这是一个 We are living through
发现恐龙的 THE golden age
黄金时期 of dinosaur discoveries.
世界上 from all over the world
整整一个时代的恐龙 a whole new generation of dinosaurs has been revealed.
从庞然大物 From the biggest giants...
到致命杀手 and the deasliest killers.
以及那些怪异的小东西 to the weird and wonderful.
从北极圈 From the Arctic
到非洲大陆 to Africa.
从南美到亚洲 From South America to Asia.
通过最新的发现 using the latest evidence
我们首次 for the first time
以全球视野来认识这不可思议的生物 we have a truly global view of these incredible animals.
为生存而战 Fight for life
现在 this time
我们将回到1500万年前 we journey back 150 million years
的侏罗纪 to the Jurassic Period.
此时的星球属于那些庞然杀手 A time when the first giant killers stalked the earth.
但是这些庞然大物不只生存在大陆上 But these giants weren't confined to the land.
最近的研究 Recent discoveries
在大洋中发现了令人惊奇的新杀手 have revealed an astonishing new hunter in the oceans.
他们对其他生物产生了巨大的威胁 These new giant killers posed the greatest of threats.
但是自己的生死却在一线之间 But the smallest advantage to being balanced between life and death
捕食者与猎物之间永远上演着求生的大戏 predator and prey were locked in a perpetual battle for survival.
为了更好的理解当时的情景 to understand this world
我们将回到1500万年前 we must travel back 150 million years
此时的欧洲大陆和巴哈马群岛并无什么不同 to a time when much of Europe looked like the Bahamas.
热带海洋滋养了这些巨型捕食者 A time when these warm tropical seas were home to giant predators.
它们的遗骸 some of which have left their mark
在岩石中被发现 etched in stone.
这片位于瑞士的悬崖 This cliff face in Switzerland
上布满了 is carved with a series
无数沟槽 of enormous gouges and grooves.
其中的许多超过九米长 Many over nine metres long.
事实上 这一整块岩石 The entire rock face is actually
是一枚巨型化石 one huge fossil
侏罗纪时期海洋的上升断层 an upturned slab of Jurassic Ocean floor.
这些痕迹是捕食者 And the marks were left by a predator
在捕猎时留下的 as it hunted for food.
像这样的扁鲨 Sharks like this squatina
与生存至今的天使鲨十分相似 are similar to angel sharks which still exist today.
它是默默等待的突袭者 It's an ambush predator and lies in wait.
但是这片海洋里还有更大的猎手 But in these seas there are bigger hunters.
白垩龙 This is Kimmerosaurus.
蛇颈龙属 They belong to a group called plesiosaurs.
长达六米 has 6 meters long
是侏罗纪海洋中最成功的杀手之一 they're one of the Jurassic Ocean's most successful hunters.
也是最常见的杀手 And also one of the most common.
但是它不同寻常的捕食方式 And it's this unusual hunting method
使我们发现了它存在过的证据 that left its trace on the ocean floor
我们现在知道瑞士的那片岩石 We now know that the rock face in Switzerland
记录了它捕食留下的痕迹 is etched with the marks of hunting plesiosaurs.
但他们还不是海洋之王 But these giants were not the king of the seas.
很多化石证据显示了被撕开的证据 Many of the fossils show evidence of having been violently ripped apart.
很显然 clearly, there were
还有比他们大得多得多 much much bigger predators
的生物潜伏在海洋中 lurking in these seas.
2008年 北极圈高纬度的一座小岛 in 2008, in an island in the high Arctic,
的冻土层里出土了一枚化石 a fossil was dug out of the frozen earth.
他的头骨几乎有霸王龙的两倍大 Its skull alone was nearly twice that of T-rex.
这是一个巨型杀手 This was an enormous killer.
我们从未见过的杀手 a killer the like of which had never been seen before.
超过50米长 45吨重 more than 50 meters long and weight of 45 tons
无疑是最强大的海生爬行动物 this is the most powerful marine reptile ever discovered.
是大部分侏罗纪海洋猎手的两倍大 Twice as big as most Jurassic Ocean predators...
这是杀手X this is predator X
一只将被 an animal
记录为史上最致命杀手的动物 that must go down in history as one of the ocean's most deadly hunters.
它的猎物 比如白垩龙 And it's prey like Kimmerosaurus
已然进入它的视线 that are in its sights.
对像杀手X这样的巨大猎食者 Skull analysis of giant killers
头骨分析表明 like predator X
他们是靠气味捕食的 suggests that they hunted their prey by smell...
使水流通过特殊的内置鼻孔 channeling water through special internal nostril
它们可以静静的接近猎物 allowing them to silently hone in on their target.
通过分析解剖片 by anlyanzing their anatomy
我们发现杀手X we've calculated that Predator X
可以以秒速五米的速度前进 could move up to five metres per second -
略快于白垩龙 fractionally faster than a Kimmerosaurus.
白垩龙唯一的逃生方法 The kimmerosaurs only defence
就是拼命的逃向浅水区域避难 is to head for the refuge of shallow water.
这一次 X杀手庞大的体型致使其捕猎失败 this time, Predator X's size works against him.
X杀手在浅水区的先天不足 Unable to hunt efficiently in shallow water...
使白垩龙有了宝贵的避难场所 ..means that the Kimmerosaurus can use this as a refuge.
足以影响生死的细小优势 A subtle advantage that makes the difference between life and death.
杀手X和白垩龙 Predator X and Kimmerosaurus
只是捕食者与猎物 are just one example
你死我活斗争的 of a predator-prey relationship
一个缩影 locked in a fight for survival.
北美洲的西部 In the western states of North America
有着丰富的化石资源 is one of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils.
被称为摩里逊岩层 It's known as the Morrison Formation.
最近这些岩石 recently these rocks
为我们生动演示了 have given us a tantalising glimpse
两种恐龙共同进化 of how two dinosaurs adapted together
以抵御共同敌人的情形 to protect themselves against another deadly predator...
剑龙和弯龙 ..Stegosaurus and Camptosaurus.
这两类恐龙的化石 Fossils of these two species
总是出现在 are almost always found
同一片区域 in the same area.
2008年 in 2008
两只恐龙的 footprints of the two
脚印在同一处被发现 were recovered from the same site.
看来它们生活在一起 It seemed that they lived alongside one another.
但是为什么两只毫不相关的素食恐龙 But why would two unrelated plant-eaters
生活在一起呢? live together?
剑龙 Stegosaurus -
重型坦克 a heavily armoured tank
在尾部有着致命的武器 with a deadly weapon at the end of its tail...
--钉尾 known as a thagomizer.
弯龙则是一种小得多的素食恐龙 Camptosaurus - a much smaller plant-eater
几乎没有有效的防御手段 with no obvious defences.
头骨分析显示 Skull analysis shows
弯龙的眼睛更大 that Camptosaurus has bigger eyes -
相对于体型来说 大脑也更大 and relative to its body - a much bigger brain.
弯龙充当了哨兵的角色 Camptosaurus appears to be a lookout.
而剑龙则是打手 While the armoured Stegosaurus provides the muscle.
看来剑龙和弯龙 It's likely Camptosaurus and Stegosaurus
在这个危险的世界里 stuck close together for mutual protection...
团结在一起相互帮助 ..in a world where danger is ever-present.
异特龙 Allosaurus -
一吨半重的突袭者 有着致命的撕咬能力 a one-and-a-half-tonne ambush hunter with a lethal bite.
十分罕见 The world had never known a predator like it.
但是没有了突发制人的效果 but haven lost the element of suprise
现在是做出抉择的时候了 挨饿 it's now faced with the prospect of either starving...
还是面对侏罗纪最强大的防御者 or facing the most well-protected giant of the Jurassic.
从后突袭几乎是不可能的 virtually impregnable from behind
它只能正面面对剑龙 a predator needs to try to attack the stegosaurs from the front.
这样的正面冲突的证据十分难得 The evidence for encounters such as these is incredible.
2005年发现的化石上 fossil fund in 2005
将这两种动物直接联系在一场战斗中 directly links this to right animal in battle
毫无争议的显示了受伤 revealing the unmistakeable signs
的证据 of injury.
一只剑龙的背刺上 A Stegosaurus back plate
被发现有 was discovered
一块U型的咬痕 with a u-shaped bite taken out of it.
与异特龙的 A bite mark that fitted
咬痕非常吻合 the Allosaurus' jaws perfectly.
更令人惊奇的 Even more amazing
在于异特龙的脊椎 was an Allosaurus vertebra.
上存在大面积的创痕 It had a massive impact wound.
正是剑龙的 The wound appeared to have been made
钉尾所为 by a Stegosaur's thagomizer.
这一击的力量如此之大 The blow being so powerful
在异特龙的脊柱上 it punched a hole in the bone
留下了一个大孔 of the Allosaurs' spine.
更无法置信的是 What's more incredible
伤口与愈合的痕迹 is that the injured bone shows signs of healing.
这只异特龙没有死 This Allosaurus survived.
捕食者与猎物之间的力量博弈十分完善 The balance of power between predator and prey is a fine one.
猎物不停的想出 Prey continually evolve
不同的策略 different strategies
来躲避捕食者 to avoid predators.
同时具有剑龙一样的体格 both with their body like Stegosaurus
以及弯龙一样的 and their behaviour
机警 like Camptosaurus.
在侏罗纪的海洋中 and in Jurassic ocean
我们有充分的证据说明 we have evidence to suggest
蛇颈龙通过在潜水区寻找 that plesiosaurs protected their young...
育儿场所来保护幼龙 ..by finding sanctuary in shallow water nurseries.
但是这样的场所 But such lagoons
不可能密不透风 won't always deter a hunter.
涨潮给捕食者一丝希望 And a rising tide gives this predator a glimmer of hope.
但是在浅水区 but in this shallow water
杀手X无法完全发挥它的能量 the huge Predator X can't use its power.
白垩龙更小更灵活 the smaller agiler Kimmerosaurus
可以机动取胜 can easily outmanoeuvre
这笨拙的杀手 the lumbering killer.
但是白垩龙不能永久待在这片 the Kimmerosaurus can't permanently protect itself
潜水避难所 in this sanctuary.
它们也需要到深水区猎食 They need to venture into deeper water to feed.
在这里 杀手X就能完全发挥它的力量 And that is where Predator X has the advantage.
成功的捕食者必须有耐心 Successful predators need to play a waiting game.
异特龙是这片大陆上最常见的杀手 Allosaurus is the most common killer in these lands.
长达九米 nine meters long
有着锋利的牙齿 with a battery of saw blade-like teeth
强壮的前爪 powerful clawed forearms -
异特龙是令人生畏的捕食者 Allosaurus is a formidable hunter.
它和数十种 It shares the plains
素食恐龙 with dozens of species
共享这片平原 of plant-eating dinosaurs.
远离剑龙的保护 away from the protection of Stegosaurus...
异特龙应该很容易取得收获 ..should be easy pickings for a hunting Allosaurus.
异特龙的牙齿薄且锋利 Allosaurus teeth was sureted funtunback
非常适合撕裂肌肉 perfectly evolved for tearing through flesh.
最近的研究显示 recent research has indicated
异特龙的咬力其实非常弱 that Allosaurus' bite was surprisingly weak.
甚至还不如体型只有它七分之一的 Calculations suggested its bite was less powerful than a lion's -
狮子 despite being seven times more massive.
但是这样一只侏罗纪怪物 just how did this Jurassic monster
是怎么捕杀的呢? hunt and kill?
答案就是 突发制人 The answer is with an element of surprise.
弯龙依赖敏锐的洞察力 Camptosaurus relies
来躲避敌人 on its keen senses to avoid predators.
而异特龙 Allosaurus on the other hand
却是以速度和冲击力取胜 is a fast and powerful ambush hunter.
它的速度快于弯龙 Faster than Camptosaurus.
但一吨半的体重决定了它不能维持长距离跑动 A one-and-a-half-tonne killer can't run fast for long.
这是一场耐力和速度的博弈 It's a question of speed versus stamina.
除了咬力的明显不足 despite the apprent weakless of it's bite
异特龙的确有高潮的猎杀技巧 Allosaurus did in fact have a deadly killing method.
它的头骨可以承受 Its skull could withstand a force
十五倍于自身咬力的撕咬 more than 15 times as great as its bite.
这表明它把自己的脑袋当做斧头来用 This meant that Allosaurus used its head like an axe.
它是强大的颈部肌肉把锋利的牙齿 Its strong neck muscles driving its top jaw into its prey.
撞进猎物的肌肉里 with every inpad the serrated teeth
足以使其撕裂 would tear through its prey's flesh.
猎物将遭受恐惧和失血的双重打击 the victim through a combination of shock and blood loss.
这种方式并不完美 it isn't pretty,it isn't clinical...
但是非常有效 but it's ruthlessly efficient.
但是成功的杀戮 however making a kill
并不保证一顿美餐 never actually guarantees a meal.
因为在这儿 because here
异特龙不是唯一的杀手 Allosaurus isn't the only killer in these parts.
食蜥王龙 Saurophaganax.
长达十二米 have 12 meters
它是此处最大的食肉动物 it is the biggest carnivore in the region.
偷别人的食物总是比自己捕食省力 And one of the advantages of being so big
这也是它体型庞大的重要原因 is that stealing another's kill is that much easier.
像异特龙和食蜥王龙这样的大型捕食者 Giant predators like Saurophaganax and Allosaurus
依靠力量和体型统治该地 used their power and size to dominate their domain
以及这片土地上的生物 and all those within it.
侏罗纪的海洋也是如此 And the story was no different in the Jurassic oceans.
这些是蛇颈龙的骨头 These are the bones of Plesiosaur.
它们似乎裂成了碎片 They appear to have been broken into fragments.
很显然 And many of these show indications
它们不是死于自然原因 that they didn't die of natural causes.
更像是被外力击碎的 It looks more like they were violently dismembered.
一枚特殊的化石更是让我们产生了一个 One particular fossil gives us a chilling idea
骇人的猜测 of how these plesiosaurs might have been killed.
这枚化石含有一片头骨 It consists of a skull
以及粘连的几块脊椎 with a few vertebrae still attached
除此之外别无他物 but nothing else.
这些化石碎片都是在深海区域被发现的 All these dismembered fossils found in deep waters
它们就在这儿觅食 where plesiosaurs need to feed
但是这里也有更大的危险 but where they're in the greatest danger.
这只动物正处在最危险的位置 This animal is in the worst possible place -
独自在海洋表面觅食 hunting alone at surface
这时从身下的攻击便十分致命 where it's most vulnerable to attack from below.
在深水区 in deep water
X杀手可以发挥其最大能力 Predator X can use its full power.
虽然身受重伤处于昏迷 although injured and stunned
蛇颈龙还是有着不俗的撕咬能力 this plesiosaur is armed with a vicious bite.
X杀手不能高兴的太早 Predator X still needs to be wary.
身受重伤 servily wounded
唯一的避难所 now the only sanctuary
在浅水的育儿区 is the shallow water of the nursery.
X杀手的撕咬力 Predator X's bite is formidable
足足是暴龙的四倍 estimated to be four times that of T-rex.
如此强大的撕咬 biting hard
贯穿它的身体 it perforates the body,
将骨肉切成碎片 cutting through muscle and bone before shaking it to pieces.
我们几乎可以确定化石上的咬痕 It's almost certain that the bite marks on the fossil plesiosaur
是这么产生的 were made in this way.
同时化石也表明了 And the position of the marks also indicated
攻击来自下方 the attack came from below.
这场捕食者与猎物之间 The never-ending battle
永不停息的战争 between predators and their prey
最终还是平衡的 is a finely balanced one.
但是 对于最成功持久的捕食者来说 however,for the most successful and enduring predators,
对生存的渴望是永恒的驱动力 the struggle to survive is always tipped in their favour.
像X杀手这样的捕食者 Predator like Predator X
拥有着无比强大的咬力的杀手 a killer with one of the most powerful bites ever known...
统治海洋长达一亿年 ruled the oceans for more than 100 million years.