Prehistoric Planet

[creature386]

Paleo-twitter (and paleo-Reddit, for that sake) are exploding with discussions about this documentary, so, I thought I could post the trailer:

Use this thread to discuss news, episodes (once they can be viewed), and interesting details from the trailer (e.g. the sauropod air sacs).

[Infinity Blade]

Remember how we talked about how the popularity of prehistoric docs was stagnating? Glad that seems to be changing with this one.

[Supercommunist]

I wonder why so many depictions assume that male tyrannosaurs took care of the offspring. I know a lot of male ratites do but statistically, it's more likely the females would. Of course its possible the documentary is assuming that both the parents have a role and the trailer happened to only show the father.

[creature386]

Is it really that common? JFC and WWD both had the mother take care after the offspring while Dinosaur Revolution had them divide the work (but then again, my sample size of docs might be a bit small here).

[Supercommunist]

The game saurian depicts the male caring for and I recall reading a comic book also doing that.

[Infinity Blade]

Here's the official trailer. I'm so hyped.

[creature386]

I don't remember the last time a trailer evoked such strong emotions in me. I just keep asking myself "where has this been all the time?"

[Supercommunist]

Do you actually need to have an apple device to watch it or can I view it on a PC?

[Infinity Blade]

You don’t need an Apple device but you do need a subscription to Apple TV, which has a free trial.

[creature386]

Three days left. Which means it'll be out on Monday. I'm just writing this here because otherwise, I'll probably forget it. Well, I'll probably get my free trial during the weekend.

[Supercommunist]

I doubt it will happen but I hope we get a scene where a tyrannosaurus hunts an ankylosaurus. Getting a bit tired how the ankylosaurus is treated as an invulnerable dinosaur. T-rex often gets derided as being overhyped but honestly, I think ankylosaurus might be the dinosaur with the most overrated fighting abilties.

[Supercommunist]

Gonna hold off on the free trial until more episodes are released. How much of it is animation?

EDIT: I found a pirated link to the 1st episode easy. I've used the site semi-reguarly and I haven't gotten any viruses. If you want the link PM and I can send it to you.

[Infinity Blade]

May 24, 2022 1:27:38 GMT 5 Supercommunist said:

Gonna hold off on the free trial until more episodes are released. How much of it is animation?

EDIT: I found a pirated link to the 1st episode easy. I've used the site semi-reguarly and I haven't gotten any viruses. If you want the link PM and I can send it to you.

All of it is animation (except the very beginning of the introduction). The episodes are being released on consecutive days, meaning the next one is coming tomorrow.

I hate to get preachy, but I do want to say this. If you can, I would strongly encourage you to not pirate it, simply so they know we want more stuff like this (as much as I know many people detest Apple). If you must pirate, I would then strongly encourage leaving a positive review somewhere so people reading it who can/will use AppleTV+ can check it out for themselves.

[Supercommunist]

I hate to get preachy, but I do want to say this. If you can, I would strongly encourage you to not pirate it, simply so they know we want more stuff like this (as much as I know many people detest Apple). If you must pirate, I would then strongly encourage leaving a positive review somewhere so people reading it who can/will use AppleTV+ can check it out for themselves.

I planned on getting a free trial when all the episodes come out, rewatch them, and leave a review.

[Infinity Blade]

Okay, thoughts on the first episode in the spoiler below.

SPOILER: Click to show

• This episode is set 66 million years ago. The whole series is set exclusively in the Late Cretaceous.
• LET'S ****ING GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
• A Tyrannosaurus father is seen swimming with his chicks. The explanation for how this apex predator we typically associate with land is able to swim is a good and needed one. The pneumatic bones and powerful legs allow it to be an effective swimmer. Seeing the giant protostegid turtles swimming alongside the rex is also not something you would ever expect to see, but it's beautiful.
• But of course, someone's here to ruin the party. A mosasaur (stated to weigh 15 tonnes) is stalking the father rex and his brood. So it looks like modern paleontologists really do take the idea of really big f*cking mosasaurs seriously. 15 tons (from here on out I'm just going to say "tons", meaning metric tons, because screw it) is way more than I would ever have expected.
  
  From the get-go we see one of the chicks struggling to keep up with its father and siblings. Not a good sign. Sure enough, it goes down. The execution, however, is interesting. All you see is the mosasaur's mass creating its own small wave through the water, and the baby tyrannosaur sinks below the water, while the music suddenly stops. It's not an over-the-top death, which I have to give the writers credit for.
  
  It's interesting how Attenborough says that even in the water the adult T. rex could still defend itself very effectively. I guess so. Even if the odds are obviously still stacked against papa rex, a bite or scratch from its foot claws would still hurt.
• Then we see what the T. rex swam all the way over here for. A dead, rotting protostegid turtle. These things are stated to weigh 2 tons, so it provides a hefty meal for the theropod. A T. rex...eating a turtle? Not something you might expect to see in a paleodocumentary, but it's akin to a jaguar eating a washed up sea turtle.
  
  The rex flips over the two ton turtle carcass with his head and neck (under sand that just collapses under his weight, if anything) and begins feasting on its belly. Although Attenborough discusses T. rex's bite strength as opposed to this, it's just as telling of the sheer strength of T. rex.
• Oh btw, this is the only non-avian dinosaur you'll see in this episode. Wait, what? Don't worry, it gets better from here.
• First Attenborough briefly discusses the sea and how the ecosystem works. And then it cuts to the coast of North Africa, where several species of pterosaurs live. This episode is going to put plenty of focus on non-dinosaurs too, which makes sense (it's called "Prehistoric Planet", after all, not just "something something dinosaurs").
• The first one we see is a colony of the pteranodontid Tethydraco (though some nyctosaurids can also be seen in the mix). The predatory azhdarchid Phosphatodraco is present too, and it's presented as a threat to baby pterosaurs.
• This show has an interesting take on the "pterosaurs on cliffs" trope sometimes seen in paleomedia. It's acknowledged that pterosaur eggs are soft-shelled, but the eggs aren't laid on cliffs. They're laid underneath seaweed, and the Alcione (pterydactyloid) hatchlings must instinctually climb up the cliff upon hatching from their eggs.
  
  And then you see it. The cliff top is full of these baby pterosaurs under the sun. It's a majestic sight.
• After a few hours to let their wings develop, the pterosaur hatchlings fly their way to the forest across the seaway. Beautiful sight to see them all across the distance flying. Pure nature documentary material, I tell you.
• But as usual, someone is here to spoil the fun. Barbaridactylus (the nyctosaurids we saw before) find the hatchlings too good to pass up. Sure enough, these predators manage to snatch a good number of the hatchlings. The entire scene is played dramatically (with appropriate music) as the hatchlings fly away for dear life. Even if they make it to the beach by tumbling down, they are vulnerable to hungry Phosphatodraco. Luckily, the Barbaridactylus can't follow the hatchlings into the forest.
• Over the submerged continent of Zealandia, a mother Tuarangisaurus and her calf swim to a bay. I love the little detail of them periodically blowing water out of their nostrils and diving back down like a whale would. What I love even more is the male mating display to females (they stick their necks out vertically and fully erect out of the water).
• The calf has a hard time learning to swallow gastroliths. He's basically me learning to swallow pills for the first time (oh joy...).
• In southern Europe, we see a diversity of sponges, clams, and corals thriving in the seas. I'm wondering right now if we should see more rudist clams, as they were the dominant reef builders at the time.
• But anyway, mosasaur time. When it opens its mouth, we can see the animators did their homework with regards to squamate lips. The "Hoffmann's mosasaur" (clearly Mosasaurus hoffmanni) opens its mouth for pycnodont fishes to clean. It also sheds its old skin, and the detailed close-ups are just amazing. The mosasaur rolls around to get its entire body cleaned, and then sticks its head above the surface with its mouth wide open to take in air. The mosasaur relaxes...
  
  ...but again, something spoils the fun. Out of nowhere, another Mosasaurus rams into our giant sea lizard, knocking him back into the water. A few notes:
  
  1.) The two are also distinguishable by their color; the older male (our mosasaur) has a red dorsal surface, while the younger male is more dark grey. Nice detail, and makes it easier for the viewer too.
  
  2.) The mosasaurs seem to body slam (read: shoulder barge) each other. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but that's what it comes across as. I like it. Also, they have a habit of biting and trying to pin their opponent down to the seafloor. Heck, at one point, the older male drags his rival through the rocks. Attenborough tells us that the mosasaurs can drown their opponents, which makes this fighting strategy make sense.
• And now, for my favorite part of this episode. Bioluminescent. Ammonites. My words will never do the glowing patterns of ammonites justice. It's something you really need to see for yourself. I will say, the mating rituals of the ammonites is intriguing, especially the fact that the male must match the precise light rhythm of the female to mate with her.
  
  Only sad part is the fact that these ammonites die shortly after breeding.
• For the final segment, we return to the Tuarangisaurus. The mother and her calf are swimming with a group, but she is lethargic. This catches the attention of a mosasaur, Kaikaifilu (about 10 meters). As the mother dives to deeper water, the calf distracts the mosasaur. Soon enough, the plesiosaur group (made up of individuals possibly related to the mother) gangs up on the Kaikaifilu, snapping their jaws at it and forcing it away. Finally, plesiosaurs aren't depicted as helpless wimps against predators.

Overall verdict:

Oh my god, what a banger. This really is a true prehistoric documentary. Fossil animals of all kinds take the spotlight. Not only do you have the fabled Tyrannosaurus rex, but you also have plenty of animals the general public hasn't heard of (hell, there were genera here I haven't heard of!). How many times have you seen an entire segment dedicated to ammonites, using bioluminescent mating rituals, no less? How many times have you seen several different species of pterosaur in one scene, where they are each other's greatest enemies (which only makes sense)? How many times do you see T. rex being an opportunistic carnivore, eating any source of meat it can find through any means necessary?

So overall, great start to the series. I can't wait for more.