Season 1, Episode 11
Living organisms have entered into a battle for survival for hundreds of millions of years and the pressure to survive has resulted in ever changing shapes. From the hammerhead shark to the platypus, new and sometimes extreme shapes can mean survival for certain species. But, as nature has proven, sometimes the most basic shapes on earth have the staying power of survival. This episode will 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.
Paid | iTunes
Length: 44:49
Aired: 12/20/2008
Season 1, Episode 10
The deadliest natural weapon employed in the animal kingdom, venom has independently evolved in creatures as diverse as jellyfish, insects, snakes, and even mammals. Scientists from around the globe show how evolution adapted venom to fit the needs of the animals who wield it. Injecting venom into samples of his blood, Australia's Bryan Fry demonstrates how the world's deadliest snake, the inland taipan, has converted the building blocks of its body into lethal toxins. Toto Olivera will introduce us to the cone snail, pound-for-pound the most toxic creature in the world, able to continually update its chemical cocktails with the help of the world's fastest-evolving genes, guaranteeing the creatures stay one step ahead of their prey.
Paid | iTunes
Length: 44:50
Aired: 11/8/2008
Season 1, Episode 9
Speed, the ability to react and move can often mean the difference between life and death in the animal kingdom. Some animals have evolved into championship fliers, swimmers, and runners. What are the forces that create this need for speed, and how do animal bodies adapt to go into overdrive? In this episode, we'll find out about nature's ultimate engine, muscle, how it evolved and how it works. We'll meet some of the fastest species on earth.
Paid | iTunes
Length: 44:49
Aired: 11/8/2008
Season 1, Episode 8
Life has evolved into a multitude of sizes. Over the course of 3 billion years, life has taken on many forms- from an .02 micrometer long bacteria to the 110 foot long blue whale. Scientists are learning how the struggle for survival has led some animals to become small and others to get huge. Understanding the evolution of size tells us why giant dinosaurs went extinct while the first tiny mammals thrived; give us answers to why mammoths evolved into pygmies when restricted to islands; and why carnivorous mammals have never grown to weigh over a ton. Whether it's the speed of movement or population numbers, the biological world revolves - and 'Evolves' - around size.
Paid | iTunes
Length: 44:50
Aired: 9/16/2008
