Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989)

Putting Flesh on Bone

Epidose 2: "Putting Flesh on Bone", explores what the animals looked like and how they behaved when they were alive. Some of the fossils are preserved in remarkable detail so that you can see the outlines of their flesh and the contents of their stomachs. Fur is clearly visible around a pterosaur fossil and the large breastbone suggests substantial flight muscles allowing powerful flight rather than just gliding. We visit the Smithsonian Institute where they have made a half-sized pterosaur model (large full-sized fossils can range from 35 to 50 feet wing-spans) to try to work out how the real giants of the air could fly. David Attenborough investigates some fossil mysteries - could pterodactyls fly? And why did trilobites have such good eyes?

Source: Amazon.com

Break open a stone and you may discover a new species, one that existed thousands of years ago. From insects to dinosaurs, David Attenborough shares his enthusiasm for fossils and fulfils one of his most enduring ambitions: a global fossil hunt. This DVD contains four forty minute programmes which bring to life the world of fossils with the use of computer graphics, animations, model work and time lapse techniques. Titles include: 'Magic On The Rocks', 'Putting Flesh On Bone', 'Dinosaur' and 'The Rare Glimpses'.



Episodes:



1) "Magic in the Rocks". David Attenborough travels in UK, Dominican Republic, West Germany & USA in search of fossils, & the palaeontological techniques to find and reveal them.



2) "Putting Flesh on Bone". David Attenborough investigates some fossil mysteries - could pterodactyls fly? And why did trilobites have such good eyes?



3) "Dinosaur". David Attenborough uncovers dinosaur bones in the Sahara desert & visits the biggest & most spectacular dinosaur displays in the world. He also finds out how mother dinosaurs tended their eggs & young.



4) "The Rare Glimpses". Attenborough travels in Canadian Rockies. Solnhofen. E Berlin. Messel. Los Angeles.