Modern Dinosaurs

screenable online: 6 episodes

Modern Dinosaurs explores New Zealand’s wildlife and extraordinary fossil record. Over six episodes we’ll learn why creatures here are so unique. Each episode is led by scientists and adventurers who take us to remote, spectacular locations: New Zealand’s tuatara is a living fossil.

How did it survive when dinosaurs became extinct? The Kiwi; how did a flightless bird find itself on islands in the middle of the ocean? New Zealand’s dramatic landscape has been violently forged, creating environments in which unique species evolved. We’ll also be exploring the incredibly different landscapes and wildlife of Australia, New Zealand’s nearest neighbor and to which it was once attached. Modern Dinosaurs considers evolution over millennia: how New Zealand was created and how it is changing. What will the future bring for today’s animals?

Sixty five million years ago, a meteor hit the earth, and killed nearly all life on the planet. Out of the ashes, one hardy reptile managed to survive in New Zealand. With a third eye, razored back,…

The Kiwi is a bird that has thrown out the rulebook of bird biology. It doesn’t fly, lives in the dark, and resembles a mammal more than anything bird-like. Since the introduction of rodents, this…

New Zealand’s dramatic landscape is no easy ride; the islands have been violently forged by volcanism and earthquakes to create some of the most unique environments on the planet. From frost-bitten…

Most parrots are colourful and fly in massive flocks - New Zealand’s kakapo breaks all the rules. Kakapo are not only the world’s largest parrots, they’re the only nocturnal species. These birds…

Millions of years evolution have created unique creatures found only in New Zealand – and many of them share an unusual trait. They’re living giants. In New Zealand, a spikey grasshopper-like…

We’re still unlocking the mysteries of New Zealand’s oceans. Its wildlife is hardy; survivors who have met every challenge thrown at them. With the extinction of marine dinosaurs, an evolutionary…

The Tuatara (Episode 1)

The Kiwi (Episode 2)

Modern Dinosaurs, Extreme Survivors (Episode 3)