0:00:03 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'..and this is Deadly Pole To Pole!'
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Oh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:14From the top of the world to the bottom.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Whoa!
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Deadly places...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19deadly adventures...
0:00:19 > 0:00:20and deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32On Deadly, we've shown you the biggest,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35fastest and strongest in the animal kingdom.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Whoa!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:00:40 > 0:00:41But there's a group of beasts
0:00:41 > 0:00:44that would give our modern-day marvels a real run for their money.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And to meet them, we've come for a night at the museum,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49The Natural History Museum in London.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53I'm talking about the terrible lizards...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54the dinosaurs.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02The dinosaurs and their oceangoing relatives, the marine reptiles,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06were some of the most deadly beasts to have ever lived.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13From the humongous herbivores
0:01:13 > 0:01:16to the cunning carnivores,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I'll be seeing how our modern marvels
0:01:18 > 0:01:20could give us a clue how they behaved.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22He looks like a dinosaur.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Keep rolling, keep rolling!
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I'll even be getting pretty close to an ultimate killer.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Get ready. We're about to take Deadly to a whole new era.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The Deadly crew and I have filmed
0:01:47 > 0:01:50the very largest animals walking our planet today.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51But how would they shape up
0:01:51 > 0:01:55to prehistoric megamonsters like this diplodocus?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04The herbivores may have existed on a salad diet
0:02:04 > 0:02:08but they were longer than anything to walk the earth today
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and they weighed a whopping 12 tonnes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12That's more than a bus!
0:02:16 > 0:02:18And this was important
0:02:18 > 0:02:22because it wasn't just hunger that made them pile on the pounds.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Their excess weight also gave them protection from predators.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28When crafty carnivores tried to push them around...
0:02:30 > 0:02:31..they'd push back.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Because in the world of the dinosaurs,
0:02:36 > 0:02:37size really did matter.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42But just how big could the biggest dinosaurs get?
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Believe it or not, the beast we're about to meet
0:02:47 > 0:02:50could make even this diplodocus seem puny.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55More than six times heavier than diplodocus...
0:02:58 > 0:03:00..as long as two articulated lorries...
0:03:06 > 0:03:08..this is Argentinosaurus,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10the biggest dinosaur ever discovered.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Incredibly, when they first hatched,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22they only weighed about the same as a small dog.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25IT BELLOWS
0:03:26 > 0:03:28But after 40 years of growth,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32they could end up being nearly 15,000 times bigger.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37At their peak, they could put on 40 kilos a day,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40simply from gulping massive amounts of food.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52The very largest Argentinosaurus were in fact so massive
0:03:52 > 0:03:54that the remains of smaller dinosaurs
0:03:54 > 0:03:57have been found drowned in their footprints.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03This dinosaur took size to another level.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06You'd certainly want to give it a wide berth.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13But how does it shape up to the biggest beasts of our time?
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The African elephant is the largest land animal in our world.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25But even it is still a tenth the size of Argentinosaurus.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Luckily for the elephant,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32it's the bulkiest brawler on today's block.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36And so it can still employ
0:04:36 > 0:04:39exactly the same techniques as Argentinosaurus
0:04:39 > 0:04:41to protect itself from predators.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Even their smaller cousins, the Asian elephants, can be feisty
0:04:46 > 0:04:49as I found out in India.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- THE ELEPHANT TRUMPETS - Go, go, go!
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Keep rolling, keep rolling!
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Go, go, go, go!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09A charge from an elephant is scary enough
0:05:09 > 0:05:11but can you imagine what it would be like
0:05:11 > 0:05:14from an animal a whopping ten times bigger,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16like Argentinosaurus?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Nothing walking the earth today comes anywhere close
0:05:26 > 0:05:29to the super heavyweights of the dino world.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38So the true giants of the dino world were plant-eaters.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40But there were plenty of vicious predators out there
0:05:40 > 0:05:41trying to make them into a meal.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Not surprising then that so many turned into deadly defenders
0:05:45 > 0:05:46with weapons to match.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52These bony plates could be flushed full of colour to terrify attackers.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And how about this armour-plated, spiky battering ram,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03wielding off predators with its club-like tail?
0:06:08 > 0:06:10And there's a weapon used by
0:06:10 > 0:06:12one of the best deadly defenders around today
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that was originally used by a bulky prehistoric brawler.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19We were lucky enough
0:06:19 > 0:06:22to get a glimpse of it in the wilds of Nepal.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23And there they are.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- They're still over there, look. - Yeah.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Stop, stop, stop.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Ah, yes, that is extraordinary.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35The rhino.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39More specifically, here, the Asian one-horned.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Just standing there in the mist, he looks like a dinosaur.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Rhinos are found in Asia and Africa
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and come in different shapes and sizes.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51But they all share horns as a defensive weapon,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54as well as a bad temper.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57They're both eyeing us up quite cautiously.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- RHINO SNORTS - Oh!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07That little snort and turn towards us
0:07:07 > 0:07:11was, I think, a bit of a threat.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12And that's not good news
0:07:12 > 0:07:15when you're in rhino charging distance.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19If you think this looks intimidating,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21there was a dino defender
0:07:21 > 0:07:24that could give our modern, horned champion a run for its money.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29If one horn's good,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32then how about three?
0:07:34 > 0:07:35This is Triceratops,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39which literally means three-horned face.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44But not only did he have more horns than a modern rhino,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46he also had twice as much bulk...
0:07:49 > 0:07:54..allowing Triceratops to battle both predators and rivals.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59A true deadly defender
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and a weapon-packing wonder.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05IT BELLOWS
0:08:06 > 0:08:09To avoid these heavy-duty defences,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11many of the most frightening predatory dinosaurs
0:08:11 > 0:08:15became smaller, sleek, lithe - which allowed them to become fast.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17This meant that like many modern carnivores,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20they were probably using stealth, speed and ambush
0:08:20 > 0:08:22to catch their prey.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26One of the stealthiest and deadliest was Allosaurus.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32A sleek, fearsome super hunter.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39He might not have had weight or weapons on his side
0:08:39 > 0:08:43but what he probably did have was a sneaky speciality...
0:08:45 > 0:08:46..ambush.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49He's hoping to turn this plant-eater into lunch.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And these desert plains are the perfect place
0:08:54 > 0:08:56for a surprise attack.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01You can still see predators using this kind of trick today.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06When it comes to modern hunting champions,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09the leopard has got to be at the top of the tree,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12using expert stealth and cunning to stalk its prey.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It uses cryptic colouration and a light-footed approach
0:09:17 > 0:09:19to get within pouncing distance.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Rewind 150 million years and this Allosaurus is also closing in.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Like the zebra,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32dino herbivores would probably have had alert senses,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34making them alive to possible danger.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37And that's just as well
0:09:37 > 0:09:41because if Allosaurus could get within striking range undetected,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43he could spring his lethal trap...
0:09:51 > 0:09:53..explosive ambush!
0:09:55 > 0:09:59He may have had the acceleration of an Olympic sprinter.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04An Allosaurus could probably hit speeds of more than 25mph.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06That's about the same as our leopard.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09But its prey would have been able to run, too.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15But not quite fast enough.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Allosaurus may be a sneaky surprise specialist
0:10:27 > 0:10:31but his prey here wasn't much of a challenge.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35So just how did dino predators take on giant prey?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Well, we can perhaps find a clue from some of today's top predators.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44ROARING
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Here, a pride of lions is hunting at night,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49amongst a herd of elephants.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Alone, they wouldn't stand much chance against their massive prey.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00But together, they can take down the largest animal to walk our planet.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Head back 95 million years
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and these terrifying Mapusaurus
0:11:08 > 0:11:11are on the hunt for the biggest animal to walk their world...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16..our old friend Argentinosaurus.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Fossil evidence shows us Mapusaurus could have worked in teams,
0:11:22 > 0:11:23just like the lions.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34As with the big cats, they harry their prey,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36hunting for a weaker individual.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42And when they've found one,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44they take it in turns to have a quick bite.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53Using lion-like teamwork
0:11:53 > 0:11:57to turn this massive plant-eater into a tasty takeaway.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Stealth, speed and cunning are all essential attributes
0:12:07 > 0:12:10but they're not much use unless you can find your prey.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13So prehistoric creatures, just like their modern counterparts,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16had to have super senses.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Meet Spinosaurus.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22At a stunning 17m in length and nine tonnes in weight,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Spinosaurus was a truly formidable predator.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28IT ROARS
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Standing at the river's edge,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Spinosaurus is biding its time.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's on the hunt for one of these...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47..a giant 8m long sawfish.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50And to catch one,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54it's going to employ a special fish-sensing secret weapon.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58It lies in its snout.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01This has loads of small holes,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04which contain special centres.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07They help them feel minute changes of pressure
0:13:07 > 0:13:11caused by other creatures disturbing the water nearby.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16It's a nifty trick I experienced first-hand,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19when I met the Yacare caiman in Brazil.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I'm going to move into the water really, really carefully.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Just like Spinosaurus,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31modern crocodilians have the exact same pressure sensors
0:13:31 > 0:13:32in their snouts.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Now, let's try and see if we can get him
0:13:45 > 0:13:47right in front of my lens.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53If something like our fishy lure disturbs the surface of the water,
0:13:53 > 0:13:54it attracts their attention.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Oh, it's such a creepy site!
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Yes, go on, take it!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And with their target identified,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27it's time for a snappy smash and grab.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43And Spinosaurus probably wouldn't have been any different.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46It even had the same long, cone-shaped pointy teeth
0:14:46 > 0:14:48as our modern champion.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Perfect for gripping and killing wet, wriggling pray.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54The big difference being
0:14:54 > 0:14:57this predator was massive compared to the caiman
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and it could have weighed 1,000 times more.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06On top of that, it could also walk upright,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09allowing it to not just fish for snacks
0:15:09 > 0:15:10but hold its own on the land.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18So Spinosaurus might have shared a super sense with our caiman
0:15:18 > 0:15:21but he was head and shoulders above our present-day predator.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26To get a sense of what a dino bite must have been like,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30you really only have to look at the size of their jaws and their teeth.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But we've had a much better way of assessing modern animals
0:15:33 > 0:15:34using a bite test gauge.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The Deadly crew and I have bite-tested many animals,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42from Komodo dragons...
0:15:42 > 0:15:44to hyenas...
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Oh, lordy!
0:15:47 > 0:15:50..and even sharks.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52That's a good bite.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54But our most impressive bite test gauge
0:15:54 > 0:15:56was the saltwater crocodile.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Whoa!
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It combines the same senses as our caiman
0:16:02 > 0:16:05but with a vastly superior bite force.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I just got absolutely smashed!
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Good Lord, the power of the animal is phenomenal!
0:16:14 > 0:16:15If you thought that looked scary,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18then imagine trying it
0:16:18 > 0:16:19on this monster...
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Longer than a stretch limo,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37its jaws alone were as long as I am tall.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39It really was the king of the crocodiles...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44..a cold-blooded killer,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46bigger than any croc alive today.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57We can only estimate its bite force.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58But it would have to be bigger
0:16:58 > 0:17:00than anything we've ever featured on Deadly.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03SNARLING
0:17:04 > 0:17:08It may have been big enough to make even supermassive Spinosaurus wary.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12One thing's for certain,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16if I tried to use the bite test gauge on this monster,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18it would rip it to shreds.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Given a choice,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I'd face the saltwater croc over this bad boy any day!
0:17:30 > 0:17:32As with many modern animals,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35ancient predators were not confined to the land.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Prehistoric seas were alive with life,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41including the dinosaurs' oceangoing relatives,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43the marine reptiles.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46They lived at the same time as the dinos
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and were just as deadly.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53One of the most impressive was Opthalmosaurus.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02These high-powered hunters were built for speed
0:18:02 > 0:18:04and probably had amazing agility.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Opthalmosaurus was an ichthyosaur,
0:18:09 > 0:18:14gliding through the ancient oceans like sleek, fish-seeking torpedoes.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18This is Opthalmosaurus.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22It has this incredible enlarged, lengthened rostrum or beak,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25which would have been lined with conical teeth,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27probably about the same size as my thumb.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31The other thing that stands out are these enormous eyes.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You can fairly safely say that vision
0:18:33 > 0:18:35was very, very important to this animal.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Excellent eyesight may have helped Opthalmosaurus
0:18:38 > 0:18:40track down prey in the inky depths...
0:18:42 > 0:18:45..as well as catching a meal in the shallows.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52If this body design seems familiar, here's why.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54These speedsters were probably pretty similar
0:18:54 > 0:18:56to a modern underwater champion,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57the dolphin.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04And to get an idea of how good they were at zooming after prey,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06dolphin hunting tactics might give us a clue.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Australia is a dolphin watcher's paradise.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Literally five minutes out of the dock
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and already a whole bunch of bottlenose dolphins
0:19:17 > 0:19:19have popped up right alongside the boat.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Look at this!
0:19:20 > 0:19:23There's about six or seven animals and they are so close.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25These ones are right up at the bow.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Their streamlined bodies and their powerful tails
0:19:28 > 0:19:29mean they're incredibly fast.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32They can easily outstrip a boat like this
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and they can jump 16 feet out of the water.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39That's as high as our soundman's boom pole.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Just like modern-day dolphins,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46ichthyosaurs could have used their agility to their advantage,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49possibly hunting by forming bait balls,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52working as a team to speedily spin their prey
0:19:52 > 0:19:54into a swirling fish dish.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59There's only one way to appreciate the dolphin's skills
0:19:59 > 0:20:01and that's to swim with them.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05OK. Wish me luck, guys!
0:20:05 > 0:20:07'It's time for a splash.'
0:20:12 > 0:20:14'Without these motorised sleds,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16'there's no way we'd be able
0:20:16 > 0:20:18'to keep up with these streamlined animals.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22'Dolphins and ichthyosaurs look uncannily alike.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27'With a bit of imagination, I could be nose to beak with Opthalmosaurus.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30'And if he was anything like as agile as these bottlenose dolphins,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33'he would certainly have been deadly.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:41So that's the land and the sea covered.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43What about the air?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47The modern world is full of some amazing aerial assassins.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Believe it or not,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59they're all descended from the dinosaurs.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01You probably think that all the dinos died out.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But scientists reckon a small group survived
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and evolved into the birds we know today.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Their feathers, claws, beaks and even their skeletons
0:21:11 > 0:21:15have a lot in common with the features of many dinosaurs.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But why did they take to the air in the first place?
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Well, one little dino might give us a clue.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23This is Microraptor.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25It was covered with bird-like feathers
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and spent most of its time in the trees.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Its claws evolved to help it grip trunks and branches,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36while its flesh-ripping teeth show it was probably a predator.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Prehistoric lizards would certainly have been on its menu.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42And they might not have been the easiest things to catch.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This dinosaur couldn't exactly fly
0:21:53 > 0:21:54but it could certainly glide.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And what made Microraptors so good at gliding
0:22:01 > 0:22:04is that it didn't just have two wings, but four...
0:22:06 > 0:22:10..helping it chase down prey and swoop in for the kill.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18But there have been millions of years between now and then.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So how has flight evolved?
0:22:21 > 0:22:22Well, there's a common British bird
0:22:22 > 0:22:25that shows us just how far it's come.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Unlike Microraptor,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33most modern birds are capable of more than just gliding.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35They can use powered flight as well.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38One of the most ingenious flyers has to be
0:22:38 > 0:22:41our beautiful common kestrel.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45There is perhaps no more efficient, no more sophisticated hunter
0:22:45 > 0:22:47than this wonderful bird of prey.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52A kestrel's flying skills are in a different league
0:22:52 > 0:22:55to the controlled falling of the early gliding dinos.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Kestrels are the world's master at hovering.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06To demonstrate the control the kestrel has in flight,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08we're going to show you one in action.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Let's see if we can get him to hover.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Yes! Look at that!
0:23:20 > 0:23:21The kestrel's evolved the ability
0:23:21 > 0:23:24to beat its wings with minute precision,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27to turn itself into a sophisticated aerial attacker.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32OK. Now are going to see...?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Yes! Wow!
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Now, that was a classic falcon strike.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Thank you, Lloyd.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I mean, he's just so beautiful.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46The kestrel is unquestionably
0:23:46 > 0:23:49the master of hovering.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54And perfecting flight is just the start
0:23:54 > 0:23:57of our modern marvels' mastery of the air.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00In leaving the ground, our aerial attackers
0:24:00 > 0:24:04have taken the dinosaurs' stealth, speed and cunning to the skies.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08From silent owls capable of stealthy flight
0:24:08 > 0:24:13to speedy peregrines faster than any animal on earth.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17And the clever bald eagle, capable of a cunning attack.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19They really are a soaring success.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28But there's another bone-crunching brute
0:24:28 > 0:24:31that no deadly dino show could be without
0:24:31 > 0:24:32and I'm about to meet him.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38On Deadly, we've featured many of the planet's most exciting
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and most powerful predators.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But nothing that's alive today could match the king of the dinosaurs,
0:24:43 > 0:24:44the T Rex.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The mighty T Rex lived around 65 million years ago
0:24:49 > 0:24:51in what is now North America.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's probably the most famous dino of all time.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58And there's a very good reason for this.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03T Rex was devastatingly deadly.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06When I'm assessing a deadly animal,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I look at all of its capabilities in turn.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And if you do that with a T Rex,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13the results are incredibly impressive.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14First of all is its vision.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Both of the eyes look forward,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20which is the way with all modern predators, including human beings.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22It means that they have binocular vision,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24which means they had depth perception.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26So their eyesight is certainly much better
0:25:26 > 0:25:27than a lot of people think.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Then there's their sense of smell.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30The nasal cavities are very big,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33the part of the brain that processes scent is enormous,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36so they could certainly smell their prey.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And then there's that bite!
0:25:38 > 0:25:41They have a massive, bony skull and huge teeth.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43There's no doubt that if I was to get anywhere near this
0:25:43 > 0:25:46with my bite test gauge, it would destroy it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48But I don't think I'd live to tell the tale.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And when put to use, all those deadly qualities
0:25:55 > 0:25:59meant T Rex had no trouble finishing off humble herbivores.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Even the ones packing weapons.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16And if it could make mincemeat
0:26:16 > 0:26:18of heavily armoured beasts like Triceratops,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20it certainly wouldn't have any trouble
0:26:20 > 0:26:23taking on any of our modern deadly contenders.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34So the dinosaurs and their relatives
0:26:34 > 0:26:37could probably outgun our modern-day marvels
0:26:37 > 0:26:39in plenty of different categories.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43They were certainly plenty big...
0:26:45 > 0:26:47..they were excellent at being powerful...
0:26:50 > 0:26:52..and they had formidable weapons.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57But even with these awesome abilities,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00the dinosaurs were doomed.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Despite their deadliness,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06nothing could save them from a catastrophic event
0:27:06 > 0:27:08that changed life on Earth for ever.
0:27:09 > 0:27:1165 million years ago,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14a giant asteroid slammed into the Gulf of Mexico.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16In the disaster that followed,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18our giant dinos disappeared.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22But perhaps that's no bad thing
0:27:22 > 0:27:24because in their place,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26our modern marvels had a chance to evolve,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29giving us the wonderful world we know today.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Join me next time for more Deadly Pole To Pole.