Life indeed does find a way.. as Apple TV+ showcases a documentary event that travels back 66 million years to a dominion when these extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.  The wonders of our world are brought to life like never before. 

Dinosaurs continue to spark the imagination in all of us and with new updated scientific research and the latest imaging technology we are able to bring these titans to life. Throughout this five-night event, you’ll see a different terrain showcasing these creatures in extraordinary climates whether it’s the swooping sky, coastal depths, deep-sea, Icecaps, desolate desert, or fresh forests. What I’ve witnessed is that throughout each episode all dinosaurs of every kind are facing the one common thing which is the struggle to survive. 

Prehistoric Planet which is now streaming on Apple TV+ teams up with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the team behind many successful nature documentaries such as “Planet Earth” and The Moving Pictures Company’s visual effects team who’ve worked on Hollywood movies such as 2019’s “The Lion King”. this is all thanks to a great partnership between Mike Gunton, the BBC’s most senior natural history producer and Hollywood director Jon Favreau. Filming took place in real-world locations and the result is absolutely astonishing, as the scientifically accurate dinosaurs are brought to life and showcase behaviour in ways we’ve never seen before.

Prehistoric Planet is a feast for curious minds, it showcases one of the most exciting times in our world’s history which is a world populated by these extraordinary creatures. Some you may have never heard of but imagine flying reptiles the size of a giraffe soaring the skies, devil toads hopping around the marshlands and massive Dreadnoughtus march the desert. The series also brings to life many well-known dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Velociraptors, and Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the many marvels during the dinosaur dynasty. 

Transporting back 66 million years ago brings with it a combination of real and imaginary as Prehistoric Planet is a wildlife documentary that features the dramatic elements of struggle, conflict, life and death. The heart of the docu-series and what I witnessed is that you get a front-row seat to the greatest show on Earth set in the land of the dinosaurs. 

Prehistoric Planet is something spectacular and is populated by these magnificent prehistoric creatures. It’s a big breakthrough into understanding their behaviour, their anatomy, and their appearance, it’s truly something that must be believed to be seen. 

What kind of animals were they? what did they look like? and how did they live?. These are the questions that scientific research can now finally answer not just about Tyrannosaurus Rex but the other species that lived alongside it. And with dozens of dinosaurs featured throughout the five episodes, I’d like to tell you more about Prehistoric Planet’s new stars and some of my favourites.

DEINOCHEIRUS

Deinocheirus, with its feathered body and duck bill, the eight-ton creature wades through the Asian wetlands. first named in 1970, originally scientists only had a pair of arm bones with big, long claws. In 2014 new evidence revealed that Deinocheirus had a unique, large hump on its back supported by its back bones. Name meaning “terrible hand” Deinocheirus was a large omnivorous theropod. 

CARNOTAURUS

Carnotaurus meaning “carnivorous bull” is another large theropod. It’s known for its hollow bones and three-toed limbs and was discovered by Argentinian palaeontologist Joes Bonaparte in 1984. Their thick muscular neck and distinct horns sticking out of its eyes help identify the this creature which can get up to twenty-six feet in length which makes it a formidable predator. However Prehistoric Planet showcases these creatures in a whole new way as we witness a touching display as a Carnotaurus male puts on a courtship performance with only the smallest of arms, does he succeed in wowing the female well you’ll just have to tune into this epic five night event. 

MONONYKUS

Mononykus meaning “single claw” was a small theropod, measuring just around one metre in length. With long thin legs, shaggy featuring and small specialised forearms used for foraging. Mononykus also was very nimble which is very useful in the open desert plains. This desert expert patrols the vast lands to find enough food. As mentioned the long thin legs help to keep the body cool whilst its features form a shield protected it from the suns rays. super sense facial discs make her hypersensitive to sound which gives the Mononykus a mental map. Another skill this remarkable creature has is a flexible lounge, twice the length of her head as she uses her single claw to break into the tree bark and feast on termites. 

BARBARIDACTYLUS PTEROSAURS

Barbaridactylus Pterosaurs is a nyctosaurid pterosaur, a kind usually associated with coastal areas and hunting for fish. Originally discovered in Morocco, it uses its sixteen foot wingspan to swoop down and dive into oceans, snatching any fish swimming close to the surface. Meaning of name comes from the Barbary Coast of North Africa. 

NANUQSAURUS

Nanuqsaurus meaning “polar bear lizard`’ was built for life in the polar north regions,It was first described and named in 2014. This species is also related to Tyrannosaurus rex, however its about half the length as this Tyrannosaur grew to around six metres in length. They displayed powerful predatory skills. 

CORYTHORAPTOR

Corythoraptor meaning “crested thief” is an oviraptor newly discovered in 2017. Its part of a group of crested, toothless, and feathered dinosaurs that are equipped with parrot-like heads, this omnivore is similar to that of a  cassowary a relation also to the emu. Corythoraptor’s can reach approximately five feet tall as they had long legs and were very much likely to be fast runners. 

Prehistoric Planet will truly stand the test of time as this Revolutionary series documents the riveting journey each species goes through, which is thanks to new scientific research such as Phylogenetic bracketing. This technique looks to see where animals sit on the evolutionary tree of life and also seeing what creatures were alongside them, for instance a Tyrannosaurus has crocodilians on one side of the spectrum and the other you have modern birds. This helps understand the behaviours of each species and  their fossil records. 

Prehistoric Planet on Apple TV+ truly is a big breakthrough in showing what the world these dinosaurs lived in was like and the series breathes new life into some of the most misunderstood creatures that ever walked the earth.