Sir David Attenborough brings dinosaurs to life in Prehistoric Planet

A new Apple TV+ series re-creates dinosaurs from 66 million years ago before they were wiped out by a meteorite.

The series bring to life the Tyrannosaurus rex, which could reach 13 metres long and weighed around 10 tonnes.

‘It’s an opportunity to see the world’s most famous dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops come to life but also to really enter into their world and see the incredible diversity of life which existed at that time,’ said Sir David Attenborough, who narrates the show.

Other lesser known facts about T. rex is revealed, like the fact they were competent swimmers. Their strong hind legs would likely have propelled them through the water effectively and fossil evidence backs this up.

Using a CT scanner, scientists have found that many theropod bones had a hollow structure which would have helped their massive bodies to float.

The new series also reveales that the T. rex had many nerve endings on its face, which would have played a significant role not only in communication, but also courtship.

The promo video shows a young, scientifically accurate T.rex complete with feathers. Paleontologists believe T. rex youngsters probably had a thin coat of downy feathers — likely to have first evolved to keep them warm.

It’s also revealed that T. rex fathers would have taken the leading care role in raising their young, including safeguarding nests of eggs.

The show introduces us to two tyrannosaur species, the Qianzhousaurus — a long-snouted tyrannosaur found in Eastern Asia, sometimes referred to as ‘Pinocchio rex’ and the Nanuqsaurus or ‘polar bear lizard’ — a mid-sized tyrannosaur built for life in the polar north.

The Nanuqsaurus is thought to have had a covering of insulating feathers to help it survive in Arctic conditions.

This is the first time a Qianzhousaurus will be brought to life on screen, complete with a series of horns along the top of its snout and around its eyes.

Prehistoric Planet launches on Apple TV+ this week, with new episodes available daily from 23-27 May.

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