These are Prehistoric Planet segments which feature Dreadnoughtus.
Deserts[]
― David Attenborough, Deserts
The first segment of Deserts takes place in a barren region in western South America. Walking through the shimmering heat of the wilderness are 17 male Dreadnoughtus, ready to prove themselves to a group of dozens or even hundreds of females that have already arrived to the desert beforehand, waiting for them. As they travel towards their destination, several birds fly among them, with some even riding on their backs and heads.
― David Attenborough, Deserts
Upon arriving to the place where the females have gathered, the males begin showing off their gular air sacs, and some of the males are already seen hissing and arguing with each other. One of the males appears to be successful in attracting the attention of many females with his display, and this garners the attention of not only the females. An old male, the center of attention for two weeks straight, gets up to confront what he sees as a potential threat to his dominance, rearing on his hind legs and inflating his air sacs to prove his superiority. The younger sauropod does not back down, however, and continues to glare right into the eyes of the dominant male. Seeing that his rival chooses to continue to defy him, the two males circle each other, knowing that there is only one way for dominance to be established.
― David Attenborough, Deserts
The two males rear up, the dominant male appearing to be taller than his rival, and both push at each other, clashing necks. They repeat this several times, staring each other down before rearing up and colliding. In one clash, the dominant male pushes his enemy back. The younger titanosaur responds by resorting to more primal tactics, biting down on the nape of the dominant male to grab him and break contact.
― David Attenborough, Deserts
Eventually, it is the dominant male that is getting pushed back. As his opponent repeatedly stabs at him with his thumb claws and bites at his neck, raking his skin off with his pencil-shaped teeth, the old bull's strength begun to wane as he is left simply trying to endure his adversary's attacks rather than go on the offensive and actively strike back.
― David Attenborough, Deserts
With one final neck swing, the challenger knocks the old bull down to the ground. The old bull tries to stand back up, but the impact of his 50-tonne body hitting the ground proved too much, and he collapses, unable to fight anymore. The females bellow, either in surprise or to congratulate the new champion, who now shows off his mating display to them unopposed.
Eventually, the view of the scene zooms out from above, showing the old bull lying on the ground, unmoving, as the day goes on and the number of Dreadnoughtus in the area dwindle. The segment ends at night, with only the deceased old male left in the vast desert, his corpse serving as proof of the extent that males would go through during the mating season, showing one possible outcome for those who fail and exert too much of themselves during the mating season, a mirror of similar examples in the modern day.[1][2][3][4]
Uncovered: Were Dinosaurs Good Parents?[]
Footage of Dreadnoughtus is briefly used in this Uncovered segment while the egg-caring habits of sauropods are discussed. Their appearance in this segment is otherwise irrelevant given how their sole appearance in the series is focused on their mating habits and the violent fights that may break out, with not a moment or even implication regarding their parental instincts.
Uncovered: How Did Dinosaurs Get So Big?[]
Footage of Dreadnoughtus, along with most of the other sauropods in the series, is used in this Uncovered segment, which is dedicated to discussing how sauropods got to grow bigger than their modern counterparts.
Gallery[]
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Prehistoric Planet has a gallery for Dreadnoughtus |
Trivia[]
- The first segment of Deserts is the third segment to feature a courtship ritual and the second segment to feature intraspecific combat, in which case, it is the first one to result in the younger individual winning, and also the first one to result in the death of the victor's rival.