In prehistoric South America, starting out can be rough.
Rougher still, staying alive.
But for a plucky dinosaur like Alpha,
dodging hungry predators is a constant routine.
When she grows up, she'll be one of the biggest dinosaurs alive.
Still, danger lurks behind every tree.
Stalking her is Dragonfly, a predator with a big bite,
and a will to use it.
An encounter with him is a brush with death.
As time goes by, their paths will cross
many times, in frightening and unexpected ways.
For one remarkable dinosaur,
the journey through life is a heart pounding adventure.
It all begins 80 million years ago
in Alpha's egg.
DINO PLANET
ALFA Narrador: Christian Slater
PATAGONIA, SUDAMÉRICA HACE 80 MILLONES DE AÃ'OS
The forest echoes with the sounds of homecoming.
An annual pilgrimage is nearing its end.
These titans, called Saltasaurs, have been on the move for weeks.
All of them are females; generations of mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts,
heading for their nesting ground in a ritual as old as time.
This is Alpha. She's making the trip for the first time in her life.
Laden with eggs, she's anxious and weary.
The journey hasn't been easy.
These dinosaurs are constantly dodging predators,
and the only protection they have is each other.
The larger the herd, the better the odds.
Still, many don't make it.
Killers on the loose.
An Aucasaur is a ton of terror, with an insatiable appetite for flesh.
The redhead is Dragonfly. He was born at the same time as Alpha,
15 years ago, and their lives have been entwined ever since.
A quick look to be sure they're alone.
There's plenty of food for Dragonfly and his mate,
but something is about to spoil their lunch, something nastier,
hungrier and three times bigger: Carcharodontosaurus.
To them, everything that moves is a potential meal.
Millions of years have passed since the last sauropods
roamed the plains of North America.
Here, in South America, Saltasaurus continue to thrive,
each year returning to nest
and lay a new generation of eggs.
Leaving the forest behind, they move into the open.
A flat river plain, larger than 3 football fields.
Year after year, female Saltasaurus have come here to lay their eggs.
Alpha's back for the first time since she was born.
She's small, only 25 feet long, but in time,
she'll reach her full adult size of 35 feet.
Like all sauropods, Alpha operates on instinct.
Her brain is the size and shape of a small banana,
the smallest brain to body ratio of any dinosaur.
But she's a good learner.
Alpha needs to find a place to lay her eggs, but she's not the first to arrive.
These older females are veterans at building nests. This spot must be good.
A subtle scolding warns her off.
As Alpha walks through the growing maze,
she senses the need for caution and watches her step.
She doesn't know what drives her, but her instincts tell her
to keep moving, searching.
About here?
Her feet tell her the ground is firm, yet warm and sandy.
This is it.
On impulse, she begins to dig.
Heated by the sun, the sand is a natural incubator.
Alpha's never done this before.
But by the end of the season, hundreds of females like her
will lay thousands of eggs to secure the next generation
and complete the cycle of life.
It's hardwired in all creatures to perpetuate their species.
Otherwise, all life would cease to exist.
The next generation lays in clutches of 20 to 40 eggs each.
Not all of them will make it, but by sheer numbers, they've got a fighting chance.
Like the other mothers, Alpha has one last job.
Falling in step, she heads for the forest,
to get branches to shelter her nest and incubate her eggs.
15 AÃ'OS ANTES
Alpha's own story began here, in this same spot, when she was in her egg.
Her mother carried branches from the same forest to insulate her nest.
The branches protected the eggs from exposure to the sun.
When Alpha's mother's finished preparing her nest,
she'll leave to rejoin the herd,
abandoning Alpha and her siblings to their fate.
No larger than a human hand, Alpha's still an embryo,
months away from hatching.
Her mother and the rest of the females last ate before the egg-laying began.
Now, they're weak and tired,
and their offspring are all alone.
The timing couldn't be better for a hungry predator.
In 1997, 3 scientists met in Argentina
to hunt for evidence of prehistoric birds.
Instead, they made a discovery that changed
what we know about the largest animals ever to walk the earth, the sauropods.
SCOTT SAMPSONarrow s20}Museo de Historia Natural de Utah Paleontólogo de Discovery Quest
Scattered across several square miles were thousands of egg shells.
They clustered in nests of 15 to 40 eggs,
and there were hundreds of nests just like this one.
From that pattern emerged a startling revelation.
The paleontologists had stumbled upon something unique:
a vast dinosaur maternity ward.
They dubbed the site 'Aucamahuevo',
a play on the Spanish words for 'more eggs'.
From the huge number of nests, the scientists deduced
that sauropods gathered here to lay their eggs.
But how does an animal standing 12 feet off the ground
lay an egg without breaking it?
Maybe the mother had an egg tube extending from her body,
as some turtles do,
so the eggs could gently slide to the ground.
Or maybe she managed to squat.
Whatever the case, something as simple as laying an egg
still mystifies us. And what really amazes me
is that one of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth
hatched from an egg a little larger than a grapefruit.
PATAGONIA, SUDAMÉRICA HACE 80 MILLONES DE AÃ'OS
A sentry keeps watch.
At the nesting site, thousands of eggs have been left alone to incubate.
The sentries keep some potential thieves at bay,
but not all.
Still tucked in her egg, Alpha is ready to hatch
and join the outside world.
Uh oh, the nursery has got a visitor.
It's the birdlike Alvarezsaurus.
These sharp-bite predators lust for eggs.
And so does the crocodile Notosuchus.
At 5 feet long, one chomp, and it's bye, bye, baby.
A passing sentry is Alpha's first lucky break.
It won't be her last.
Notosuchus punctured her shell.
Now, she's the first of her clutch to hatch.
Only 12 inches long, she stumbles into the world.
She's Alpha, the firstborn.
Instinctively, she heads back towards the nest.
The outside world can wait just one more day.
In a glade not far away, another family
another sort of life.
But this time, the parents stick around. These are Aucasaurus.
Hard to imagine predators as caring parents.
Unlike Saltasaurus, this mother fiercely
guards her young.
Nobody gets in without clearance.
Not even dad.
Only when he submissively shows his throat colors, things calm down.
She can't be too careful.
Male carnivores eat their young.
This is their next generation: two females and a male.
While mother dozes, her toddlers explore the wonders of their new world.
Chasing dragonflies is fun.
Someday, this little guy, Dragonfly,
will graduate to bigger prey.
His enthusiasm is part of his charm, but at times, it's also a pitfall.
The Saltasaurus' nesting site is teeming with new life;
all hatched within the last 24 hours.
Everyone's antsy, because tonight is the night.
On some unseen cue,
a living convoy of thousands of hatchlings heads for the hills.
Instinct propels them towards the forest, but death lurks in the trees.
Alpha needs to stay close to the others.
Her best shot: play the numbers.
There are many more Saltasaurus than stomachs on the prowl.
Alpha makes it through the night, but she's not out of the woods yet.
Once again, luck is on her side.
Traveling with the adults is a safer way to go.
The trick is to stay out of their way.
Alpha is still smaller than a footprint,
but she's programmed to grow fast.
These Aucasaurus are biding their time.
It's part of the drill when stalking prey.
In a few years, Alpha's size will be her best defense,
but for now, she's still on the menu.
For a few precious moments,
Alpha and her siblings are safely hidden in the underbrush,
but it doesn't last long.
Hurriedly stopped, they browse. It's showtime.
The ground is littered with twigs.
Alpha spots and adult headed for a tree and follows.
Treetops are a delicacy.
Alpha's learning fast.
Why make salad when you can order out?
Someone else is on the learning curve.
These Aucasaur parents have their toddlers in tow,
teaching them to hunt.
While the adult Saltasaurs form up to make a stand,
the hatchlings make a run for the trees.
Alpha's on the opposite side of the clearing,
out of danger for the moment.
The other hatchlings are not.
Their fate rests with that curious little bug chaser, Dragonfly.
Alpha is beginning to grasp what the future holds for her.
Her first encounter with Dragonfly, and quite possibly, her last.
SCOTT SAMPSONarrow s20}Museo de Historia Natural de Utah Paleontólogo de Discovery Quest
An animal is most vulnerable when it's small. So,
how did a baby Saltasaurus managed to survive?
Since hatchlings were easy targets,
perhaps they quickly traded the exposed nest
for the relative safety of the forest.
If hundreds or thousands of babies hatch at the same time,
predators would have had more prey than they could stomach.
Safety in numbers.
The young dinosarus had a second line of defense.
Clues have been found deep inside the bones.
This cross section of a leg bone reveals how fast a sauropod grew.
The juvenile bone has lots of holes full of blood vessels,
indicating a rich blood supply and rapid growth.
The adult bone has fewer holes and less blood flow.
Like tree rings, the adult bone displays lines of arrested growth.
A Saltasaur could have reached an adult size of 35 feet long in under 12 years.
At that rate, by the time a human child entered Kindergarten,
it would be 15 feet tall.
For Saltasaurus, survival meant growing up fast.
PATAGONIA, SUDAMÉRICA HACE 80 MILLONES DE AÃ'OS
Dragonfly's attention span is pathetic.
Alpha's on a roll. In just a few days of life,
she's survived 4 brushes with death.
She might as well get used to it.
Danger will stalk her to the day she dies.
In the lush forests of Patagonia, the Saltasaurs thrive.
For plant eaters like them, the years pass without notice.
Between birth and death, one day resembles the next.
But not for Alpha.
She's now 15 years old, and she's 300 times bigger than she was at birth.
Today, she's on the verge of adulthood.
If her luck holds out, her future looks bright.
But on Dinosaur Planet, things can go wrong
in a New York minute.
For now, the Saltasaurus have their side of the river,
and the Aucasaurus have theirs.
Dragonfly's also grown up. He's no longer chasing bugs.
He zeroes in on the smallest member of the herd, Alpha.
No longer a hatchling, she's no easy mark.
Dragonfly still has a thing or two to learn.
Today, there are no quick kills. Unless the Aucasaurus are starving,
there's no sense risking injury.
The herd has scoured the land for food and is once again on the move.
In the pecking order of the march, size and seniority count.
Jostled by a bigger and older female,
Alpha gives her a wide berth.
Saltasaurus are constantly looking for something to eat.
Because vegetation is hard to digest,
their overblown stomachs are cauldrons of fermentation.
Alpha's hit paydirt: a tree just the right size.
But she's got company, and there's no room for two.
The sound of the fall is a dinner bell for Dragonfly and his family.
Her leg is broken. She won't be getting up.
The noise puts the Saltasaurus on alert.
They know what's coming.
Dragonfly, again.
With fresh meat on the ground,
the Aucasaurus will leave the rest of the herd alone.
Today is a big day for Dragonfly.
He's leaving home. As long as he stays, he'll always be second fiddle to his dad.
It's time to find a mate and start his own family.
Alpha is beginning to attract suitors.
But finding a mate can be a hassle.
As leader of the herd, this male
has first dibs when it comes to breeding.
To settle the score, the males engage in a shouting match,
followed by pushing and shoving. That's usually bloodless.
Eventually, somebody backs down.
The winner gets bragging rights, and, in this case, Alpha.
It's not love, it's instinct.
Still, from a clumsy giant comes the fragile gift of life.
Now the pilgrimage to the nesting ground begins again.
For the first time, Alpha knows she has to go.
But there's a hitch.
Dogging here once again is Dragonfly.
She can't take her eyes off him. Which means she isn't watching her step.
She's hurt. The timing couldn't be worse.
She can't stop. She can't afford to be left behind.
Experience has taught her -all too well- the fate of stragglers.
PATAGONIA, SUDAMÉRICA HACE 80 MILLONES DE AÃ'OS
In the prehistoric forest, a siren calls.
Dragonfly is captivated.
To a young male in his prime,
she's a babe, and... she's in heat.
Winning her over won't be easy.
She's bred to be wary. She's gotta be sure he's fit.
Well... maybe.
Finally, she relents.
This could be the start of something big.
Leaving the cover of the forest is risky.
In combat, open ground draws heavy fire.
Of all the predators in South America,
these 40-foot long Carcharodontosaurus are the elite.
Armed with cunning and teeth the size of knives,
they strike at will with deadly force.
Today, a Saltasaur is going to die.
Because of her injury, Alpha's lagging dangerously behind.
Like other predators, Carcharodontosaurus
usually attack the slowest and weakest member of the herd.
One thing's for sure: noone wants to be last.
If Alpha can just outpace this older female...
In the blink of an eye, it's over.
No sadness, no sorrow. Just business as usual.
For Alpha, it's a red-letter day. Though lame, once again, she's beaten the odds.
Alpha's life has finally come full circle.
She's back at the nesting ground where her story began.
Here, she will leave her legacy to the next generation.
Days later, the storm of the millennium strikes without warning.
The sentries are helpless.
The ancient plain is turned back into a river.
Inch by inch, the water rises.
Fate, which has been so good to Alpha,
finally deals a tragic hand.
Her first and only offspring are gone.
Tragedy drowns the nests.
It's going to be a very sad year.
SCOTT SAMPSONarrow s20}Museo de Historia Natural de Utah Paleontólogo de Discovery Quest
Among the thousands of fossilized eggs discovered at Aucamahuevo,
paleontologists found an ancient mystery -
the remains of hundreds of tiny unborn Saltasaurus.
Some of the fossils have tiny pencillike teeth
with clear signs of wear.
The unborn babies were teeth grinders,
preparing themselves for life as vegetarians.
Though they never made it out of their shells.
What killed them? The nest seemed undisturbed, which rules out predators.
Clues to the mystery were found in the rocks.
The eggs were buried in heavy silt,
signs of flooding. But what kind?
A flash flood that suddenly swamped the nest?
Unlikely. After all, the eggs weren't swept away.
Instead, maybe a heavy rain and a rising river.
Eventually, the river would overflow its banks and flood the plains.
As flood water reaches the nests,
it seeps through the porous membranes,
drowning each embryo in the very shell meant to protect it.
When the water recedes, it leaves the nest
buried under a thick layer of mud and silt.
A disaster for the Saltasaurus proved a boon for paleontologists.
In death, these creatures give us
an extraordinary glimpse into their lives.
PATAGONIA, SUDAMÉRICA HACE 80 MILLONES DE AÃ'OS
Alpha's injured leg hasn't healed.
She's at risk and she's alone.
Like a bad penny, Dragonfly keeps turning up.
One way or another, today is the day of reckoning.
Alpha's leg is giving out.
Her massive weight has crushed his skull.
Today, her weakness turns out to be her strength.
By destiny or dumb luck, even the underdog can beat the odds.
In time, Alpha's wounds will heal and she'll mate again.
Season after season, she'll lay more eggs
and claim hundreds of Saltasaurs as her descendants.
Her life will be tough, but she'll survive to a ripe old age.
That's the destiny of Alpha's egg.