Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster sounds just like the title of a science-fiction film, and it’s not that removed from actuality when you think about the subject material.
Starring iconic broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the one-hour documentary particular (airing Wed., Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC Earth and Prime Video in Canada) investigates the invention of a lifetime: the cranium of an enormous sea monster.
The cranium belongs to a pliosaur, an infinite prehistoric marine reptile that dominated the seas whereas dinosaurs reigned on land, roughly 150 million years in the past.
Joining Attenborough — now 97 years previous — on the dig are two of England’s most intrepid fossil hunters, who excavate the cranium from its resting place on the cliff face of Dorset in southern England. Attenborough’s been an avid fossil collector since he was a younger boy, however that is the primary time he has come throughout a discover fairly like this one.
David Attenborough holding a 3D printed mannequin of the pliosaur snout fossil at Southampton University, Southampton U.Ok.
BBC Studios
Global News had a quick dialogue with Attenborough and govt producer Mike Gunton, who spoke in regards to the film, the difficulties and joys of fossil searching and the unprecedented nature of this immense discovery.
Global News: What is that this film about?
David Attenborough: This film is in regards to the discovery of the cranium of a unprecedented monster of the seas — one of many largest predators the world has ever seen. The cranium is a very powerful a part of an animal, and what you may deduce from the cranium is completely fascinating. Imagine that you just had been from Mars, and whenever you landed on Earth all you possibly can discover had been human skeletons however not a single one with a cranium. You wouldn’t know something about it in any respect — you wouldn’t know what it ate up, the way it may transfer, you wouldn’t know what it may see — it will be ineffective.
Well, that’s roughly the state of affairs we had been in. The cranium had the potential to be probably the most informative discover of any pliosaur ever made however sadly, or initially sadly, it was solely the top tip of this enormous cranium that was discovered. This is the story of the way it was [extracted], and the way it was examined by scientists, how they had been in a position to interpret it and inform us new issues about pliosaurs.
For individuals who might not be accustomed to the thought of a pliosaur, are you able to say what it’s and the way a lot we find out about it?
Well, we all know so much about ichthyosaurs, however this was an excellent hunter of the ichthyosaurs, and it’s known as a pliosaur — an immense animal that dominated the seas in the course of the interval of the dinosaurs. It may clearly transfer at nice velocity and the enamel that had been discovered within the tip of the cranium have vertical ridges down them, which break the suction and permit it to withdraw the jaw from prey rapidly. That’s the kind of deduction that we’re in a position to make and which we present in this system.
Do you keep in mind the way you first heard about this?
Yes, I’ve been enthusiastic about accumulating fossils since I used to be a child and I’ve by no means given it up. In consequence, I do know quite a lot of the collectors and individuals who reside on the Jurassic Coast. One of them, Chris Moore, a long-time good friend, bought in contact with us and mentioned there’s going to be a exceptional discovery, that this factor had been discovered.
It seemed as if it was going to be one of the full skeletons ever discovered. The head was solely a part of it, and that was up within the cliffs. And the physique itself, being in regards to the measurement of a London bus, extends into the cliff. The determination needed to be taken that we’d go for the cranium. The remainder of it in all probability must be there but it surely’s 30, 40 toes lengthy, so in the mean time we’re concentrating on the pinnacle, the cranium, a very powerful half.
David Attenborough onboard a ship whereas filming close to White Nothe cliffs, on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset, U.Ok.
BBC Studios/Rob Hollingworth
Mike Gunton: You’re completely proper in regards to the velocity, as a result of we heard they’re going to must excavate this factor within the subsequent week. So we needed to scramble, we needed to get it commissioned, we needed to get all people’s involvement, we needed to get the crew collectively, to not point out the actually tough circumstances which required well being and security. But nonetheless, inside six days we had been there!
How a lot of a problem was it to excavate the cranium?
Well, it weighs over half a ton. That’s a fairly heavy factor to deal with. Now, you need to get it out from midway up the face of a tall cliff which itself is crumbling away, and for those who drop it and break it, it’s a serious disaster. You could have misplaced loads of info. So the issue we see within the first a part of the movie is: how on Earth do you go round getting this out?
They solely had a sure size of time as a result of the storms of summer season had been on the way in which and luckily at the moment the climate was sunny sufficient for the staff to begin working instantly. But they knew that in two or three weeks’ time there was going to be a rainstorm and that would have ruined every part, so that they had been working towards the clock and it was that drama of really getting it out, the sheer mechanical drama of extracting this factor. You really feel the strain because the persons are attempting to get it out, and do it safely.
What had been your first impressions of the entire cranium whenever you noticed it for the primary time?
Oh, no query about that. That is without doubt one of the largest skulls you’ve ever seen. I imply, it’s enormous and so though I used to be conscious of the tip that was first found, I hadn’t totally appreciated how huge the entire head can be and it’s monumental. So sheer scale was what first impressed me.
Then I talked to the scientists who knew about this explicit group of fossils, and identified to me the little particulars, the little pores, sensory pits. There can be the parietal eye — in some animals, together with this one, it appears there’s a primitive eye within the high of the pinnacle.
Think of a crocodile, within the center, between the eyes on the high. It may have advised you which of them method was up, for those who had been down within the deep sea; that’s the kind of element which we weren’t positive about however which this cranium has already given us extra details about.
Mike Gunton: One of the scientists, Andre [Rowe], mentioned it’s a one in 1,000,000 … no! … one in a billion fossil.
How intently did the staff collaborate with the scientific neighborhood and consultants in the course of the making of this film?
They can inform us every kind of issues. There’s an American knowledgeable, Dr. Andre, and he was blown away by it. He mentioned, “It was the most terrifying animal in the seas.”
I requested him maybe a slightly infantile query as a result of it was very huge, and it’s greater than the Tyrannosaurus rex by a great distance, so I requested this schoolboy query, I mentioned, “Now, supposing Tyrannosaurus rex met this extraordinary pliosaur, who would win?”
And this chap was American and Tyrannosaurus Rex is an American dinosaur, so I anticipated his reply to be that. He mentioned, “Well, I think it probably was this pliosaur that won.”
Other scientists advised us that it’s nearly definitely a brand new species of pliosaur. So it’s a brand new species, and it will have been in a position to take care of Tyrannosaurus rex straight up in a battle. So what extra would you like?
What made the pliosaur an apex predator?
The information are dramatic sufficient that you just don’t have to construct up photos with phrases. … Here is a factor the dimensions of a London bus, transferring quicker than something you may think about of that measurement, with enormous jaws, armed with these extraordinary enamel, which was in a position to tear aside the ichthyosaurs — there’s no creature alive right this moment in any method similar to this monumental carnivorous big.
That’s what units your creativeness alight when you concentrate on it. And in fact, the scientists themselves are as thrilled about it, maybe much more than you may be. It’s a dream of a lifetime.
This immense creature [also] moved its limbs in the identical kind of method {that a} penguin does.
The pliosaur has one set of flippers on the entrance and one set on the again, and the scientist identified that it’s like geese once they fly, and different birds that migrate in flocks — they fly one behind the opposite to allow them to exploit the turbulence and save vitality. This is what the pliosaur does by having two flippers one behind the opposite.
What is it about discovering a fossil that holds such fascination for you?
A really primary curiosity but in addition a way of privilege. You can inform in lots of circumstances as a result of truly, there’s a little brown line on a rock that leads you to imagine there’s something in there. And you may calculate had been it’s best to hit it in an effort to get it to separate!
Occasionally, and it’s occurred to me, sometimes you will notice in full element that the rock has cut up alongside the junction between a shell and the mud, and it simply opens, and there it’s, completely good. It doesn’t require any additional excavation, it doesn’t require messing.
There’s this excellent creature that no one has seen earlier than you in 150 million years. If you’re younger or previous, it’s a pleasure! I’ve by no means gotten over it, actually. It’s very romantic. I imply, folks discuss science, the chilly, calculating eye of science, which in fact you need to have, but it surely doesn’t stop you from having romance as nicely.
Why is it vital we examine extinct animals, and what can we study from them?
Knowledge can’t have a money worth. Facts don’t have money values. It’s simply a part of life. To know your creativeness of the completely different worlds that after existed, it’s enriching and makes you extra appreciative of the truth that you’re alive. The proof goes again for all these tens of millions of years and that’s a part of the that means of life, actually.
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[This interview has been edited and condensed.]
‘Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster’ airs Wed., Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC Earth in Canada. BBC Earth can be out there on Prime Video in Canada, with ‘Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster’ airing concurrently from Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.