The Research Behind the Documentaries
In his documentary, Life, David Attenborough explores the mysteries and complexities of life by observing a variety of land and marine animals. In Season 1 episode 1, Attenborough addresses the various “challenges of life” that animals face and mentioned, in many cases, parental care and contributions toward their offspring. Of the many examples, the Oophaga... Continue Reading →
In the “Mammals” episode of the Life series, David Attenborough highlights the importance of the family unit for the evolution of mammals. He includes several examples of social cooperation in mammals: hyenas (at 27:00), meerkats (at 35:00), and elephants (38:00). Towards the end of the episode, a baby elephant slips into mud. The mother struggles... Continue Reading →
It’s hard to get the girl. In the case of the marvelous spatuletail hummingbird (Loddigesia mirabilis), males need more than just pretty looks — they need stamina, as shown in Episode 5 of David Attenborough’s Life Season 1. Males of this species are unique in one particular feature: their spatules (or rackets) [1]. The male... Continue Reading →
In Life: Season 1 Episode 10, David Attenborough explores the social interactions and behavior of various primates that live around the world. Particularly in the Congo Basin, many populations of Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) inhabit the dense rainforest. Living in family packs, gorillas are led and protected by one silverback male. As the... Continue Reading →
In Season 1, Episode 7 of Life, David Attenborough claims life in the wild is most intense between predator and prey. In order to survive, one must out smart the other. In this episode, we see three male cheetahs that hunt prey other cheetahs would not dare to go near. Why? Cheetahs typically do not... Continue Reading →
While on the hunt, a supreme awareness of the surroundings can pay off large dividends for an individual. One species that takes advantage of their surroundings is the shark. In Life, a shark quickly reacts to the movements of a school of anchovies by sensing the electrical signals given off by their collective movement, giving... Continue Reading →
In Life Season 1, Episode 10, Brazilian brown-tufted capuchin monkeys are depicted using tools to obtain food. Specifically, they use large stones that can be nearly half their body weight to crack open palm nuts. While tool use is often viewed as a purely human trait, there is evidence of nonhuman tool use across the... Continue Reading →
Fish can fly, or so it appears in Season 1, Episode 1 of Life. In the documentary, Attenborough describes how flyingfish can glide forward for over 200 meters, just above the surface of the water, in order to avoid predators. There are approximately 50 species of flyingfish in the family Exocoetidae [1]. These fish do... Continue Reading →
The Evolution of Planet Earth 