"Mysteries at the Museum" Dinosaurs: Special

1 00:00:03,738 --> 00:00:05,872 I'm investigating our planet's oldest 2 00:00:05,874 --> 00:00:08,340 and greatest mystery -- the dinosaurs. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:16,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 4 00:00:17,619 --> 00:00:20,286 It's not until you get this kind of perspective 5 00:00:20,288 --> 00:00:22,288 that you get any sense 6 00:00:22,290 --> 00:00:24,590 of the devastation that happened. 7 00:00:24,592 --> 00:00:27,360 Scientists have been studying dinosaurs for centuries. 8 00:00:27,362 --> 00:00:29,695 And their fossilized remains have drawn people 9 00:00:29,697 --> 00:00:32,398 to museums around the world for generations. 10 00:00:36,237 --> 00:00:40,172 But what do we really know about dinosaurs? 11 00:00:40,174 --> 00:00:41,373 Ooh! 12 00:00:41,375 --> 00:00:43,776 I'm on a quest to breathe life into the bones 13 00:00:43,778 --> 00:00:48,447 of these amazing creatures, to discover what lives they led 14 00:00:48,449 --> 00:00:50,916 when they were living, breathing beasts. 15 00:00:50,918 --> 00:00:52,518 It's one thing to talk about this stuff. 16 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,053 It's a whole nother thing to do it. 17 00:00:56,123 --> 00:00:57,656 I'm Don Wildman. 18 00:00:57,658 --> 00:01:00,859 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 19 00:01:00,861 --> 00:01:03,462 examined rare artifacts and epic monuments. 20 00:01:03,464 --> 00:01:04,797 That's amazing. 21 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:06,465 Now I'm digging deeper 22 00:01:06,467 --> 00:01:10,202 into some of the most perplexing and famous cases in history. 23 00:01:10,204 --> 00:01:12,671 My goal -- to get closer to the truth. 24 00:01:12,673 --> 00:01:15,808 It's a totally alien environment down there. 25 00:01:15,810 --> 00:01:20,680 This is "Mysteries at the Museum: Dinosaurs." 26 00:01:29,891 --> 00:01:32,825 With their awe-inspiring size, 27 00:01:32,827 --> 00:01:36,628 otherworldly appearance and unpronounceable names, 28 00:01:36,630 --> 00:01:39,564 dinosaurs captivate our imagination. 29 00:01:39,566 --> 00:01:41,033 But for many of us, 30 00:01:41,035 --> 00:01:43,102 our understanding about dinosaurs 31 00:01:43,104 --> 00:01:45,371 ends somewhere around elementary school. 32 00:01:45,373 --> 00:01:48,173 And while you may not think much has changed since then, 33 00:01:48,175 --> 00:01:51,043 the mystery of dinosaurs is constantly evolving, 34 00:01:51,045 --> 00:01:54,313 with new clues being discovered almost every day. 35 00:01:54,315 --> 00:01:56,448 I mean, how much do we really know about them? 36 00:01:56,450 --> 00:01:59,251 Where do they come from? What were they like? 37 00:01:59,253 --> 00:02:00,986 Why did they disappear? 38 00:02:00,988 --> 00:02:02,855 And could they ever come back? 39 00:02:05,059 --> 00:02:08,060 If you're investigating dinosaurs, 40 00:02:08,062 --> 00:02:10,863 it's important to understand a couple things. 41 00:02:10,865 --> 00:02:12,064 Humans have been around 42 00:02:12,066 --> 00:02:14,333 for less than a quarter of a million years. 43 00:02:14,335 --> 00:02:18,938 But dinosaurs first appeared about 230 million years ago. 44 00:02:18,940 --> 00:02:22,407 And they ruled the planet for a very long time -- 45 00:02:22,409 --> 00:02:26,545 165 million years, to be exact. 46 00:02:26,547 --> 00:02:28,280 Dinosaurs are so old 47 00:02:28,282 --> 00:02:30,883 that the only tangible thing we know about them 48 00:02:30,885 --> 00:02:35,287 comes from fossilized remains dug up from the ground. 49 00:02:35,289 --> 00:02:39,158 So when trying to unravel the mystery of dinosaurs, 50 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,428 it's their fossils that hold the key. 51 00:02:42,430 --> 00:02:45,030 I'm driving through Grand Staircase National Monument 52 00:02:45,032 --> 00:02:48,634 here in southern Utah, on my way to an active fossil dig. 53 00:02:48,636 --> 00:02:51,236 Utah is one of the best places in the world 54 00:02:51,238 --> 00:02:53,305 to find dinosaur fossils. 55 00:02:53,307 --> 00:02:57,376 Cavernous red canyons and great expanses of exposed rock 56 00:02:57,378 --> 00:03:00,045 offer a tantalizing glimpse into the past. 57 00:03:00,047 --> 00:03:04,316 For many dinosaur experts and enthusiasts, 58 00:03:04,318 --> 00:03:07,653 this is the dinosaur heartland. 59 00:03:07,655 --> 00:03:09,188 I'm joining a fossil dig 60 00:03:09,190 --> 00:03:12,191 in one of the most remote parts of Grand Staircase, 61 00:03:12,193 --> 00:03:15,027 an area called the Kaiparowits Plateau. 62 00:03:18,465 --> 00:03:20,066 The dig is being overseen 63 00:03:20,068 --> 00:03:22,735 by the monument's resident paleontologist, 64 00:03:22,737 --> 00:03:24,537 Dr. Alan Titus. 65 00:03:24,539 --> 00:03:27,939 Three years ago, Alan discovered the fossilized remains 66 00:03:27,941 --> 00:03:30,409 of a truly remarkable creature. 67 00:03:30,411 --> 00:03:32,345 What's the dinosaur that's here? 68 00:03:32,347 --> 00:03:33,879 There's not one single dinosaur. 69 00:03:33,881 --> 00:03:35,481 But it's mostly Tyrannosaur material. 70 00:03:35,483 --> 00:03:36,615 No way! Oh, yeah. 71 00:03:36,617 --> 00:03:39,752 The apex predator for the late Cretaceous. 72 00:03:39,754 --> 00:03:43,355 Tyrannosaurs include arguably the most iconic dinosaur 73 00:03:43,357 --> 00:03:46,024 of all time, the T. rex. 74 00:03:46,026 --> 00:03:47,960 Measuring up to 40 feet long, 75 00:03:47,962 --> 00:03:52,364 T. rex had giant jaws lined with 9-inch teeth, 76 00:03:52,366 --> 00:03:54,366 making it one of the most fearsome predators 77 00:03:54,368 --> 00:03:57,169 to have ever walked the Earth. 78 00:03:57,171 --> 00:03:59,971 It's not common to find a Tyrannosaurus rex. 79 00:03:59,973 --> 00:04:01,106 Incredibly rare. Really? 80 00:04:01,108 --> 00:04:04,042 In fact, this site may be the biggest find 81 00:04:04,044 --> 00:04:05,244 of my entire career. 82 00:04:05,246 --> 00:04:06,645 Congratulations. Ah. 83 00:04:06,647 --> 00:04:09,415 Can I see the bones? Yeah. Let's go take a look. 84 00:04:11,252 --> 00:04:13,586 What is this? I mean, tell me what I'm looking at here. 85 00:04:13,588 --> 00:04:16,055 We're actually looking at multiple elements 86 00:04:16,057 --> 00:04:17,389 from different animals. 87 00:04:17,391 --> 00:04:20,726 This is actually the left side of a face of an adult. 88 00:04:20,728 --> 00:04:22,261 You've got something over -- this is the... 89 00:04:22,263 --> 00:04:23,328 Yep. The replica. 90 00:04:23,330 --> 00:04:25,731 Can I bring it over? Yeah. 91 00:04:25,733 --> 00:04:27,933 This helps me a lot... 92 00:04:27,935 --> 00:04:29,401 Yeah. Understand. 93 00:04:29,403 --> 00:04:30,669 I can put it right here? Sure. 94 00:04:30,671 --> 00:04:32,004 Yeah, let's just set that right down there. 95 00:04:32,006 --> 00:04:34,673 So, we're basically looking at this right there. 96 00:04:34,675 --> 00:04:39,211 Yes, so, this triangular bone right here matches up 97 00:04:39,213 --> 00:04:41,213 with this triangle projection up here. 98 00:04:41,215 --> 00:04:42,148 Huh. 99 00:04:42,150 --> 00:04:44,015 This scabby knob matches up 100 00:04:44,017 --> 00:04:46,785 with these ornaments on top of the eye. 101 00:04:46,787 --> 00:04:48,553 And then, as we move forward, 102 00:04:48,555 --> 00:04:50,422 we would expect to encounter the upper jaw 103 00:04:50,424 --> 00:04:51,690 filled with teeth. 104 00:04:51,692 --> 00:04:53,292 And that's exactly what we have here. 105 00:04:53,294 --> 00:04:54,426 This was a big animal. 106 00:04:54,428 --> 00:04:55,561 This is movie-quality. 107 00:04:55,563 --> 00:04:58,097 Yeah, at least 30 feet long. 108 00:04:58,099 --> 00:05:00,966 Alan's in the process of removing the Tyrannosaur's skull 109 00:05:00,968 --> 00:05:04,837 so he can transport it back to his lab for further analysis. 110 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:06,972 Where should I do this without damaging? 111 00:05:06,974 --> 00:05:09,308 What we're trying to do is excavate a trough 112 00:05:09,310 --> 00:05:10,442 between these two elements 113 00:05:10,444 --> 00:05:11,911 so I can make this block reasonable. 114 00:05:11,913 --> 00:05:15,780 So, yeah, if you can just come in at a fairly low angle 115 00:05:15,782 --> 00:05:17,182 and, uh, get those... 116 00:05:17,184 --> 00:05:18,784 There you go. Oh, there you go. 117 00:05:18,786 --> 00:05:19,718 So that's... Beautiful. 118 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:20,919 Yep. That was very satisfying. 119 00:05:20,921 --> 00:05:21,987 So, bit by bit... 120 00:05:21,989 --> 00:05:23,055 Bit by bit. 121 00:05:24,792 --> 00:05:28,060 The T. rex was one of the last dinosaurs on Earth 122 00:05:28,062 --> 00:05:32,198 before they disappeared 65 million years ago. 123 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,334 So, this is pretty late in the dinosaur age, yes? Mm-hmm. 124 00:05:35,336 --> 00:05:37,870 We're looking at the swan song of the dinosaurs 125 00:05:37,872 --> 00:05:40,739 about 10 million years before they ultimately go extinct. 126 00:05:40,741 --> 00:05:42,207 When do they begin? 127 00:05:42,209 --> 00:05:43,475 Well, that takes us all the way back 128 00:05:43,477 --> 00:05:45,277 to 230 million years ago, 129 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,880 in the wake of the largest catastrophe 130 00:05:47,882 --> 00:05:50,082 that Earth has ever experienced. 131 00:05:50,084 --> 00:05:52,951 Over 230 million years ago, 132 00:05:52,953 --> 00:05:55,688 almost all life on Earth was wiped out 133 00:05:55,690 --> 00:05:57,555 in one of the most dramatic events 134 00:05:57,557 --> 00:05:59,425 in the history of the planet. 135 00:05:59,427 --> 00:06:02,894 Some of the few survivors were primitive reptiles. 136 00:06:02,896 --> 00:06:05,931 And they would evolve into dinosaurs. 137 00:06:05,933 --> 00:06:07,232 At the time, 138 00:06:07,234 --> 00:06:10,436 the continents were concentrated into one giant landmass 139 00:06:10,438 --> 00:06:13,839 mostly covered in desert called Pangea. 140 00:06:13,841 --> 00:06:17,776 Over millions of years, Pangea slowly drifted apart. 141 00:06:17,778 --> 00:06:20,112 As it did, the temperatures dropped. 142 00:06:20,114 --> 00:06:21,713 Plant life grew. 143 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:24,316 And the dinosaurs thrived. 144 00:06:24,318 --> 00:06:26,585 It's then that many of the iconic creatures 145 00:06:26,587 --> 00:06:30,121 that we remember from childhood appeared, 146 00:06:30,123 --> 00:06:33,191 gigantic beasts, like the Stegosaurus 147 00:06:33,193 --> 00:06:37,730 that was the size of a bus and weighed close to 5 tons. 148 00:06:37,732 --> 00:06:40,799 The dinosaurs ruled the Earth for millions of years, 149 00:06:40,801 --> 00:06:44,003 during which time the continents continued to break up. 150 00:06:44,005 --> 00:06:45,270 It explains why, today, 151 00:06:45,272 --> 00:06:47,873 we find fossils all over the world, 152 00:06:47,875 --> 00:06:52,010 even in unexpected parts, like the Antarctic. 153 00:06:52,012 --> 00:06:54,212 The dig on the Kaiparowits Plateau 154 00:06:54,214 --> 00:06:57,349 is just one of several that Alan is involved in. 155 00:06:57,351 --> 00:07:01,219 Many of the fossils weigh over 500 pounds. 156 00:07:01,221 --> 00:07:03,222 So Alan uses a helicopter 157 00:07:03,224 --> 00:07:06,158 to bring them to an accessible staging point. 158 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:07,426 So this is cool. 159 00:07:07,428 --> 00:07:09,628 These are fossils brought in from another site 160 00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:12,631 about 12 miles away, lots of dust. 161 00:07:12,633 --> 00:07:14,766 And they're actually dropping them right into that truck, 162 00:07:14,768 --> 00:07:17,169 hundreds of pounds from a Hadrosaurus? 163 00:07:17,171 --> 00:07:19,338 Hadrosaurus. Yeah, Hadrosaur. 164 00:07:21,175 --> 00:07:24,109 The fossils have to be wrapped in plaster jackets 165 00:07:24,111 --> 00:07:26,711 to protect them during transport. 166 00:07:26,713 --> 00:07:30,816 Got three major jacketed bones here. 167 00:07:30,818 --> 00:07:33,251 It's a big load. 168 00:07:33,253 --> 00:07:35,120 So, you think dinosaur science is over? 169 00:07:35,122 --> 00:07:36,655 It ain't. 170 00:07:36,657 --> 00:07:39,458 They're bringing these things in from all over the place now. 171 00:07:39,460 --> 00:07:40,726 That's incredible. 172 00:07:42,596 --> 00:07:44,063 WILDMAN: It's so exciting, you know. 173 00:07:44,065 --> 00:07:47,800 This guy is going off to pick up another load from so far away. 174 00:07:47,802 --> 00:07:49,001 And look at these. I mean, 175 00:07:49,003 --> 00:07:50,869 this was the second load we brought in. 176 00:07:50,871 --> 00:07:53,605 Just all of these major bones. 177 00:07:53,607 --> 00:07:56,942 But from the same animal are all the smaller pieces. 178 00:07:56,944 --> 00:08:00,212 I mean, this reads right on it -- "cervical vertebrae." 179 00:08:00,214 --> 00:08:01,880 It's just such an exciting thing 180 00:08:01,882 --> 00:08:03,948 that you're still finding so much. 181 00:08:03,950 --> 00:08:05,951 Oh, yeah. And there's a chance 182 00:08:05,953 --> 00:08:08,020 that this animal could actually be new to science. 183 00:08:08,022 --> 00:08:09,054 Really? Yeah. 184 00:08:10,557 --> 00:08:12,157 We can do it. Oh! Man. 185 00:08:12,159 --> 00:08:14,159 That's a heavy load. That's heavy, son. 186 00:08:14,161 --> 00:08:16,628 Alan will take these fossils back to his lab, 187 00:08:16,630 --> 00:08:18,964 where he'll begin the painstaking process 188 00:08:18,966 --> 00:08:20,966 of piecing them back together. 189 00:08:23,370 --> 00:08:27,172 When Alan found the T. rex site here at Grand Staircase, 190 00:08:27,174 --> 00:08:31,042 he was so surprised, he named it Rainbows and Unicorns. 191 00:08:31,044 --> 00:08:32,911 And as we were packing up to leave, 192 00:08:32,913 --> 00:08:35,147 something remarkable happened. 193 00:08:37,184 --> 00:08:40,386 It seemed like a good omen for the journey ahead. 194 00:08:40,388 --> 00:08:43,321 So much of what we know about dinosaurs 195 00:08:43,323 --> 00:08:45,457 comes from studying their fossils. 196 00:08:45,459 --> 00:08:47,926 But as we try to learn more about their behavior, 197 00:08:47,928 --> 00:08:49,795 put flesh to the bone, 198 00:08:49,797 --> 00:08:53,599 there are other avenues to explore. 199 00:08:53,601 --> 00:08:56,068 Ruling our planet as the dominant species 200 00:08:56,070 --> 00:08:57,402 for millions of years, 201 00:08:57,404 --> 00:09:00,406 dinosaurs include some of the largest creatures 202 00:09:00,408 --> 00:09:02,074 to ever inhabit Earth 203 00:09:02,076 --> 00:09:04,343 and some of the most ferocious. 204 00:09:04,345 --> 00:09:07,478 Three of the most terrifying were Utahraptor, 205 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,149 that had a 9-inch retractable toe claw 206 00:09:10,151 --> 00:09:12,951 that it used to stab its prey... 207 00:09:12,953 --> 00:09:16,355 Spinosaurus, that, at over 50 feet long, 208 00:09:16,357 --> 00:09:20,091 was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs ever... 209 00:09:20,093 --> 00:09:23,295 and the one that everyone knows, the T. rex, 210 00:09:23,297 --> 00:09:25,230 that had a 4-foot-long jaw 211 00:09:25,232 --> 00:09:28,233 designed for maximum bone-crushing action. 212 00:09:32,038 --> 00:09:33,839 There's no question that an encounter 213 00:09:33,841 --> 00:09:36,575 with a Tyrannosaurus rex would be terrifying. 214 00:09:36,577 --> 00:09:38,043 But I want to investigate 215 00:09:38,045 --> 00:09:40,779 just how terrifying that would really be. 216 00:09:40,781 --> 00:09:43,848 To do that, I need to get up close and personal 217 00:09:43,850 --> 00:09:46,185 with one of its distant relatives. 218 00:09:47,855 --> 00:09:51,122 This is gonna have to be snappy. 219 00:09:51,124 --> 00:09:52,257 MOORE: All right, boys. 220 00:09:53,861 --> 00:09:55,160 This thing is massive. 221 00:10:06,406 --> 00:10:09,074 I'm investigating the mystery of the dinosaurs. 222 00:10:09,076 --> 00:10:11,543 Where does our understanding of them come from? 223 00:10:11,545 --> 00:10:13,011 And what were they like? 224 00:10:16,483 --> 00:10:18,750 When people picture dinosaurs, 225 00:10:18,752 --> 00:10:21,954 they often imagine fearsome predators, like the T. rex. 226 00:10:23,557 --> 00:10:25,691 But how do you figure out the power of a creature 227 00:10:25,693 --> 00:10:29,027 that's been dead for 65 million years? 228 00:10:29,029 --> 00:10:31,096 By studying the power of its closest 229 00:10:31,098 --> 00:10:34,899 living descendant on Earth -- the alligator. 230 00:10:34,901 --> 00:10:37,836 Which brings me to a swampy sanctuary 231 00:10:37,838 --> 00:10:41,773 in Summerdale, Alabama, called Alligator Alley. 232 00:10:41,775 --> 00:10:44,576 It's open year-round and has elevated boardwalks 233 00:10:44,578 --> 00:10:48,046 so visitors can get an up-close view of hundreds of alligators 234 00:10:48,048 --> 00:10:50,248 in their natural environment. 235 00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:51,249 Sweet. 236 00:10:51,251 --> 00:10:52,851 Hello, big boy. 237 00:10:52,853 --> 00:10:54,652 Come here often? 238 00:10:54,654 --> 00:10:57,389 That's a big alligator. 239 00:10:57,391 --> 00:10:59,391 I'm here to meet Greg Erickson, 240 00:10:59,393 --> 00:11:03,128 a paleobiologist from Florida State University. 241 00:11:03,130 --> 00:11:05,596 Greg studies alligators and dinosaurs. 242 00:11:08,068 --> 00:11:09,334 Boy, when you look at this guy, 243 00:11:09,336 --> 00:11:11,069 I mean, it's almost like you're looking -- 244 00:11:11,071 --> 00:11:12,403 Look at that, man. 245 00:11:12,405 --> 00:11:14,006 Like, you're looking at a dinosaur. 246 00:11:14,008 --> 00:11:16,341 ERICKSON: They're not dinosaurs, but they're closely related. 247 00:11:16,343 --> 00:11:18,410 Some of the anatomy and behavior of this animal 248 00:11:18,412 --> 00:11:20,545 is pretty much what dinosaurs were doing. 249 00:11:20,547 --> 00:11:22,013 It's really fascinating. 250 00:11:22,015 --> 00:11:24,750 I mean, they're one of the few things on Earth at this time 251 00:11:24,752 --> 00:11:27,085 that you can really reach back, just by looking at them, 252 00:11:27,087 --> 00:11:29,087 reach back through millions of years 253 00:11:29,089 --> 00:11:30,622 and have a sense of what it was really like. 254 00:11:30,624 --> 00:11:32,291 Yeah, yeah, and not only that, 255 00:11:32,293 --> 00:11:35,027 Tyrannosaurus rex walked among crocodilians 256 00:11:35,029 --> 00:11:36,628 and alligators back in its day, too. 257 00:11:36,630 --> 00:11:40,165 So we're seeing the same thing they were seeing, so to speak. 258 00:11:40,167 --> 00:11:43,301 I've teamed up with Greg for a very specific reason. 259 00:11:43,303 --> 00:11:46,037 One of the T. rex's most fearsome attributes 260 00:11:46,039 --> 00:11:47,372 was its bite. 261 00:11:47,374 --> 00:11:49,841 And because alligators are closely related, 262 00:11:49,843 --> 00:11:52,444 Greg hopes that by studying their bite, 263 00:11:52,446 --> 00:11:56,781 he can calculate how powerful a T. rex's would have been. 264 00:11:56,783 --> 00:11:59,517 So, fair to say if we tested the bite force 265 00:11:59,519 --> 00:12:02,587 of that alligator, or an alligator, 266 00:12:02,589 --> 00:12:04,456 it will bring me closer to understanding 267 00:12:04,458 --> 00:12:06,325 how ferocious a T. rex really was. 268 00:12:06,327 --> 00:12:09,194 Yeah, this is about as close as you're gonna get to the real deal. 269 00:12:09,196 --> 00:12:11,797 This is a powerful killing machine, just like T. rex. 270 00:12:11,799 --> 00:12:14,732 But this guy's small, compared to some of the big ones here. 271 00:12:14,734 --> 00:12:16,634 Yeah, this is a small alligator. 272 00:12:16,636 --> 00:12:18,637 All right, let's get us one of the big ones. 273 00:12:22,476 --> 00:12:25,543 An alligator might look different from a T. rex. 274 00:12:25,545 --> 00:12:28,146 But it has similar muscles in its jaw, 275 00:12:28,148 --> 00:12:29,948 which make it a good test case. 276 00:12:29,950 --> 00:12:34,352 But with males reaching 15 feet and weighing hundreds of pounds, 277 00:12:34,354 --> 00:12:37,088 Greg and his team aren't taking any chances. 278 00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:39,357 So before starting the experiment, 279 00:12:39,359 --> 00:12:43,161 we go over a game plan with park owner Wes Moore. 280 00:12:43,163 --> 00:12:45,096 MOORE: All right, guys, the alligator we've picked out 281 00:12:45,098 --> 00:12:46,898 that we're gonna snare today is Fat Albert. 282 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:49,901 Fat Albert is 12 feet. He weighs about 600 pounds. 283 00:12:49,903 --> 00:12:51,236 I'm gonna go over. 284 00:12:51,238 --> 00:12:52,838 I'm gonna get that rope around his neck. 285 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,440 As soon as I cinch it tight, I'm gonna scream for help. 286 00:12:55,442 --> 00:12:58,043 I need everybody running over there as fast as they can 287 00:12:58,045 --> 00:12:59,845 because if y'all don't make it there, 288 00:12:59,847 --> 00:13:02,047 I'm going in with him. Yeah. 289 00:13:02,049 --> 00:13:04,850 Greg's gonna be on the point. Just do what he tells you. 290 00:13:04,852 --> 00:13:06,318 The important thing is just, everybody, 291 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,052 let's be safe and do their job. 292 00:13:08,054 --> 00:13:09,854 This is dangerous, isn't it? Very dangerous. 293 00:13:09,856 --> 00:13:11,989 All right, good. I got it. 294 00:13:11,991 --> 00:13:16,795 WILDMAN: Fat Albert tops 12 feet and weighs more than 500 pounds. 295 00:13:16,797 --> 00:13:18,130 This is crazy. 296 00:13:18,132 --> 00:13:20,265 But think about a T. rex. 297 00:13:20,267 --> 00:13:22,000 Standing at 40 feet, 298 00:13:22,002 --> 00:13:25,604 they could eat 500 pounds of meat in one bite. 299 00:13:29,409 --> 00:13:31,309 Am I coming with you guys? 300 00:13:34,814 --> 00:13:37,615 Look. He's got him lassoed up. 301 00:13:37,617 --> 00:13:38,650 MOORE: All right, boys. 302 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,092 There we go. 303 00:13:47,094 --> 00:13:50,962 WILDMAN: Now, Greg and Wes wrangle these alligators all the time. 304 00:13:50,964 --> 00:13:53,231 But when examining and testing them, 305 00:13:53,233 --> 00:13:57,168 they need to take every precaution to remain safe. 306 00:13:57,170 --> 00:13:58,437 This thing is massive! 307 00:13:58,439 --> 00:14:02,640 Wow, you just automatically get this understanding 308 00:14:02,642 --> 00:14:05,844 of how massive this animal really is. 309 00:14:05,846 --> 00:14:07,378 And pissed. 310 00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:09,381 MOORE: One, two, three, go. 311 00:14:12,452 --> 00:14:14,318 One, two, three. 312 00:14:15,923 --> 00:14:17,856 One, two, three. 313 00:14:19,326 --> 00:14:21,059 One, two, three. 314 00:14:22,395 --> 00:14:25,129 WILDMAN: Wow. He is just pissed off. 315 00:14:25,131 --> 00:14:26,598 Unbelievable. 316 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,001 That is a prehistoric beast tied up. 317 00:14:30,003 --> 00:14:31,069 All right. 318 00:14:31,071 --> 00:14:33,071 Did this go as we expected it to? 319 00:14:33,073 --> 00:14:34,672 So far. Okay, good. 320 00:14:34,674 --> 00:14:36,408 So far, so good. Safe? We're safe? 321 00:14:36,410 --> 00:14:39,477 Yeah, so far, so good. 322 00:14:39,479 --> 00:14:40,812 I mean, I just have to take a moment 323 00:14:40,814 --> 00:14:42,147 just to appreciate this thing. 324 00:14:42,149 --> 00:14:44,115 It is a beautiful creature. 325 00:14:44,117 --> 00:14:47,285 And you see, automatically, the dinosaur aspect of this. 326 00:14:47,287 --> 00:14:49,020 ERICKSON: Oh, yeah. Incredible. 327 00:14:49,022 --> 00:14:50,688 Want to see what it can do for bite force? 328 00:14:50,690 --> 00:14:51,756 Yes. Let's test it. 329 00:14:51,758 --> 00:14:52,691 Let's do it. 330 00:14:54,627 --> 00:14:56,161 WILDMAN: Is he cinched down plenty? 331 00:14:56,163 --> 00:14:57,762 You'll be the second to know. I'll be the first. 332 00:14:57,764 --> 00:14:59,898 Okay, good. 333 00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:01,700 Hang on, Albert. 334 00:15:01,702 --> 00:15:02,767 Hang on. 335 00:15:02,769 --> 00:15:04,235 Oh . 336 00:15:04,237 --> 00:15:06,971 That tail whapped me right in the ankle. 337 00:15:06,973 --> 00:15:08,173 Didn't feel good. 338 00:15:08,175 --> 00:15:09,241 Whoa! 339 00:15:10,577 --> 00:15:12,244 We're gonna cut this tape. 340 00:15:12,246 --> 00:15:14,246 That jaw's gonna go wide open. 341 00:15:14,248 --> 00:15:16,047 And we're gonna put in the bite meter. 342 00:15:16,049 --> 00:15:17,649 It's one thing to talk about this stuff. 343 00:15:17,651 --> 00:15:19,985 It's a whole nother thing to do it. 344 00:15:19,987 --> 00:15:21,386 If this thing goes, I am running. 345 00:15:24,057 --> 00:15:26,324 Right here, just hold it real steady. 346 00:15:26,326 --> 00:15:27,592 Okay. 347 00:15:27,594 --> 00:15:29,260 And I'll tell you to reset. Give me a reading. 348 00:15:29,262 --> 00:15:30,862 It should be like 0-0-6. 349 00:15:30,864 --> 00:15:32,097 Here we go. 350 00:15:38,539 --> 00:15:40,004 All right. So the tape's off. 351 00:15:40,006 --> 00:15:42,140 Reset. Reset, push in? 352 00:15:42,142 --> 00:15:43,675 Yep. All right. 353 00:15:45,011 --> 00:15:47,879 All right. Go ahead and move up and hold the head. 354 00:15:47,881 --> 00:15:48,946 You ready, Wes? 355 00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:50,882 Yeah. I got him. 356 00:15:50,884 --> 00:15:52,083 Oh, geez! 357 00:15:52,085 --> 00:15:53,585 Wow, there it goes. 358 00:15:57,223 --> 00:15:58,757 What was it? 359 00:15:58,759 --> 00:15:59,890 2,431 pounds. 360 00:15:59,892 --> 00:16:00,958 Wow! 361 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,495 2,431 pounds! 362 00:16:05,565 --> 00:16:07,365 Unbelievable. Over a ton of bite force. 363 00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:09,167 You can see those pterygoid muscles right there 364 00:16:09,169 --> 00:16:12,037 in particular just clenching, just like that. 365 00:16:12,039 --> 00:16:13,304 I'm very scared of this thing. 366 00:16:13,306 --> 00:16:14,439 You're kind of jumpy now. 367 00:16:14,441 --> 00:16:16,174 Yeah. I'm a little jumpy. 368 00:16:16,176 --> 00:16:17,375 MOORE: Oh, you're gonna sit right here next. 369 00:16:17,377 --> 00:16:18,709 Oh, am I? Okay. Yes, you are. 370 00:16:18,711 --> 00:16:19,911 Oh. Well, let's get on with that. 371 00:16:19,913 --> 00:16:21,312 That tail is what I'm afraid of. 372 00:16:21,314 --> 00:16:23,114 That's all right. 373 00:16:23,116 --> 00:16:24,181 Okay, I'm a little... 374 00:16:24,183 --> 00:16:25,316 You don't want to lean forward, 375 00:16:25,318 --> 00:16:26,851 because he can bring his head back. 376 00:16:26,853 --> 00:16:28,253 Don't lean forward? Don't lean forward. 377 00:16:28,255 --> 00:16:29,187 Yeah, exactly. 378 00:16:29,189 --> 00:16:30,455 You ready? Yep. 379 00:16:30,457 --> 00:16:31,856 Oh, man. Feel it? 380 00:16:31,858 --> 00:16:33,924 Yeah, yeah. You can just feel this muscle, 381 00:16:33,926 --> 00:16:35,727 which just looks like fat, right? 382 00:16:35,729 --> 00:16:38,195 But it's actually all muscle in there. 383 00:16:38,197 --> 00:16:39,731 And it just tightens, like that. 384 00:16:39,733 --> 00:16:40,999 That's where all the power comes from. 385 00:16:41,001 --> 00:16:42,601 You can feel it contract. Yeah. 386 00:16:42,603 --> 00:16:44,269 So, I'm gonna try to get my meter back. 387 00:16:44,271 --> 00:16:45,403 Yes, there -- 388 00:16:45,405 --> 00:16:47,872 Uh-oh. You lost the leather. 389 00:16:47,874 --> 00:16:50,275 He's like, "Well, at least I get a meal out of this. 390 00:16:50,277 --> 00:16:51,810 Okay. This guy's really moving. 391 00:16:51,812 --> 00:16:53,010 All right. 392 00:16:53,012 --> 00:16:54,079 Calm down. 393 00:16:54,081 --> 00:16:55,747 Calm down. You got it. 394 00:16:55,749 --> 00:16:57,282 Thanks. That's my souvenir. 395 00:16:57,284 --> 00:17:00,085 So Greg and Wes are gonna let him go now. 396 00:17:05,759 --> 00:17:07,025 I'm a little worried about them right now. 397 00:17:07,027 --> 00:17:08,059 Ready? Hang on. 398 00:17:14,101 --> 00:17:16,901 But look how small he looks now in that water. 399 00:17:16,903 --> 00:17:18,235 All the while, understand 400 00:17:18,237 --> 00:17:22,173 how overwhelmingly powerful that eating machine is. 401 00:17:23,777 --> 00:17:27,445 The alligator is one of the top predators around today. 402 00:17:27,447 --> 00:17:31,316 But how does its bite force compare to the T. rex? 403 00:17:43,110 --> 00:17:46,645 WILDMAN: Dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million years. 404 00:17:46,647 --> 00:17:48,514 There we go. 405 00:17:48,516 --> 00:17:52,051 I'm on a mission to investigate science happening today 406 00:17:52,053 --> 00:17:53,719 that helps tell their story. 407 00:17:53,721 --> 00:17:55,187 This thing is massive. 408 00:17:55,189 --> 00:17:59,325 The T. rex is one of the most fearsome dinosaurs imaginable. 409 00:17:59,327 --> 00:18:01,327 And it shares several similarities 410 00:18:01,329 --> 00:18:05,665 with another top predator alive today -- the alligator. 411 00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:07,466 ERICKSON: Oh, geez. 412 00:18:07,468 --> 00:18:09,268 2,431 pounds. 413 00:18:09,270 --> 00:18:11,404 Wow. Over a ton of bite force. 414 00:18:15,876 --> 00:18:18,010 Knowing the bite force of the alligator, 415 00:18:18,012 --> 00:18:21,480 Greg can now calculate the power of a T. rex. 416 00:18:21,482 --> 00:18:24,016 Now, from a total layman's standpoint, 417 00:18:24,018 --> 00:18:26,018 these are two very different-looking skulls. 418 00:18:26,020 --> 00:18:28,487 Well, there's actually quite a few similarities 419 00:18:28,489 --> 00:18:29,821 between this skull and that skull. 420 00:18:29,823 --> 00:18:30,956 For instance, you look right here, 421 00:18:30,958 --> 00:18:32,691 these are the adductor tunnels. 422 00:18:32,693 --> 00:18:34,827 And you see the muscle scarring going around here. 423 00:18:34,829 --> 00:18:36,028 Mm-hmm. We see the same thing 424 00:18:36,030 --> 00:18:37,964 on the Tyrannosaurus rex skull right here. 425 00:18:37,966 --> 00:18:40,299 What do you mean by "muscle scarring"? 426 00:18:40,301 --> 00:18:41,567 Well, muscle scars 427 00:18:41,569 --> 00:18:43,702 are where the muscles actually attach onto the bones. 428 00:18:43,704 --> 00:18:46,305 They have to pull on something, have some leverage, essentially. 429 00:18:46,307 --> 00:18:47,706 You can see that in a fossil? 430 00:18:47,708 --> 00:18:48,974 Yes, absolutely. Okay. 431 00:18:48,976 --> 00:18:50,776 So, by establishing the relationship 432 00:18:50,778 --> 00:18:53,312 anatomically between these two skulls, 433 00:18:53,314 --> 00:18:55,915 you can also do a lot of creative math 434 00:18:55,917 --> 00:18:58,050 and figure out what the bite force is on this, 435 00:18:58,052 --> 00:18:59,985 based on what you found out through the alligator. 436 00:18:59,987 --> 00:19:03,189 Yep. This is our time machine right here. 437 00:19:03,191 --> 00:19:06,258 What we've done is, we'll dissect alligators 438 00:19:06,260 --> 00:19:09,929 and look at the muscle patterns, essentially the fibers 439 00:19:09,931 --> 00:19:12,398 and see how those muscles contracted, essentially. 440 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,668 We figured out what forces each of those muscles generate. 441 00:19:15,670 --> 00:19:16,736 Wow, you have gotten down 442 00:19:16,738 --> 00:19:18,604 to such specifics with this study. 443 00:19:18,606 --> 00:19:19,738 It's unbelievable. Yeah. 444 00:19:19,740 --> 00:19:21,140 And you can see each of the muscles here. 445 00:19:21,142 --> 00:19:22,808 We have their trajectories all figured out. 446 00:19:22,810 --> 00:19:25,745 And we see those same scars on Tyrannosaurus rex. 447 00:19:25,747 --> 00:19:28,147 Okay. And from that, voilà, 448 00:19:28,149 --> 00:19:30,883 we basically muscle up a Tyrannosaurus rex 449 00:19:30,885 --> 00:19:32,217 for the first time. 450 00:19:32,219 --> 00:19:34,887 And, lo and behold, we determine what its bite force was. 451 00:19:34,889 --> 00:19:37,423 That's fascinating. So, we tested that animal. 452 00:19:37,425 --> 00:19:39,892 And it bit down, what, about 2,500 pounds. Yes. 453 00:19:39,894 --> 00:19:43,229 So what's the guess on what T. rex can bite? 454 00:19:43,231 --> 00:19:44,563 About five times that. 455 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:47,833 A big alligator, like we tested, 456 00:19:47,835 --> 00:19:49,168 if you were bitten by that animal, 457 00:19:49,170 --> 00:19:51,437 it's essentially like getting in between those jaws 458 00:19:51,439 --> 00:19:53,405 and having a car set on top of the jaws. 459 00:19:53,407 --> 00:19:54,573 Okay. 460 00:19:54,575 --> 00:19:57,777 T. rex, it's more like the tractor from a semi. 461 00:19:57,779 --> 00:19:59,044 Really? Yeah. 462 00:19:59,046 --> 00:20:01,113 That is one of the ultimate killing machines. 463 00:20:05,453 --> 00:20:08,387 The first dinosaur fossil was mounted in a museum 464 00:20:08,389 --> 00:20:10,589 less than 200 years ago. 465 00:20:10,591 --> 00:20:12,324 What we understand about dinosaurs 466 00:20:12,326 --> 00:20:13,993 has changed dramatically since then. 467 00:20:13,995 --> 00:20:16,862 In fact, it's changing every day. 468 00:20:16,864 --> 00:20:18,997 What that means is that many of the things 469 00:20:18,999 --> 00:20:21,467 you learned about dinosaurs during grade school 470 00:20:21,469 --> 00:20:23,402 are now completely out of date. 471 00:20:23,404 --> 00:20:24,937 They weren't all stupid. 472 00:20:24,939 --> 00:20:27,339 They didn't bring extinction upon themselves. 473 00:20:27,341 --> 00:20:31,543 And they didn't all inhabit the Earth at the same time. 474 00:20:31,545 --> 00:20:34,880 But of all the misconceptions surrounding dinosaurs, 475 00:20:34,882 --> 00:20:37,016 there's one that you may not know 476 00:20:37,018 --> 00:20:39,551 that will blow your mind. 477 00:20:39,553 --> 00:20:42,354 To explain it, I'm headed to the heart of dinosaur country 478 00:20:42,356 --> 00:20:46,359 to meet up with science writer Brian Switek. 479 00:20:46,361 --> 00:20:49,361 Brian is so passionate about dinosaurs, 480 00:20:49,363 --> 00:20:51,296 a few years ago, he moved to Utah 481 00:20:51,298 --> 00:20:54,233 to be closer to their fossilized remains. 482 00:20:54,235 --> 00:20:55,501 And he's kindly offered 483 00:20:55,503 --> 00:20:58,503 to show me some of the local dinosaur sites. 484 00:20:58,505 --> 00:21:00,505 I mean, there's a whole drive you can do throughout here. 485 00:21:00,507 --> 00:21:01,706 That's right. Yeah, yeah. 486 00:21:01,708 --> 00:21:02,774 I mean, we're doing part of it now 487 00:21:02,776 --> 00:21:04,176 so that the Dinosaur Diamond 488 00:21:04,178 --> 00:21:05,777 that connects Dinosaur National Monument 489 00:21:05,779 --> 00:21:06,912 to western Colorado 490 00:21:06,914 --> 00:21:09,515 to places like Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. 491 00:21:09,517 --> 00:21:11,784 The Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway 492 00:21:11,786 --> 00:21:15,254 is a 512-mile-long drive around Utah 493 00:21:15,256 --> 00:21:19,458 that takes in many of the state's dinosaur attractions. 494 00:21:19,460 --> 00:21:21,726 Brian and I begin in Vernal, 495 00:21:21,728 --> 00:21:24,062 a town so obsessed with dinosaurs, 496 00:21:24,064 --> 00:21:27,666 they have a pink mascot called Dinah. 497 00:21:27,668 --> 00:21:30,802 We visit the Utah Field House of National History, 498 00:21:30,804 --> 00:21:32,338 one of the best places in the state 499 00:21:32,340 --> 00:21:34,740 to see dinosaur fossils, 500 00:21:34,742 --> 00:21:39,210 and grab a dinosaur-inspired ale at the Vernal Brewing Company. 501 00:21:39,212 --> 00:21:40,679 What's this stuff? 502 00:21:40,681 --> 00:21:42,147 Well, this is Allosaurus Amber Ale. 503 00:21:42,149 --> 00:21:45,017 It's made by my friends here at the Vernal Brewing Company. 504 00:21:45,019 --> 00:21:46,284 Everything's paleo here, isn't it? 505 00:21:46,286 --> 00:21:47,419 Yep. Everything's dinosaur. 506 00:21:47,421 --> 00:21:49,154 Everything's paleo, as it should be. 507 00:21:51,158 --> 00:21:55,760 But our ultimate destination lies 15 miles outside of town, 508 00:21:55,762 --> 00:21:58,630 at Dinosaur National Monument. 509 00:21:58,632 --> 00:22:01,500 The park covers 300 square miles 510 00:22:01,502 --> 00:22:04,170 of mountains, rivers and canyons. 511 00:22:04,172 --> 00:22:07,505 And at its heart is the Carnegie Quarry, 512 00:22:07,507 --> 00:22:11,577 one of the most concentrated fossil sites in the world. 513 00:22:11,579 --> 00:22:14,613 The quarry settled a debate that raged for years 514 00:22:14,615 --> 00:22:16,047 about the true identity 515 00:22:16,049 --> 00:22:19,251 of one of the most iconic dinosaurs of all time, 516 00:22:19,253 --> 00:22:21,921 known to most people as the Brontosaurus. 517 00:22:23,657 --> 00:22:25,658 You ready for this? 518 00:22:25,660 --> 00:22:28,460 Whoa! Incredible! 519 00:22:28,462 --> 00:22:30,195 That is amazing. 520 00:22:30,197 --> 00:22:33,065 So, I'm just seeing a conglomeration 521 00:22:33,067 --> 00:22:36,201 of dinosaur bones still in place. 522 00:22:36,203 --> 00:22:38,870 The mass of bones on display here 523 00:22:38,872 --> 00:22:42,541 was created 149 million years ago, 524 00:22:42,543 --> 00:22:46,278 when scores of dinosaurs died after a severe drought. 525 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:50,348 When the rains finally came, their bones were washed here, 526 00:22:50,350 --> 00:22:51,617 coming together to create 527 00:22:51,619 --> 00:22:54,620 what scientists call a Jurassic logjam. 528 00:22:56,023 --> 00:22:59,625 Brian has arranged for park paleontologist Dan Chure 529 00:22:59,627 --> 00:23:03,495 to give me a behind-the-scenes tour of the quarry wall, 530 00:23:03,497 --> 00:23:06,097 not something every visitor gets to do. 531 00:23:06,099 --> 00:23:07,232 CHURE: If we take these steps up... 532 00:23:07,234 --> 00:23:09,567 Oh, this is great. 533 00:23:09,569 --> 00:23:12,437 So cool. 534 00:23:12,439 --> 00:23:15,174 We don't need any kind of special ropes or anything? 535 00:23:15,176 --> 00:23:17,109 No, Just a good sense of balance. 536 00:23:17,111 --> 00:23:18,177 All right. 537 00:23:18,179 --> 00:23:19,378 All right, so we're seeing something 538 00:23:19,380 --> 00:23:20,846 that you can't even see from over there. 539 00:23:20,848 --> 00:23:23,382 Right. Once you're up on the quarry face, 540 00:23:23,384 --> 00:23:26,719 you experience the bones in a much more intimate way. 541 00:23:26,721 --> 00:23:28,587 Oh, that's bone. Yep. 542 00:23:28,589 --> 00:23:30,322 Sorry about that. 543 00:23:30,324 --> 00:23:33,392 The quarry was first discovered in 1909 544 00:23:33,394 --> 00:23:35,994 by Earl Douglas, a paleontologist 545 00:23:35,996 --> 00:23:38,797 working for the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. 546 00:23:38,799 --> 00:23:41,733 Douglas spotted a few bones protruding from the desert. 547 00:23:41,735 --> 00:23:43,869 But when he began to excavate the site, 548 00:23:43,871 --> 00:23:49,141 he soon realized he'd stumbled upon something momentous. 549 00:23:49,143 --> 00:23:50,742 That's amazing. What a cross section. 550 00:23:50,744 --> 00:23:53,611 So, this is one of the densest parts 551 00:23:53,613 --> 00:23:56,815 in the present-day quarry, where we have lots of bones 552 00:23:56,817 --> 00:23:58,284 from different kinds of dinosaurs 553 00:23:58,286 --> 00:23:59,951 that are packed up against one another. 554 00:23:59,953 --> 00:24:03,088 But we can also see parts of skeletons here. 555 00:24:03,090 --> 00:24:05,224 I mean, yeah, major parts. 556 00:24:06,827 --> 00:24:11,096 Between 1909 and 1924, Douglas and his team 557 00:24:11,098 --> 00:24:15,033 removed over 700,000 tons of fossilized bone 558 00:24:15,035 --> 00:24:16,234 from the quarry. 559 00:24:16,236 --> 00:24:18,103 And much of it was shipped back east 560 00:24:18,105 --> 00:24:21,306 to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. 561 00:24:21,308 --> 00:24:24,976 When the museum decided it had enough fossil material, 562 00:24:24,978 --> 00:24:26,645 it relinquished its claim. 563 00:24:26,647 --> 00:24:28,580 But Douglas remained at the quarry, 564 00:24:28,582 --> 00:24:31,382 excavating fossils, casts of which would end up 565 00:24:31,384 --> 00:24:34,185 at other famous institutions around the country, 566 00:24:34,187 --> 00:24:37,990 including the American Museum of Natural History in New York. 567 00:24:37,992 --> 00:24:40,258 Before he died in 1931, 568 00:24:40,260 --> 00:24:43,128 it was Douglas' wish that work stop 569 00:24:43,130 --> 00:24:47,532 and the site be preserved as-is for future visitors. 570 00:24:47,534 --> 00:24:50,536 So, how many bones are here? 571 00:24:50,538 --> 00:24:52,003 In the present-day quarry, 572 00:24:52,005 --> 00:24:54,873 we have about 1,500 dinosaur bones 573 00:24:54,875 --> 00:24:56,475 that are left in place. 574 00:24:56,477 --> 00:24:57,809 And those are the remains 575 00:24:57,811 --> 00:25:00,212 of probably somewhere around 100 individuals. 576 00:25:00,214 --> 00:25:02,214 So this is, really, 577 00:25:02,216 --> 00:25:05,684 one of the biggest Jurassic dinosaur quarries in the world. 578 00:25:05,686 --> 00:25:08,887 It's a gold rush for paleontologists. 579 00:25:08,889 --> 00:25:12,024 We are gonna step across the top of this bone, 580 00:25:12,026 --> 00:25:13,225 but that'll be all right. 581 00:25:13,227 --> 00:25:14,759 Come join me. 582 00:25:14,761 --> 00:25:15,728 Got it. 583 00:25:18,498 --> 00:25:19,431 All right. 584 00:25:19,433 --> 00:25:21,700 So, here, if you look down, 585 00:25:21,702 --> 00:25:24,303 it looks a lot higher than it does from ground level. 586 00:25:24,305 --> 00:25:27,239 This is a bit higher. It's very deceptive. 587 00:25:27,241 --> 00:25:28,773 But look at this. What a payoff. Beautiful. 588 00:25:28,775 --> 00:25:31,042 Here's a neck of a sauropod. 589 00:25:31,044 --> 00:25:33,445 I have never seen anything like this. 590 00:25:33,447 --> 00:25:37,316 And to get this opportunity to be so close is really amazing. 591 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,654 As well as providing countless fossils for museums, 592 00:25:42,656 --> 00:25:45,456 the quarry settled a years-old debate 593 00:25:45,458 --> 00:25:48,994 about the identity of one of the most beloved dinosaurs -- 594 00:25:48,996 --> 00:25:50,529 the Brontosaurus. 595 00:25:50,531 --> 00:25:54,332 Brontosaurus was discovered in Wyoming in 1879 596 00:25:54,334 --> 00:25:57,469 by the famous paleontologist O.C. Marsh. 597 00:25:57,471 --> 00:26:00,672 But in 1903, another scientist, Elmer Riggs, 598 00:26:00,674 --> 00:26:03,542 suggested that Marsh's Brontosaurus 599 00:26:03,544 --> 00:26:06,611 wasn't a new dinosaur at all. 600 00:26:06,613 --> 00:26:09,481 Riggs argued that it was an Apatosaurus, 601 00:26:09,483 --> 00:26:13,084 a dinosaur found 25 years earlier. 602 00:26:13,086 --> 00:26:17,089 So did the Brontosaurus ever really exist? 603 00:26:30,303 --> 00:26:33,105 WILDMAN: Since the first dinosaur fossils were found, 604 00:26:33,107 --> 00:26:35,640 our understanding of these magnificent creatures 605 00:26:35,642 --> 00:26:38,643 has altered dramatically. 606 00:26:38,645 --> 00:26:41,980 There are many things about them you may not know. 607 00:26:41,982 --> 00:26:46,251 And one concerns the true identity of the Brontosaurus. 608 00:26:46,253 --> 00:26:48,453 For years, a debate raged 609 00:26:48,455 --> 00:26:51,323 between two well-known paleontologists 610 00:26:51,325 --> 00:26:55,594 about whether the Brontosaurus ever existed at all. 611 00:26:55,596 --> 00:26:57,395 Then, in 1975, 612 00:26:57,397 --> 00:27:01,466 analysis of a skull found at the Carnegie Quarry in Utah 613 00:27:01,468 --> 00:27:04,936 helped scientists settle the matter. 614 00:27:04,938 --> 00:27:07,573 The Brontosaurus never really existed. 615 00:27:09,209 --> 00:27:10,408 Well, this place was the beginning 616 00:27:10,410 --> 00:27:11,943 of the end of Brontosaurus. 617 00:27:11,945 --> 00:27:13,811 Fred Flintstone is gonna be very upset. 618 00:27:15,215 --> 00:27:16,348 That's right -- 619 00:27:16,350 --> 00:27:19,751 The beloved Brontosaurus never really existed. 620 00:27:19,753 --> 00:27:21,019 And today, 621 00:27:21,021 --> 00:27:24,089 museums refer to what you may know as the Brontosaurus 622 00:27:24,091 --> 00:27:27,692 by its real name -- the Apatosaurus. 623 00:27:27,694 --> 00:27:32,297 The story of dinosaurs is changing all the time. 624 00:27:32,299 --> 00:27:35,367 And one of the biggest mysteries still talked about 625 00:27:35,369 --> 00:27:37,301 is where they went. 626 00:27:37,303 --> 00:27:42,307 We know that dinosaurs ruled the Earth for 165 million years. 627 00:27:42,309 --> 00:27:45,843 But then, suddenly, they disappeared. 628 00:27:45,845 --> 00:27:48,647 So why did the dinosaurs die out? 629 00:27:51,652 --> 00:27:54,720 Some thought climate change disrupted their food supply, 630 00:27:54,722 --> 00:27:57,455 while others believe widespread disease 631 00:27:57,457 --> 00:28:00,325 could have triggered their downfall. 632 00:28:00,327 --> 00:28:01,727 Then, in the 1980s, 633 00:28:01,729 --> 00:28:05,063 father and son scientists Luis and Walter Alvarez 634 00:28:05,065 --> 00:28:07,099 made a startling discovery. 635 00:28:08,869 --> 00:28:12,537 While studying 65 million-year-old soil samples, 636 00:28:12,539 --> 00:28:15,440 the pair spotted large quantities of an element 637 00:28:15,442 --> 00:28:19,277 not common in the Earth's crust -- 638 00:28:19,279 --> 00:28:21,279 iridium. 639 00:28:21,281 --> 00:28:23,782 Iridium is a hard, brittle metal. 640 00:28:23,784 --> 00:28:27,753 And one place it is found in abundance is within asteroids. 641 00:28:29,756 --> 00:28:32,891 The conclusion -- that the dinosaur's extinction 642 00:28:32,893 --> 00:28:35,827 was caused by an asteroid hitting the Earth. 643 00:28:38,765 --> 00:28:41,900 Shortly after the Alvarez team made their claim, 644 00:28:41,902 --> 00:28:44,569 a massive impact crater was recognized 645 00:28:44,571 --> 00:28:47,105 near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. 646 00:28:47,107 --> 00:28:49,574 One hundred eleven miles wide, 647 00:28:49,576 --> 00:28:51,909 it was named the Chicxulub Crater, 648 00:28:51,911 --> 00:28:53,879 after the village near its center. 649 00:28:55,716 --> 00:28:58,183 According to this relatively recent theory, 650 00:28:58,185 --> 00:29:01,519 the asteroid that drove the dinosaurs to extinction 651 00:29:01,521 --> 00:29:03,054 left a crater. 652 00:29:03,056 --> 00:29:04,989 But it's buried a mile and a half 653 00:29:04,991 --> 00:29:06,391 under the Gulf of Mexico. 654 00:29:06,393 --> 00:29:09,995 So I want to see what such a strike can do 655 00:29:09,997 --> 00:29:13,665 to better understand how it impacted the dinosaurs. 656 00:29:13,667 --> 00:29:15,066 So I've come to a place 657 00:29:15,068 --> 00:29:17,335 where an asteroid did strike the Earth. 658 00:29:17,337 --> 00:29:20,739 And let me tell you, it leaves quite an impression. 659 00:29:24,477 --> 00:29:28,213 Wow. Look at that thing. 660 00:29:28,215 --> 00:29:29,815 That is a crater. 661 00:29:29,817 --> 00:29:30,782 Wow. 662 00:29:32,619 --> 00:29:34,352 That's crazy. 663 00:29:34,354 --> 00:29:36,555 Look at that thing. 664 00:29:36,557 --> 00:29:38,824 Meteor Crater in northern Arizona 665 00:29:38,826 --> 00:29:42,026 is one of the best-preserved impact sites on Earth. 666 00:29:42,028 --> 00:29:45,497 It was created approximately 50,000 years ago 667 00:29:45,499 --> 00:29:47,899 when a meteorite slammed into our planet 668 00:29:47,901 --> 00:29:50,635 at almost 40,000 miles per hour. 669 00:29:50,637 --> 00:29:52,237 At that speed, it could have traveled 670 00:29:52,239 --> 00:29:55,706 from New York to Los Angeles in just 4 minutes. 671 00:30:01,048 --> 00:30:02,914 Look at this. Here comes my ride. 672 00:30:05,719 --> 00:30:08,853 The asteroid that made the crater here was huge. 673 00:30:08,855 --> 00:30:11,789 But the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 674 00:30:11,791 --> 00:30:14,592 was more than 100 times larger. 675 00:30:14,594 --> 00:30:17,662 To get any sense of that kind of size, that scope, 676 00:30:17,664 --> 00:30:19,664 the best way is from the air. 677 00:30:21,735 --> 00:30:23,335 Nice. 678 00:30:23,337 --> 00:30:24,602 Gotcha, checking, checky. 679 00:30:24,604 --> 00:30:25,804 PILOT: Yeah, check in. Got you. 680 00:30:25,806 --> 00:30:28,606 Can't wait. Let's go up. Here we go. 681 00:30:28,608 --> 00:30:31,742 We're gonna get a look at this crater from above 682 00:30:31,744 --> 00:30:33,779 the real way to do it, from a 'copter. 683 00:30:39,686 --> 00:30:41,352 You know, people talk about 684 00:30:41,354 --> 00:30:43,555 the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. 685 00:30:43,557 --> 00:30:45,489 And numbers and statistics 686 00:30:45,491 --> 00:30:47,491 and science is all bandied about. 687 00:30:47,493 --> 00:30:50,828 But it's not until you get this kind of perspective 688 00:30:50,830 --> 00:30:52,297 that you get any sense 689 00:30:52,299 --> 00:30:55,099 of the devastation that happened. 690 00:30:55,101 --> 00:30:57,635 The meteorite that struck here in Arizona 691 00:30:57,637 --> 00:30:59,770 was 150 feet in diameter 692 00:30:59,772 --> 00:31:03,708 and made a crater roughly three quarters of a mile wide. 693 00:31:03,710 --> 00:31:05,577 Now compare that to the meteorite 694 00:31:05,579 --> 00:31:08,313 that drove the dinosaurs into extinction. 695 00:31:08,315 --> 00:31:12,317 It was 6 miles wide and made a hole in the Earth 696 00:31:12,319 --> 00:31:15,119 over 100 times larger than this one. 697 00:31:15,121 --> 00:31:16,454 I mean, this is small. 698 00:31:16,456 --> 00:31:18,656 This is three quarters of a mile across. 699 00:31:18,658 --> 00:31:20,725 And you see how large it is. 700 00:31:20,727 --> 00:31:23,929 Now, imagine as far as the eye can see, 701 00:31:23,931 --> 00:31:27,332 110 miles across is the Chicxulub Crater. 702 00:31:27,334 --> 00:31:29,000 That's the kind of devastation, 703 00:31:29,002 --> 00:31:31,336 the impact, that created that event. 704 00:31:31,338 --> 00:31:33,404 That's what killed the dinosaurs. 705 00:31:33,406 --> 00:31:34,372 Wow. 706 00:31:36,410 --> 00:31:39,744 NASA says our planet is constantly being bombarded 707 00:31:39,746 --> 00:31:42,013 by objects from outer space. 708 00:31:42,015 --> 00:31:45,016 Most are tiny and burn up as they enter the atmosphere. 709 00:31:45,018 --> 00:31:46,952 But every few thousand years, 710 00:31:46,954 --> 00:31:51,289 we're hit by one large enough to cause significant damage. 711 00:31:58,031 --> 00:32:00,365 Man, this is cool! 712 00:32:00,367 --> 00:32:01,766 Wow, man. 713 00:32:01,768 --> 00:32:04,769 I never thought I'd get to do something like this. 714 00:32:04,771 --> 00:32:08,373 Climbing out of the crater here -- wow. 715 00:32:08,375 --> 00:32:13,912 That is an amazingly deep feeling. 716 00:32:13,914 --> 00:32:15,847 Thank you. 717 00:32:15,849 --> 00:32:18,650 The depths to which we go to prove a point. 718 00:32:21,187 --> 00:32:25,790 The impact site here is breathtaking. 719 00:32:25,792 --> 00:32:28,193 But 65 million years ago, 720 00:32:28,195 --> 00:32:30,261 our planet was struck by a meteorite 721 00:32:30,263 --> 00:32:33,665 powerful enough to end life in Earth. 722 00:32:33,667 --> 00:32:36,201 So what did that mean for the dinosaurs? 723 00:32:36,203 --> 00:32:39,003 Were they all wiped out in the initial blast? 724 00:32:39,005 --> 00:32:41,773 And if not, how did they eventually die? 725 00:32:52,019 --> 00:32:55,687 WILDMAN: Today, most scientists agree that the dinosaurs died out 726 00:32:55,689 --> 00:32:58,155 after a massive meteorite strike. 727 00:32:58,157 --> 00:33:00,291 But what does that really mean? 728 00:33:00,293 --> 00:33:02,027 To help me answer that question, 729 00:33:02,029 --> 00:33:04,229 I've arranged to meet Laurence Garvie, 730 00:33:04,231 --> 00:33:06,631 a professor at Arizona State University's 731 00:33:06,633 --> 00:33:09,434 School of Earth and Space Exploration. 732 00:33:11,705 --> 00:33:15,440 Though this is 50,000 years ago, we can discuss 65 million, 733 00:33:15,442 --> 00:33:17,575 when a similar kind of event happened 734 00:33:17,577 --> 00:33:18,843 on a whole nother scale. 735 00:33:18,845 --> 00:33:20,645 Orders of magnitude bigger than this. 736 00:33:20,647 --> 00:33:22,179 I mean, if we look at this crater, 737 00:33:22,181 --> 00:33:24,716 which looks vast from our human perspective, 738 00:33:24,718 --> 00:33:26,585 three quarters of a mile across 739 00:33:26,587 --> 00:33:29,721 caused by an impactor only 150 feet in diameter. 740 00:33:29,723 --> 00:33:30,721 That's all. Okay. 741 00:33:30,723 --> 00:33:34,792 Whereas the impactor that is coincident 742 00:33:34,794 --> 00:33:36,194 with the end of the dinosaurs 743 00:33:36,196 --> 00:33:38,996 is thought to have been about 6 miles in diameter. 744 00:33:38,998 --> 00:33:42,867 So, here to the end and seven times further. 745 00:33:42,869 --> 00:33:45,269 So that's just the impactor by itself. 746 00:33:45,271 --> 00:33:49,073 Scientists estimate that a 6-mile-wide meteorite 747 00:33:49,075 --> 00:33:50,675 would have released as much energy 748 00:33:50,677 --> 00:33:54,012 as 100 trillion tons of TNT... 749 00:33:55,682 --> 00:33:59,551 ...or a billion times more powerful than the atom bombs 750 00:33:59,553 --> 00:34:03,221 that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 751 00:34:03,223 --> 00:34:06,091 Well, something that's almost 6 miles in diameter, 752 00:34:06,093 --> 00:34:08,026 that's a huge volume of rock. 753 00:34:08,028 --> 00:34:09,160 As it hits the ground, 754 00:34:09,162 --> 00:34:10,828 not only does it form the crater, 755 00:34:10,830 --> 00:34:13,698 not only does it eject that material from the crater 756 00:34:13,700 --> 00:34:15,233 as dust into the atmosphere, 757 00:34:15,235 --> 00:34:18,236 but much of the impactor itself would have vaporized, as well. 758 00:34:18,238 --> 00:34:20,571 You know, we've seen with a large volcanic eruption, 759 00:34:20,573 --> 00:34:22,907 that dust then slowly goes around the Earth. 760 00:34:22,909 --> 00:34:27,578 And this vast amount of dust would slowly encircle the Earth. 761 00:34:27,580 --> 00:34:29,581 And what does dust do? 762 00:34:29,583 --> 00:34:31,649 It stops the sun hitting the ground. 763 00:34:31,651 --> 00:34:33,785 And if the sun doesn't hit the ground, 764 00:34:33,787 --> 00:34:35,720 temperatures plummet. Mm-hmm. 765 00:34:35,722 --> 00:34:38,723 Any animal that was living on plant life, gone. 766 00:34:38,725 --> 00:34:40,859 Those are gone. The carnivores are gone. 767 00:34:40,861 --> 00:34:42,260 Think about Triceratops. 768 00:34:42,262 --> 00:34:46,331 You know, they were very common in our northern U.S. right now. 769 00:34:46,333 --> 00:34:49,734 They would have had to eat vast amounts of vegetation 770 00:34:49,736 --> 00:34:51,936 for these large herds to survive. 771 00:34:51,938 --> 00:34:53,605 But what happens if you get rid of the vegetation 772 00:34:53,607 --> 00:34:54,805 almost overnight? 773 00:34:54,807 --> 00:34:56,341 There's nothing for them to eat. They die. 774 00:34:56,343 --> 00:34:59,411 But onward from there, 775 00:34:59,413 --> 00:35:01,279 it may have created opportunities 776 00:35:01,281 --> 00:35:02,613 for other species to thrive. 777 00:35:02,615 --> 00:35:04,349 Yes, the survivors are the things 778 00:35:04,351 --> 00:35:07,618 that could overcome the environmental changes, 779 00:35:07,620 --> 00:35:09,754 such as small furry mammals. 780 00:35:09,756 --> 00:35:10,855 Us. 781 00:35:10,857 --> 00:35:13,558 We derive from those small furry mammals 782 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:15,226 that could hide away 783 00:35:15,228 --> 00:35:17,495 and survive the changing environment 784 00:35:17,497 --> 00:35:18,830 and just ride out the change. 785 00:35:18,832 --> 00:35:19,898 Interesting. 786 00:35:19,900 --> 00:35:21,833 I mean, it's also interesting to speculate, 787 00:35:21,835 --> 00:35:23,768 would we be standing here now 788 00:35:23,770 --> 00:35:26,771 if that impact had not have occurred? 789 00:35:26,773 --> 00:35:28,572 So, could something like the asteroid 790 00:35:28,574 --> 00:35:31,175 that created the Chicxulub Crater happen again? 791 00:35:31,177 --> 00:35:33,578 It's not a case of "could." It's "when." 792 00:35:33,580 --> 00:35:35,913 So that's not -- that's not good. 793 00:35:35,915 --> 00:35:37,181 But that's why we, as humans, 794 00:35:37,183 --> 00:35:39,184 we don't want to be like the dinosaurs. 795 00:35:39,186 --> 00:35:42,120 Let's say we saw, you know, asteroid the size of the one 796 00:35:42,122 --> 00:35:43,721 that created the Chicxulub Crater 797 00:35:43,723 --> 00:35:44,922 coming towards us. Yeah. 798 00:35:44,924 --> 00:35:46,524 If we looked at its orbit and saw, yeah, 799 00:35:46,526 --> 00:35:49,594 this thing's almost certainly gonna hit us in 20 years' time, 800 00:35:49,596 --> 00:35:51,596 we can get out there, change its orbit, 801 00:35:51,598 --> 00:35:52,930 stop it hitting the Earth 802 00:35:52,932 --> 00:35:55,199 and stopping us becoming like the dinosaurs. 803 00:35:55,201 --> 00:35:55,934 Ohh. 804 00:35:57,804 --> 00:35:59,737 It's hard to visualize something 805 00:35:59,739 --> 00:36:02,207 with enough power to end life on Earth. 806 00:36:02,209 --> 00:36:03,674 But to help me try, 807 00:36:03,676 --> 00:36:06,611 Laurence has brought along a sample of the actual rock 808 00:36:06,613 --> 00:36:09,614 that landed here 50,000 years ago. 809 00:36:09,616 --> 00:36:11,216 It's so dense. 810 00:36:11,218 --> 00:36:12,950 Seriously. Wow. 811 00:36:12,952 --> 00:36:15,153 And this is a tiny, little meteorite. 812 00:36:15,155 --> 00:36:18,356 Well, this is a tiny piece of the one 813 00:36:18,358 --> 00:36:20,291 that made the crater here. 814 00:36:20,293 --> 00:36:21,893 I'm not kidding -- I just pulled a muscle 815 00:36:21,895 --> 00:36:23,228 in my sternum on that one. 816 00:36:23,230 --> 00:36:24,295 That's amazing. 817 00:36:24,297 --> 00:36:27,032 So, this actually came from this meteor 818 00:36:27,034 --> 00:36:28,299 that came down here? 819 00:36:28,301 --> 00:36:31,435 This is a tiny, I mean, minuscule fragment 820 00:36:31,437 --> 00:36:34,038 of the one that created this crater. 821 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,507 It's holding this and trying -- 822 00:36:36,509 --> 00:36:38,843 This gives me more of a sense 823 00:36:38,845 --> 00:36:42,514 of how big this asteroid was, how heavy it was 824 00:36:42,516 --> 00:36:45,049 and what kind of impact it had on the Earth. 825 00:36:45,051 --> 00:36:46,117 I mean, that's amazing. 826 00:36:49,656 --> 00:36:52,389 I've discovered where dinosaurs came from 827 00:36:52,391 --> 00:36:55,326 and have a better understanding of what they were like. 828 00:36:55,328 --> 00:36:59,864 But one question remains -- could they ever come back? 829 00:37:12,479 --> 00:37:15,546 WILDMAN: Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for millions of years 830 00:37:15,548 --> 00:37:16,881 before they died out. 831 00:37:19,152 --> 00:37:21,552 Their fossilized remains offer a glimpse 832 00:37:21,554 --> 00:37:25,690 of where they came from and the lives they led. 833 00:37:25,692 --> 00:37:29,728 But one question remains -- could they ever come back? 834 00:37:33,633 --> 00:37:36,634 To investigate whether or not dinosaurs could ever return, 835 00:37:36,636 --> 00:37:39,170 I've come to one of the most revered collections 836 00:37:39,172 --> 00:37:41,039 of dinosaur fossils in the world -- 837 00:37:41,041 --> 00:37:43,942 here at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. 838 00:37:45,845 --> 00:37:48,713 The museum has millions of items on display. 839 00:37:48,715 --> 00:37:50,982 But for many, the main draw 840 00:37:50,984 --> 00:37:54,419 is the expansive collection of dinosaur fossils. 841 00:37:57,190 --> 00:38:00,525 This is one of only two existing Barosaurus specimens 842 00:38:00,527 --> 00:38:02,860 on display in the entire world. 843 00:38:02,862 --> 00:38:05,263 And it was found on the very cliff face 844 00:38:05,265 --> 00:38:07,732 that I scaled at Carnegie Quarry 845 00:38:07,734 --> 00:38:09,601 in the Dinosaur National Monument. 846 00:38:12,539 --> 00:38:16,007 Most of the fossil collection is housed on the fourth floor, 847 00:38:16,009 --> 00:38:19,077 which is where I've arranged to meet Mark Norell, 848 00:38:19,079 --> 00:38:22,346 curator and chair of the museum's paleontology division. 849 00:38:22,348 --> 00:38:23,347 Hey, Mark. 850 00:38:23,349 --> 00:38:24,549 Hey, Don. How are you? Good to see you. 851 00:38:24,551 --> 00:38:27,218 Wow, I have come to the place 852 00:38:27,220 --> 00:38:29,620 for the evolution of the dinosaur. Yeah. 853 00:38:29,622 --> 00:38:33,625 Our understanding of dinosaurs is constantly expanding. 854 00:38:33,627 --> 00:38:35,960 And we're being presented with new information 855 00:38:35,962 --> 00:38:37,428 all the time. 856 00:38:37,430 --> 00:38:39,096 Wow! Look at that. 857 00:38:39,098 --> 00:38:41,966 Just recently, the museum installed the cast 858 00:38:41,968 --> 00:38:45,603 of a 122-foot-long prehistoric giant 859 00:38:45,605 --> 00:38:48,439 dubbed the Titanosaur. 860 00:38:48,441 --> 00:38:51,442 Discovered in Patagonia in 2014, 861 00:38:51,444 --> 00:38:55,045 the species is from the same family as the Apatosaurus. 862 00:38:55,047 --> 00:38:59,384 But it's so new, it's yet to be formally named. 863 00:38:59,386 --> 00:39:01,652 Like many of the exhibits on display, 864 00:39:01,654 --> 00:39:03,588 the Titanosaur is constructed 865 00:39:03,590 --> 00:39:08,192 from plaster casts of the fossilized bones. 866 00:39:08,194 --> 00:39:12,463 The real ones are kept in a vast repository 867 00:39:12,465 --> 00:39:13,931 in the bowels of the museum. 868 00:39:13,933 --> 00:39:16,000 Check this out -- we're going to the Big Bone Room, 869 00:39:16,002 --> 00:39:17,468 which is not open to the public. 870 00:39:17,470 --> 00:39:19,937 This is where they keep the big dinosaur bones 871 00:39:19,939 --> 00:39:21,306 too heavy to display. 872 00:39:23,810 --> 00:39:26,277 Oh. This is great. 873 00:39:26,279 --> 00:39:28,479 Look at this. 874 00:39:28,481 --> 00:39:30,481 My Lord! 875 00:39:30,483 --> 00:39:32,549 So, I'm looking at stuff that's been brought back 876 00:39:32,551 --> 00:39:33,952 in all eras of your museum. 877 00:39:33,954 --> 00:39:37,087 Yeah, some of these go back to the 1890s. 878 00:39:37,089 --> 00:39:39,290 Over the years, the museum has acquired 879 00:39:39,292 --> 00:39:41,358 a vast fossil collection, 880 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,428 only a fraction of which is on display upstairs. 881 00:39:44,430 --> 00:39:46,497 WILDMAN: Wow. It is just magical to see all these. 882 00:39:46,499 --> 00:39:48,432 These are the original bones, yes? 883 00:39:48,434 --> 00:39:50,034 These are the original bones. The fossils. 884 00:39:50,036 --> 00:39:51,969 I recognize this, a jacket. 885 00:39:51,971 --> 00:39:53,504 This is how it comes to you, right? 886 00:39:53,506 --> 00:39:55,373 Those came from Mongolia. Okay. 887 00:39:55,375 --> 00:39:58,042 Many of the fossils have yet to be analyzed, 888 00:39:58,044 --> 00:40:00,711 meaning important discoveries can take place 889 00:40:00,713 --> 00:40:03,447 decades after the expeditions that found them. 890 00:40:03,449 --> 00:40:06,517 They're still in the jackets. This is 1947. 891 00:40:06,519 --> 00:40:08,019 Can I pick this up? Yeah. 892 00:40:10,924 --> 00:40:13,591 One of the biggest finds of recent time 893 00:40:13,593 --> 00:40:16,461 answers the seemingly unthinkable question -- 894 00:40:16,463 --> 00:40:19,396 Could dinosaurs inhabit the Earth again? 895 00:40:19,398 --> 00:40:21,465 This animal was buried in sediments. 896 00:40:21,467 --> 00:40:22,866 And it preserved its skin texture. 897 00:40:22,868 --> 00:40:24,468 So it's a dinosaur mummy? 898 00:40:24,470 --> 00:40:25,936 It's a fossil of a dinosaur mummy. 899 00:40:25,938 --> 00:40:28,072 So, what we're seeing, we can see the skin texture 900 00:40:28,074 --> 00:40:29,674 that the animal had during its lifetime. 901 00:40:29,676 --> 00:40:31,141 The interesting thing about it is that 902 00:40:31,143 --> 00:40:33,544 it's not big scales, like on a crocodile. 903 00:40:33,546 --> 00:40:35,145 It's small, little bumps. 904 00:40:35,147 --> 00:40:37,282 So sort of like the skin on the foot of a chicken. 905 00:40:37,284 --> 00:40:39,683 The bumps on the animal's skin 906 00:40:39,685 --> 00:40:42,820 are evidence of a connection between dinosaurs 907 00:40:42,822 --> 00:40:46,090 and another species all too familiar to us today -- 908 00:40:46,092 --> 00:40:47,358 birds. 909 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:49,360 It's one of the attributes that they share with birds. 910 00:40:49,362 --> 00:40:51,962 And it gives us good evidence that living birds 911 00:40:51,964 --> 00:40:53,898 are actually just a type of living dinosaur. 912 00:40:53,900 --> 00:40:55,900 That's true, isn't it? I mean, that's a fact. 913 00:40:55,902 --> 00:40:57,302 That's a fact. 914 00:41:00,106 --> 00:41:03,841 It's strange to picture, but many well-known dinosaurs, 915 00:41:03,843 --> 00:41:06,644 like the Velociraptors and even the T. rex, 916 00:41:06,646 --> 00:41:09,246 most likely had feathers. 917 00:41:09,248 --> 00:41:13,051 And others, like the Oviraptor, tended their eggs in a nest, 918 00:41:13,053 --> 00:41:14,719 just like a bird. 919 00:41:15,722 --> 00:41:17,722 So, that sparrow I see on my porch 920 00:41:17,724 --> 00:41:21,459 building its nest, tending its eggs, 921 00:41:21,461 --> 00:41:22,526 That's a dinosaur. 922 00:41:22,528 --> 00:41:23,795 You're seeing a dinosaur. 923 00:41:23,797 --> 00:41:26,731 And you're seeing it exhibiting behaviors 924 00:41:26,733 --> 00:41:29,133 that evolved in non-avian dinosaurs 925 00:41:29,135 --> 00:41:30,868 long before birds evolved. 926 00:41:30,870 --> 00:41:32,536 Geez. That's incredible. 927 00:41:32,538 --> 00:41:36,941 So, in asking whether dinosaurs could ever make a reappearance, 928 00:41:36,943 --> 00:41:39,076 the truth is... 929 00:41:39,078 --> 00:41:40,544 they never left. 930 00:41:44,150 --> 00:41:46,684 Learning that dinosaurs are related to birds 931 00:41:46,686 --> 00:41:49,854 is just one way our knowledge is shifting. 932 00:41:49,856 --> 00:41:51,422 One thing is for sure, though -- 933 00:41:51,424 --> 00:41:54,592 there's more to dinosaurs than a bunch of dusty bones. 934 00:41:56,229 --> 00:41:58,629 These were living, breathing creatures 935 00:41:58,631 --> 00:42:01,566 unlike anything that's wandered the face of this planet 936 00:42:01,568 --> 00:42:04,769 for the last 65 million years. 937 00:42:04,771 --> 00:42:07,104 Dinosaurs lived in our backyards 938 00:42:07,106 --> 00:42:10,174 and left evidence of their existence all around us. 939 00:42:10,176 --> 00:42:11,976 I mean, sure, it starts with the bones. 940 00:42:11,978 --> 00:42:14,512 But there's much more to these mysterious creatures 941 00:42:14,514 --> 00:42:16,514 than just skeletal remains. 942 00:42:16,516 --> 00:42:20,117 The way they lived and died has impacted the world around us 943 00:42:20,119 --> 00:42:22,386 for millions of years. 944 00:42:22,388 --> 00:42:25,723 And that influence continues to this day. 944 00:42:26,305 --> 00:43:26,900 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org