{843}{906}This little mammal is a scavenger. {908}{995}Called Didelphodon,|she is a marsupial {997}{1095}and specialises in raiding|abandoned dinosaur nests. {1122}{1201}This evening, she could be in luck. {1329}{1451}Unfortunately, the smell of the nest|blinds her senses to danger. {1628}{1676}(Squeaking) {1790}{1836}(Huge roar) {2042}{2090}(Bellows ) {2470}{2522}The end of the Cretaceous. {2525}{2599}The continents|are taking their modern forms. {2602}{2683}But this movement|of the Earth's crust {2686}{2758}has produced a surge|in volcanic activity. {2888}{2984}Massive eruptions|that have lasted for centuries {2986}{3041}have laid waste to landscapes, {3044}{3120}filling the atmosphere|with gases and debris. {3124}{3217}This desolate world|is still ruled by dinosaurs, {3220}{3304}as it has been|for 160 million years, {3306}{3383}but they are nearing the end|of their reign. {3385}{3455}Life on earth is choking to death. {3671}{3679}Yet in the last two million years, {3679}{3743}Yet in the last two million years, {3746}{3827}the dinosaurs'|most infamous predator has appeared. {3830}{3918}Tyrannosaurus, a five-tonne,|13-metre long carnivore, {3921}{4029}specifically evolved|to kill other giant dinosaurs. {4073}{4123}This is a male. {4126}{4255}He's been drawn to this volcano|by the smell of food. {4281}{4370}The area is full|of geothermal springs {4373}{4442}and the air thick|with sulphurous fumes. {4443}{4510}But there is another smell here. {4510}{4621}In one small valley,|there is the stench of death. {4798}{4908}Unwittingly, the Tyrannosaurus|has been drawn into a natural trap. {4912}{4996}Volcanic vents are producing|poisonous carbon monoxide, {4996}{5058}and because it is heavier than air, {5060}{5135}it has formed a suffocating layer|close to the ground. {5245}{5326}The giant predator|stands above the layer, {5329}{5425}but as he puts|his head down to feed {5428}{5490}he begins to feel the effects. {5709}{5826}If he topples over now,|he will never get up. {6038}{6122}Eventually,|his sheer size is his salvation. {6124}{6242}As he stands up with his prize,|his head just clears the gas layer. {6523}{6629}There are still islands of greenery|between the lava flows. {6631}{6730}In the warm, moist climate|of the late Cretaceous, {6733}{6783}the vegetation has transformed. {6803}{6851}Instead of conifers, {6853}{6951}broad-leaved trees|fill the forest canopy. {6994}{7105}Driving this quiet revolution|among the plants {7107}{7174}is the remarkable|evolution of flowers. {7178}{7271}Their secret lies in their|intimate relationship with insects, {7273}{7381}so close that some flowers|can only be pollinated by insects {7384}{7489}and some insects, like butterflies,|can only feed on flowers. {7622}{7706}Among these new plants,|the birds are flourishing, {7708}{7759}and their calls form|an ever-present chorus. {7943}{8001}Millions of years of evolution {8003}{8097}have also created|intimate relationships {8100}{8170}among different types of dinosaurs. {8172}{8282}Especially the delicate balance|between predator and prey. {8837}{8883}(Terrifying squawk) {9016}{9064}(Hissing roar) {9155}{9229}0ne dinosaur|that specialises in defence {9232}{9301}is the extraordinary Ankylosaurus. {9303}{9416}They are evolved to withstand attack|even from giant predators {9420}{9482}like Tyrannosaurus. {9482}{9578}At seven tonnes, Ankylosaurus|are so heavily armoured {9580}{9652}that even their eyelids|are hardened. {9705}{9818}And if that wasn't enough,|they have a formidable club {9821}{9893}on the end of their tails. {9958}{10068}Sadly, not even these magnificent|creatures have any defence {10070}{10178}against the natural forces|that are suffocating their world. {10407}{10465}Nearby lies the Tyrannosaurus nest. {10467}{10558}These are usually|closely guarded by the mother, {10560}{10618}but this nest has been abandoned, {10620}{10692}and a Didelphodon|has burrowed into the side. {10796}{10914}Dinosaurs are vulnerable because|they lay their eggs on the ground. {10957}{10971}But size helps, {10971}{11003}But size helps, {11005}{11077}and the egg is a challenge|for this marsupial. {11077}{11154}Soon the age of the mammals|will dawn, {11154}{11211}and they will grow massive, {11215}{11282}but this is as big|as Cretaceous mammals get. {11375}{11507}The Tyrannosaurus embryo inside|the abandoned egg is already dead. {11569}{11656}The scent is a lure|to another Didelphodon. {11733}{11801}(Snarls and growls) {11827}{11877}(Growling) {12075}{12137}(Loud shrieks ) {12262}{12276}Many dinosaur embryos cannot|survive in this volcanic environment {12276}{12348}Many dinosaur embryos cannot|survive in this volcanic environment {12351}{12399}because acidic pollution {12399}{12492}prevents their eggshells|from forming properly. {12548}{12606}(Bellowing) {12721}{12822}The mother is calling|for a new mate. {12824}{12932}Tyrannosaurus have huge territories|of hundreds of square kilometres. {12932}{13016}Her challenge is to attract|a wandering male. {13019}{13113}She may have to call|like this for weeks. {13481}{13584}0ne of the Tyrannosaurus's|principal sources of prey {13586}{13651}are these bulky Torosaurus. {13653}{13766}In the late Cretaceous, herds of|horned herbivores are very common {13768}{13828}and attract many predators. {13916}{14028}It is rutting season. To display,|males flush blood into their crests, {14031}{14091}creating vivid patterns. {14198}{14285}These displays help|to avoid physical contact. {14287}{14340}With one-metre-long horns, {14343}{14427}fighting can easily result|in bad injuries. {14427}{14485}The best and the brightest crest {14487}{14571}is all that is needed|to settle arguments. {14783}{14862}0ccasionally,|showing off is not enough {14865}{14910}and males resort to brute force. {15566}{15674}For this old Torosaurus,|this was one fight too many. {15711}{15787}He will never again|challenge for the right to mate. {15790}{15838}(Gruff mooing) {16008}{16085}The mating call|of the Tyrannosaurus {16087}{16171}continues to echo|across the volcanic slopes. {16172}{16217}And it has been heard. {16220}{16251}A male has killed|a young Triceratops. {16253}{16277}It's not just to satisfy his hunger.|It is a gift. {16402}{16488}Female Tyrannosaurus|are larger and more aggressive, {16491}{16546}and he courts her with food {16548}{16632}to stop her attacking him on sight. {16636}{16715}(Hisses ) {16928}{16983}(Growls) {17011}{17063}(Growls) {17066}{17135}The female arrives. {17212}{17289}(Short roars ) {17291}{17351}She is wary. {17445}{17457}The primary weapon|of a Tyrannosaurus is its mouth. {17458}{17561}The primary weapon|of a Tyrannosaurus is its mouth. {17563}{17649}Its arms are tiny|so it can carry a massive jaw {17652}{17707}and remain balanced. {17777}{17896}This jaw can crush bone|and tear off up to 70 kg of meat {17900}{17945}with one bite. {17948}{18010}The male keeps his distance. {18364}{18428}Later that evening, they mate. {18431}{18495}This is the first of many couplings {18495}{18610}as the male stays by the female|while she is receptive - {18613}{18682}ready to see off any other males. {19055}{19151}0n the lava flows,|a group of Anatotitan {19153}{19228}wanders between islands of greenery. {19327}{19437}These animals are members|of the hadrosaur family, {19440}{19543}the most common group of dinosaurs|in the Late Cretaceous. {19545}{19605}But their kind has evolved {19607}{19720}to thrive in lush lowland swamps,|not in an ash wilderness. {19995}{20050}Three days have passed. {20052}{20150}The Triceratops carcass|has been stripped {20154}{20262}and the female Tyrannosaurus|is beginning to tire of her mate. {20288}{20336}(Roars ) {20451}{20497}(Hisses ) {20821}{20903}The male knows better than to stay. {21263}{21323}Gliding in from the coast, {21326}{21446}a magnificent pterosaur,|Quetzalcoatlus, is hunting for food. {21448}{21508}This is now a rare sight. {21802}{21917}For 20 million years, these flying|reptiles have been in decline. {21919}{22015}These 13-metre giants|are the only ones left. {22018}{22069}And this is a dangerous place to be. {22133}{22222}0ne-tonne crocodiles|live in the lake, {22224}{22296}and could easily drag|the delicate glider to his death. {22724}{22784}Driven on to extinction. {22787}{22882}The skies of the future|belong to the birds {22886}{22946}that already flourish around him. {23032}{23126}Months have passed,|and the female Tyrannosaurus {23126}{23183}has built a new nest,|camouflaged in the forest. {23267}{23313}Mother keeps watch. {23316}{23410}For the full two months|of the eggs' incubation, {23412}{23469}she will not leave or even eat. {23472}{23561}She knows her nest|is a magnet to scavengers. {23592}{23652}Like this Dromaeosaur. {23837}{23943}His cautious approach|is watched by the Tyrannosaurus. {23979}{24087}She judges exactly|when he has got too close. {24115}{24163}(Roars ) {24166}{24216}(Squeals) {24359}{24476}As the sun sets, another threat|comes out to haunt the mother. {24478}{24526}(Chirps and yowls) {24574}{24620}(Growls) {24844}{24918}(Bellowing roar) {24921}{25029}With food becoming scarce,|the mammals are getting bolder. {25072}{25177}She checks to make sure|more have not burrowed in, {25181}{25238}then returns to her vigil. {25389}{25497}The weeks pass, and above|the brilliant volcanic sunsets, {25499}{25610}there are signs of an even more|destructive natural disaster. {25690}{25800}Showers of shooting stars|herald the approach of a giant comet {25803}{25872}on a collision course|with the Earth. {25988}{26039}Far below,|the dinosaurs are oblivious. {26072}{26082}The Torosaurus herd|continues to feed. {26082}{26158}The Torosaurus herd|continues to...
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