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Life on Earth

Life on Earth
★ 9.1/10•1979•55m•G•Documentary
Similars

A natural history by David Attenborough

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us.

StatusEnded
Runtime55m
LanguageEN
First Air DateJan 16, 1979

Episodes

Episode 1 - The Infinite VarietyE155m

The Infinite Variety

The first ever episode of the landmark natural history series Life on Earth. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Jan 16, 1979

Episode 2 - Building BodiesE254m

Building Bodies

Bright blue starfish, crimson feather stars, shell-less snails in designs as extravagant as any Paris fashion show, shrimps of every colour, others that are transparent - just a sample of the animal wonders to be found in a small area of the Great Barrier Reef.

Jan 23, 1979

Episode 3 - The First ForestsE354m

The First Forests

For most of Earth's history there was no life on land. But over 400 million years ago some tiny plants began an invasion from the water, closely followed by the first animals - the ancestors of millipedes and insects.

Jan 30, 1979

Episode 4 - The Swarming HordesE455m

The Swarming Hordes

David Attenborough looks at the role of a few of the millions of insect species, some of which have developed extremely close relationships with plants. Insects pollinate flowers and in some cases neither flower nor insect can survive without the other.

Feb 6, 1979

Episode 5 - Conquest of the WatersE555m

Conquest of the Waters

Fish occur in populations of billions and there are over 30,000 species, more than in any other group of backboned animals. The development of the backbone was a crucial advance in evolution -and it probably came from a most unlikely source, a little jelly-like creature called a sea squirt.

Feb 13, 1979

Episode 6 - Invasion of the LandE655m

Invasion of the Land

Some 350 million years ago, evolution reached one of its most crucial stages when fish crawled from the water onto the land and became amphibians. Today, newts, salamanders, toads and frogs still survive in great quantities, and there is even one species of frog where the male gives birth from its mouth! Presented by David Attenborough.

Feb 20, 1979

Episode 7 - Victors of the Dry LandE755m

Victors of the Dry Land

David Attenborough looks at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry on the land. Their waterproofed skin and sealed eggs enabled the mighty reptiles to rule the world.

Feb 27, 1979

Episode 8 - Lords of the AirE854m

Lords of the Air

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us. David Attenborough examines the uses and advantages of birds' unique possession - the feather. Man has yet to invent anything that, weight for weight, is as strong as the feather. Feathers are insulators, they provide the surface of the most perfect aerofoils known - bird's wings. Plus they play a central role in courtship.

Mar 6, 1979

Episode 9 - The Rise of the MammalsE954m

The Rise of the Mammals

Mammals have proved to be one of the most adaptable products of evolution. David Attenborough looks at their evolution from reptiles 200 million years ago. This remarkable transition involved the development of mechanisms for regulating body temperature, for allowing the young to develop in the womb and for suckling newborns. Attenborough also explores the South American origins of marsupials and their colonisation of Australia.

Mar 13, 1979

Episode 10 - Theme and VariationsE1053m

Theme and Variations

A little furry animal from the jungles of South East Asia, called a tree shrew, has attracted great interest from scientists because it shows how a great group of animals may have originated - the mammals. David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. Bats number over a thousand species, many hunt insects, some sip nectar, drink blood, and even catch fish. Contrast those which use sonar with the great whales that sing, the star-nosed mole and the giant anteater, and the potential variations become dramatically clear.

Mar 20, 1979

Episode 11 - The Hunters and HuntedE1155m

The Hunters and Hunted

David Attenborough explores the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted - one of the driving forces of evolution. As the hunters develop speed and cunning, the prey becomes increasingly fast and wary in order to stay alive. Nowhere is this seen better than on the plains of East Africa.

Mar 27, 1979

Episode 12 - Life in the TreesE1255m

Life in the Trees

David Attenborough's now-legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates, whose ancestors sought their fortune in the treetops. There they developed binocular vision for accurately judging distances, and the ability to grasp trees with a firm grip. The group includes dazzling gymnasts, deafening choristers and highly cultured monkeys.

Apr 3, 1979

Episode 13 - The Compulsive CommunicatorsE1354m

The Compulsive Communicators

David Attenborough looks for crucial clues that help to explain how and why we have come to dominate life on earth. He traces back the African origins of humans to nearly three million years ago, and along the way he goes into caves in southern France where Stone Age people created imaginative paintings of ice-age animals. He also travels to Papua New Guinea to find some hunter-gatherers who have never before set eyes on white people.

Apr 10, 1979

Actors

David Attenborough

David Attenborough

Self - Presenter

Recommendations

Natural World
Nature
Our Planet
Seven Worlds, One Planet
Life
Life on Our Planet
Earth at Night in Colour
David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities
Planet Earth II
Great Migrations
Planet Earth
Prehistoric Planet
The Life of Birds
Dynasties
Super/Natural
Attenborough's Life in Colour
Planet Earth III
Night on Earth
Our Living World
Welcome to Earth

Similars

David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates
The Failed Experiment
Expedition with Steve Backshall
Wildest Islands
Wild Dogs: Packs Vs. Pride
The Living Isles
Australie : l'Odyssée Sauvage
Nachhaltige Architektur
Welcome to Earth
Darwin's Dangerous Idea
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Mountain Men
Australia's Deadliest Destinations
Old Country
Wild Edens Russia
Wonders of Russia
The Americas
Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time
Animal Super Parents
First Peoples