant growling]

And waiting for him
on the summit...

- is his old friend...
- [growling]

...The lone male.

[both growling]

Even as their world is
falling apart around them,

their biological need to be
the alpha still conquers all.

[both growling, roaring]

NARRATOR:
Our planet is on fire.

The northern rift
volcanoes have erupted...

spewing over
a million cubic miles of lava

across the continent...

and igniting the largest
coal deposits in the world.

While the world
burns around them,

our rival Gorgons
finally face off.

[roaring]

And this time,
there is no backing down.

[thunder rumbling, roaring]

The lone male may be
younger and more agile...

but the alpha is
the more experienced fighter.

[growling fiercely]

[roaring]

[thunder rumbling]

[growling]

[growling]

[roaring]

[growling, breathing heavily]

[Gorgon roaring distantly]

Exhausted and badly wounded,

the old alpha has won.

[growling quietly]

He leads his family on,

but there is nowhere left to go.

Their world is doomed
and even he can't save them.

[thunder rumbling]

Eventually,
the northern eruptions

will go on to release
more than 700 times

more carbon dioxide

than humans have produced
in our entire history.

This extinction event
is the worst as*ault on life

our planet has ever known.


on Earth are wiped out.

While this catastrophe makes
life impossible for most...

a stubborn few species
manage to survive.

[hopeful music playing]

Close relatives of Elph
are among these survivors.

By burrowing
and hibernating

their kind withstand
everything the volcanoes

can throw at them
and find ways to endure.

This single event changes

the entire direction
of evolution,

as the few survivors
go on to establish

all the animal dynasties
we know today.

After 100,000 years
the volcanoes grow cold...

but the world remains
a toxic wasteland.

The atmosphere still
has carbon dioxide levels

five times those of today.

Millions of years pass,

and slowly,
our wonderous planet heals.

Helped by the most
lowly of the survivors...

fungi, bacteria

and photosynthetic algae.

These tiny
life forms flourish in

the carbon rich atmosphere

and steadily consume
the excessive greenhouse gases.

Earth finally begins to cool.

[soft, hopeful music playing]

[distant growling]



free of
its poisonous volcanic legacy,

Earth is renewed.

Our planet
can once again support

a rich array of habitats.

In this empty paradise,

life begins to reclaim
every corner of the planet...

sparking an extraordinary
expl*si*n in evolution.

[dramatic instrumental]

NARRATOR: 10 million
years have passed

since the giant
northern eruptions fell silent.

It's taken this long
for the seas and forests

to fully recover...

and they are
teeming with life.

On the shores of a shallow sea,

the sand stirs.

Eggs, laid months ago,
are hatching.

[chirping softly]

It is a baby Cyamodus...

a new type of
hard-shelled reptile

that has taken to
a life in the sea.

They lay their eggs in the sand

to protect them
from marine predators.

[intense instrumental]

But these days there
are predators everywhere.

[growling quietly]

A female Dongusuchus.

She's a new type
of feathered reptile.

She is being watched

by another Dongusuchus.

A male.

[growling quietly]

He's not looking for lunch,
he's looking...

for a lunch date.

With his bright plumage
and cool moves,

he's hoping to impress her.

She's not sure, yet.

But he's got more moves.

New types of
gliding reptiles

called proto-Pterosaurs,
head for the sand.

[growling quietly]

The beach is getting busy.

But our guy is not giving up
on his mating dance.

Time to pull out all the stops.

[growling quietly]

- [roaring]
- [Dongusuchus squawking]

Well, someone really
didn't like his dancing.

[soft, expansive music playing]

Cymbospondylus.

A new type of
giant marine reptile...

that will come
to dominate the seas

for the next 157 million years.

[uplifting music playing]

In the forests and mountains,

in the water and in the air

it is the reptiles
that have seized the moment.

If there is one point in
the history of life on Earth

that sums up
its limitless resilience...

this is it.

Only two hundred years ago

Earth had some of the lowest
carbon dioxide levels

that have ever existed.

[insects chirping]

But since
the Industrial Revolution

they have risen by
over 50 percent.

[car horns honking]

Compared with
the history of life on Earth,

today's levels of carbon
dioxide are still not high...

but it is
the speed of the change

that is challenging
all living things.

Recently,
action has been taken.

In the next few years,
emissions could stop rising...

but the extra greenhouse gases

will remain in
our atmosphere for decades,

possibly even centuries.

If these levels are to drop,

the key will lie in
our planet's ability

to absorb carbon dioxide.

In our peat bogs
and sea grass meadows...

oceans and forests.

Nature already has
the best tools

to turn the tide
on greenhouse gases.

Protecting
and bolstering these habitats

is the next great challenge

in the fight against
global warming.

♪ I see trees of green ♪

♪ Red roses too ♪

♪ I see watch bloom ♪

♪ For me and you ♪

♪ And I think to myself ♪

♪ What a wonderful world ♪

♪ Yes, I think to myself ♪

♪ What a wonderful world ♪