The Research Behind the Documentaries
According to David Attenborough in Planet Earth II, episode 4 (Deserts), lions are most successful when they hunt and live in groups. But is this always true, and is it worth it? Lions are known to live in large prides, but we don’t always know why. Researchers have discovered that it’s harder for lions to... Continue Reading →
In Season 1, Episode 4 of The Life of Mammals, beavers (Castor Canadensis) not only breathe, sleep, and eat as other mammals, but they also build. Attenborough witnesses a North American beaver building a dam in this documentary. Castor Canadensis are a species that align mud, sticks, and stones to one side of the dam,... 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 