史前星球（2022）

（大卫爱登堡主持）
恐龙毫无疑问是曾经存在过的最了不起
Surely one of the most remarkable animals that had ever existed,
也绝对是最著名的动物之一
and certainly one of the most famous, is a dinosaur.
霸王龙
Tyrannosaurus rex.
这是一种能够激发 我们所有人想象力的动物
An animal to spark the imagination for all of us.
恐龙是一种什么样的动物
What kind of an animal was it?
它长什么样 如何生活
What did it look like? How did it live?
现在 科学研究 已经给出了这些问题的答案
Now, scientific research has answered such questions.
不仅仅是霸王龙
And not just about T. rex,
还有和它生活在同一时期的其他物种
but the other species that lived alongside it.
而最新的成像技术 能够把它们活灵活现地展现在我们面前
And the latest imaging technology enables us to bring them all to life.
这是六千六百万年前的地球
Planet Earth, 66 million years ago.
天空中遍布飞翔的巨兽
The skies are filled with flying giants.
海洋深处游弋着巨大的爬行动物
In the seas, monstrous reptiles patrol the depths.
陆地上的各种恐龙
And on land, dinosaurs of every kind,
都面临着生存的威胁
all facing the struggle to survive.
如今 我们对那个 曾被恐龙统治的世界已知之甚多
We now know so much about a world that was ruled by the dinosaurs.
这就是它们的故事
This is their story.
《海岸》
这是巨大内海的南部海岸
The southern shores of the great inland sea
这片内海分割了北美大♥陆♥
that splits North America.
海岸上随处可见 这片土地上顶级掠食者的足迹
And the tracks of the land's top predator.
一只霸王龙正在游泳
A Tyrannosaurus rex taking a swim.
中空的骨骼充满了空气 再加上强有力的后肢
Hollow, air-filled bones and powerful hind limbs
使霸王龙成为了不折不扣的游泳高手
make T. rex very effective swimmers.
这只成年雄性霸王龙正带着孩子们游泳
This is an adult male with his young family.
这些幼崽们的年纪 刚刚够跟着爸爸踏上这段旅程
His offspring are now just old enough to follow him on a journey
前往这个海岸边缘的众多离岸岛屿之一
to one of the many offshore islands that fringe this coast.
虽然这段旅程的路途不远 但仍然危机四伏
It's a short enough crossing, but it can still be a dangerous one.
一只沧龙出现了
A mosasaur.
这是一种体型比霸王龙大一倍的 巨型海蜥蜴
A giant marine lizard over twice the size of a tyrannosaur
体重超过了15吨♥
and weighing over 15 tons.
它是地球上最大的掠食者
It's the largest predator on the planet.
沧龙通常以海龟为食
Turtles are normally on a mosasaur's menu.
但这群小霸王龙会是很美味的点心
But this brood would make a welcome snack.
成年霸王龙即使是在水里
An adult T. rex, even in water,
仍然可以非常有效地保护自己
could still defend itself very effectively.
但幼崽们必须跟紧爸爸
But the young must stay close.
在霸王龙一窝大约15只幼崽中
Tyrannosaurus rex often lose at least two-thirds
至少有三分之二会在第一年不幸遇难
of their original brood of 15 or so in the first year.
现在这只霸王龙爸爸只剩下四只幼崽了
Now there are only four.
这个岛为它们提供了安全和食物保障
The island offers safety and the promise of food.
2吨♥重的巨型海龟在这里筑巢
Giant two-ton turtles are here to nest.
但霸王龙是被这只海龟吸引过来的
But this is the one that has drawn him here.
它已经死了 霸王龙闻到了它腐烂尸体的气味
It's dead, and the tyrannosaur has smelled its rotting body.
如果它能打开海龟的腹部
If he can just get to the underbelly,
就能轻松享受900多公斤的龟肉大餐
he will have over 2,000 pounds of easy meat.
霸王龙拥有自然界中最有力的下颚
T. rex has the most powerful jaws in nature.
并有着超过5吨♥重量的咬合力
And can bite with the force of over five tons.
幼崽们渴望尝一口美味 但恐龙爸爸可不打算和它们分享
The young are keen for a taste, but he's not sharing it.
是时候让它们学习狩猎 自给自足了
It's time for them to learn to hunt for themselves.
然而 这片海滩看上去可没那么充满希望
The beach, however, doesn't look very promising.
但随着夜幕降临 情况开始发生变化
But as the evening approaches, things start to change.
小海龟开始从沙滩上孵化出来 然后冲向大海
Baby turtles are beginning to hatch from the sand and rush down to the sea.
这里对于小霸王龙们来说 是一个练习狩猎的好地方
The young T. rex have been brought to an ideal training ground.
刚孵化出来的小海龟 体型刚好适合它们这些狩猎新手来捕猎
Hatchling turtles are the perfect size for a novice to tackle.
任何有好奇心的猎手都会收获满满
It pays for any hunter to be inquisitive.
要学的东西还很多
There's a lot to learn.
这里的食物足够父亲和孩子们一起享用
And there's enough food here to satisfy both parent and young.
如果狩猎一无所获
And if all else fails,
你总能从同伴那里偷晚饭吃
you can always steal supper from someone else.
在世界各地
Across the globe,
这些浅海覆盖了 六千四百七十五万平方公里的面♥积♥
these shallow coastal seas cover an area of 25 million square miles.
这甚至比最大的大♥陆♥面♥积♥还大很多
Far more than even the largest continent.
再加上水中物产丰富
That, combined with the richness of the waters,
使它们成为非常重要的栖息地
makes them very important habitat.
在陆地与海洋相接的地方
Wherever land meets sea,
营养物质从海底深处升上来 为大量生命提供了养分
nutrients rise from the deep, fueling an abundance of life.
尤其在北大西洋 营养物质更加丰富
It's especially rich here in the North Atlantic,
这里有大量的鱼群靠近海岸
where huge shoals of fish come close to the shore.
有一种动物在这样的地方繁衍生息 形成了巨大的群落
One kind of animal thrives in such places and forms immense colonies.
它就是翼龙 是一种飞行的爬行动物
Flying reptiles. Pterosaurs.
在北非的海滩上有七种不同的翼龙
Here, on the beaches of North Africa, there are seven different species of them.
它们来这里进食 休息 养育后代
They come here to feed, to rest, and to raise their young.
特提斯翼龙非常适应在地面上生活
Tethydraco are well-adapted to spend time on the ground
它们不仅在这里筑巢 还会留下来保护幼崽
and not only make their nests here but stay to protect their brood.
这些幼崽们的确需要保护
And their young certainly need protection.
磷矿翼龙有着匕♥首♥般的喙
The dagger beak of Phosphatodraco.
这只2.7米高的掠食者 在这些特提斯翼龙的聚居地出没
A nine-foot-tall predator that stalks through these colonies,
想找机会抓走一只未受保护的幼崽
looking for a chance to snatch an unguarded hatchling.
但有些类别的翼龙不太适应陆地上的生活
But some types of pterosaurs are less well-adapted to life on land.
它们的筑巢策略略有不同
They have a slightly different nesting strategy.
它们会把巢建在 不会引起掠食者注意的地方
They make their nests where they will attract less attention from predators.
像这样孤立的悬崖就是理想地点
Isolated cliffs like this are ideal.
翼龙蛋坚韧 很容易风干
Pterosaur eggs are leathery and can easily dry out,
所以需要有东西覆盖这些蛋
so they need to be covered.
有东西正在这堆海藻下面移♥动♥着
Beneath this pile of seaweed, something is stirring.
这是一只很小的翠鸟翼龙幼崽
A tiny Alcione hatchling, just a few inches high
它只有几厘米高 体重不到60克
and weighing less than two ounces.
两个月前 它们的妈妈把蛋留在了这里
Their mothers left the eggs here about two months ago.
同伴们彼此呼叫可以使孵化同步
Calling to each other synchronizes hatching.
成群结队就会更加安全
There is safety in numbers.
它们出生后的第一本能是攀爬悬崖峭壁
Their first instinct is to climb.
从成百上千个鸟巢中孵化出的幼崽 聚集在悬崖顶上
Hatchlings from hundreds of nests gather on the cliff-top
为它们的第一次飞行做准备
to prepare for their first flight.
但它们的翅膀还没有成形
But their wings are still unformed.
支撑翼膜的长手指骨
The bones of the long finger that supports their wing membrane
必须首先伸直并锁在一起 这个过程需要几个小时
must first straighten and lock together, and that will take some hours.
但它们不能在这里待太久
But they can't stay here for long.
它们的骨头非常轻 90%都是空气
Their bones are extremely light, up to 90% air,
这让它们轻而易举就能起飞
and that makes the effort needed to take off much easier.
即便如此 试飞这一步也是必不可少的
Even so, test flights are essential.
当真的要起飞的时候
There will only be one chance to get it right
就不容有失了
when the time comes to launch.
悬崖边缘会产生上升气流 有助于幼崽们起飞
The cliff edge creates updrafts, and they can help.
所以迎着盛行风聚集在那里
So, it pays to gather there facing into the prevailing winds
面朝大♥陆♥是有好处的
and towards the mainland.
但似乎谁都不愿意冒险一试
But no one seems quite ready to take the plunge.
终于有一只幼崽飞了出去 并带领其他小家伙们上路
Until, at last, one youngster sets them all on their way.
它们不是飞往海滩和种群栖息地
They're not heading for the beach and its colony.
它们要飞去更远处的雾林
They need to get to the mist forest that lies beyond.
巴巴里翼龙
Barbaridactylus.
这是一种强大的掠食性翼龙 它们通常捕食鱼类
Powerful, predatory pterosaurs that normally catch fish.
但捕食这些幼崽的机会难得 不容错过
But the hatchlings are too good to miss.
采取规避行动的一种方法 就是收起翅膀下坠
One way to take evasive action is to simply fold their wings and drop.
但是高度的下降会使它们更难抵达森林
But losing height will make it harder for them to reach the forests.
迫降在翼龙群中
A crash landing in the colony.
这里可不是刚孵出的幼崽能待的地方
It's no place for a hatchling on its own.
这是第一波孵化幼崽中的幸存者
A lucky survivor from the first wave of hatchlings…
它仍旧向着正确的方向飞行
still heading in the right direction.
到达避难所
Sanctuary.
很少有离开峭壁的幼崽 能来到这么远的地方
Of the hatchlings that left the stack, few get as far as this.
但对它们来说
But for them,
这片森林为年幼翼龙提供了 它们所需的一切：庇护所和食物
this forest offers all the shelter and food that a young pterosaur needs.
在接下来的五年中 这里将是它们的家
For the next five years, this will be their home.
然后 等它们长得足够大以后 就可以加入成年翼龙的行列
Then, they will be large enough to join the adults,
在广袤的大海中捕鱼
catching fish out on the open ocean.
一些一辈子都在海上捕鱼的海洋动物
Some marine animals that spend all their lives fishing out at sea
偶尔会出于某种特殊目的来到海岸
must occasionally visit the coast for a very particular purpose.
在沉入海水的西兰蒂亚大♥陆♥附近的水域中
In the waters off the drowned continent of Zealandia,
一段漫长的旅程即将结束
a long journey is coming to an end.