The Research Behind the Documentaries
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 →
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 →
Life Story describes an epic struggle for survival in a weaver ant colony. Hunting parties take down prey many times larger than themselves. A jumping spider deceives the ants, sneaking past colony guards. Raiders from an adversarial colony attack, attempting to “expand their empire.” The battle concludes with the image of a single warrior ant... Continue Reading →
A pride of lionesses forms a beautifully-coordinated trap, chasing a giraffe into what appears to be inevitable death; unexpectedly, the hunt ends in failure as the giraffe viciously tramples the lead female and escapes relatively unscathed. David Attenborough states that lion hunts have the highest rate of failure in the desert, which is not surprising... Continue Reading →
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 →
The Evolution of Planet Earth 