History Channel - Evolve The Ultimate Story of Survival (2008) Part 10 Shape

Innovate or die. Evolve or face extinction. It's a tough, violent, and lethal world out there, and it's been that way since the dawn of time. Roughly 99 percent of all species have become extinct. What enabled that other one percent to survive the cutthroat competition? Their ability to…. EVOLVE. For man, beast and nature, it's been a constant battlefield. This fascinating series blends spectacular live-action natural history sequences, lifelike computer graphics, epic docudrama and experimental science to illustrate the never-ending struggle to prevail. Examine every facet of a single trait, from origin to modern incarnation, through a stunning combination of dramatizations, computer animations, live action nature footage and lab work, discover the biological and behavioral innovations that have kept us all on this Earth! We see how some strategic advantages were anatomical in nature (eyes, jaws, body armor), while others were related to behavior (movement, communication, sex). Each episode attempts to explain the evolutionary origins of a particular trait of living creatures for example, Tyrannosaurus rex's 13-inch teeth, the gecko's “Velcro-like” toe pads, the bald eagle's “telescopic” vision capable of spotting a hare a mile away, and how the shark evolved its mode of reproduction, which eventually came to resemble that of humans. From dinosaurs to jellyfish, these are only a few of the creatures and many more that HISTORY analyzes to give a complete qualitative dissection of their evolution. Discover what has propelled creatures large and small to survive. Trace the history and importance of these adaptations from their earliest beginnings to today. It's nature's longest lasting battle and every creature on Earth is part of it. The EVOLVE series follows the historical trail of these adaptations from their origins to the present. It is the battle that nature has waged for centuries and in which every being on earth is and remains involved. The series premiere, “Eyes”, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Science, Technology and Nature Programming.

Part 10 Shape

Every shape in nature, no matter how bizarre it may appear, evolved as a result of the struggle for survival. Today, animals are shaped in so many different ways and most of them have strange bodies, weird looking. But shape is still vital. Over millions of years, pessures to gain even the slightest edge have resulted in nearly infinite variations on the basic animal shape. Explore the evolution of animal shape and how the slightest alteration of a leg or a head can mean the difference between life and extinction.

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