Freshwater

Freshwater
Season 1, Episode 3

Title
I
II
III

Air date

May 25, 2022

Writer

Paul D. Stewart

Director

Adam Valdez

Previous	Next
Deserts	Ice Worlds

“ With its feathered body and duck bill, the eight-ton Deinocheirus wades through an Asian wetland in search of relief from pesky biting flies. ”

― The official Apple TV+ episode synopsis for Freshwater

Freshwater is the third episode of the first season of Prehistoric Planet.

Segment I: Velociraptors and azhdarchids[]

	Freshwater, Segment I
	Setting Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia Filming Location Palouse Falls, Washington, USA^[1]

Freshwater, Segment I

Setting
Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Filming Location
Palouse Falls, Washington, USA^[1]

The first segment of the episode takes place around a canyon carved up by a river. This area serves as the home of a colony of juvenile azhdarchids, already capable of flying hundreds of miles a day. Each evening, the pterosaurs, numbering in the thousands, roost by the narrow ledges surrounding a massive cliffside waterfall, taking refuge in this remote area that cannot be accessed by most terrestrial predators, save for one.

“ There is safety in numbers, and anyway, few land-living hunters venture here... but one does. A type of dinosaur, Velociraptor. Their bodies are kept warm by feathers, but they can't fly. They are, however, exceptionally agile, and just as well. One false step here could bring disaster. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

A female Velociraptor, joined by two males, survey the area from the rocks atop the falls, planning to grab some pterosaurs before the end of the day.

“ The pterosaurs are skittish. They would take to the air at the first sign of danger. If the Velociraptors are to get a meal, the element of surprise must be crucial. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

Aiming to snatch the pterosaurs resting on the margins of the colony, the Velociraptors make their way down the precarious cliffside, the roar of the waterfall drowning out the sounds of their movements and the rocks that break off and fall with every step. With the pterosaurs still unaware of their presence, the female leaps up a higher ledge, while the two males continue to go down the lower ledges.

With prey now within striking distance, the two males prepare to spring out, but the female launches her attack first, leaping down on a pterosaur (surprising the other pterosaurs in the process), grabbing it with her jaws and dragging it across the cliffside as both of them fall down on a lower ledge. She gets up, unhurt by the fall, and tries to twist and snap her prey's neck. The two males leap down, wanting a share of the catch, which is still alive and screeching in pain, but the female, unwilling to share, gets into a hissing fight with them. Suddenly, the thousands of pterosaurs resting all over the canyon, now aware of the assault, screech and swoop in to mob the dromaeosaurs, which try to leap and fight back.

“ She has one. But now the whole colony is alarmed. In the chaos, her victim slips from the ledge. The female puts the effectiveness of her feathered tail to the test, and, in the end, she gets her meal. The males are left to face the pterosaurs. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

As the Velociraptors and juvenile azhdarchids try to fight off each other, the attacked pterosaur slips off the cliff face. Seeing this, the female leaps off the ledge, using her agility and feathered tail to control her descent, leaping and rolling off the walls until she got to the bottom. With that, she grabbed the now-dead pterosaur which she worked hard to catch on her own and rushed out of the area, leaving the two males as they continue to try and fight off the azhdarchid colony.

Segment II: Tyrannosaurus Pair[]

	Freshwater, Segment II
	Setting Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA

Freshwater, Segment II

Setting
Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA

“ T. rex are built for hunting large herbivores, and many of those have evolved heavy defensive weapons. Decades of battling armored prey has scarred his body. One battle even cost him the tip of his tail. These new injuries are more serious. At his great age, infection is a real risk. River water could help to clean his wounds. He stands a good chance of living to fight another day... but that day could come sooner than expected. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

In the second segment of the episode, a dead Triceratops is shown, having been slain by an old T. rex, which gets up from his nap and proceeds to feed on his prey, which left a deep gash in his right leg beforehand. The theropod, having been injured by decades of fighting large prey (with one fight even costing him the tip of his tail) goes down to a nearby river to drink and wash his newest wounds. Suddenly, another T. rex arrives from the other side of the river. The two theropods growl at each other, but through smell, the old male deduces that the newcomer is a female, younger and smaller than he is. He raises his head, exposing his neck and letting out a throaty bellow to signal that he has no intentions to fight her, but would prefer to mate. The female responds in kind, also letting out a drumming bellow of approval.

T. rexes copulating — *T. rexes* copulating

“ The facial area of a tyrannosaur is very sensitive to touch, and they nuzzle. His great size and his battle scars are evidence that he is a survivor, and that, perhaps, in her eyes, makes him an attractive partner. So they stay together, and in the coming weeks, they mate frequently. Eventually, she'll lay up to 15 eggs, and with them comes the promise of the next generation. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

The segment ends with the two tyrannosaurs mating in the middle of the forest before getting up and moving out together, either to hunt food together, or find a better place to rest and mate in.

Segment III: Deinocheirus[]

	Freshwater, Segment III
	Setting Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Freshwater, Segment III

Setting
Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Deinocheirus scooping up plants with his broad, toothless bill — *Deinocheirus* scooping up plants with his broad, toothless bill

“ Deinocheirus. It's even taller than T. rex, and its massive duck-billed snout is very effective in gathering water plants. This male feeds voraciously, having eaten very little during the long, dry season. Water plants are rich in nutrients, and his huge, curved claws, eight inches long, enable him to dredge them up from deep beneath the surface. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

In Central Asia, the rivers of the Nemegt Formation have overflowed their banks due to seasonal rains, flooding the surrounding plains. In these lush wetlands, one male Deinocheirus is seen feasting on plants at the bottom of a swollen river, having eaten very little during the long, dry season. Unfortunately, he is pestered by flies, which prove to be irritating and even painful.

Deinocheirus approaches a tree to scratch himself — *Deinocheirus* approaches a tree to scratch himself

“ He himself is a source of food for smaller creatures. Bloodsucking flies, which infest his coat. They're irritating, and even painful, and while his huge claws enable him to have a good scratch, there are always some spots that are just out of reach. To get to them, he needs assistance... a dead tree. That could be the answer. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

The Deinocheirus attempts to scratch himself with his long arms, but is unable to reach some parts of his body. Spotting a dead tree, Deinocheirus heads for it and slams himself upon the tree (scaring off an enantiornithine bird perched on one of the branches in the process), rubbing his back and head on it to get rid of the itching sensations.

“ And now, he can get back to feeding. But a diet that consists almost entirely of wet vegetation does have one, inevitable consequence. What was food for one becomes fertilizer for many others, and a giant as big as Deinocheirus can produce over 20 tonnes of dung every year. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

After having fully scratched himself, the Deinocheirus returns to feeding on plants, defecating on the spot, his excrement sinking to the bottom of the swamp, serving as fertilizer for the very plants he feeds on. Swishing his tail in the water to get rid of the fecal matter still on him, the Deinocheirus wanders off.

Segment IV: Quetzalcoatlus[]

A Quetzalcoatlus in flight — A *Quetzalcoatlus* in flight

“ Southern Africa. Here, too, the annual rains create floods. And the land turns into a maze of narrow channels running between countless small islands. This is now a swamp forest. And it attracts one of the largest flying animals that has ever lived on Planet Earth. A giant pterosaur, Quetzalcoatlus. This is a female, her wings are over 30 feet across. And she's come here for one particular reason... ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

In the fourth segment of the episode, South Africa is revealed to have become a swamp forest due to annual rains. A Quetzalcoatlus finds this as a perfect place to lay her eggs, and forms a nest in the damp, swampy soil to prevent her soft-shelled eggs from drying out.

“ She's come here to make a nest. She chooses to do so on damp, swampy soil that will prevent her soft-shelled eggs from drying out. These first two are just the start. For the next three weeks, she will guard the open nest, and add two more eggs every few days. Producing eggs takes a lot of effort and energy. Each one is huge, weighing around a kilo. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

She spends the next three weeks guarding her open nest. A timelapse is shown of the mother azhdarchid walking around her nest, patrolling the area, sleeping alongside her eggs, and standing for long periods of time above her nest to add another pair of melon-sized eggs to the clutch.

“ Eventually, she produces a clutch of a dozen or so. She covers them with vegetation to conceal them. There should be enough food on this island to sustain her youngsters when they hatch. But there's nothing substantial enough here to satisfy her own hunger. She must leave to hunt for prey elsewhere... and trust that isolation of her nest will keep her unhatched young safe while she's away. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

After three weeks, drained by the effort of laying a dozen eggs, the Quetzalcoatlus hides her nest with some vegetation before setting off to find a meal.

Two Quetzalcoatlus intimidating each other before a fight — Two *Quetzalcoatlus* intimidating each other before a fight

“ Another, much older Quetzalcoatlus female. She too is looking for a safe place to lay her eggs, and there may not be enough food here for two sets of giant nestlings. But there is a way to solve that problem... and, eggs, after all, are very nutritious. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

While she was away, an older female Quetzalcoatlus comes upon the nest, and, in order to eliminate the competition and feed herself as well, she exposes the nest and destroys the eggs one by one, eating some of them. Before she could destroy all of the eggs, the owner of the nest returns just in time to fight off the older female. She attempts to drive off her rival by raising herself on her hind legs and spreading out her wings while bellowing repeatedly. Undeterred, the older females snaps at her, and the two azhdarchids attempt to stab and grab each other, grappling the adversary before them with their long beaks several times.

“ The older female is driven off. But the younger female's nest is wrecked. Out of the dozen eggs that she laid, only three have survived. The success of her breeding season now rests on these three fragile eggs. She will protect them as best as she can until they hatch in a few months' time. But after that, her young will have to fend for themselves. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

Eventually, the older female is forced away. The mother Quetzalcoatlus returns to her nest and finds three-quarters of her hard work undone; only three of her dozen eggs have survived. She will spend the next few months protecting the remaining eggs, and when they finally hatch, she'll leave her spawn to fend for themselves.

Segment V: Masiakasaurus and Beelzebufo[]

The fifth segment of the episode takes place in Madagascar, where a shallow river, slow in flow due to being broadened, is depositing sediments by the banks.

Masiakasaurus catches a crab — *Masiakasaurus* catches a crab

“ This is Masiakasaurus. A female, six feet long, and she has a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth, just what you need to deal with awkward, multi-legged prey. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

From the shoals of the river, dozens of crabs emerge. Suddenly, some of the crabs are grabbed by a female Masiakasaurus, prompting some of the crabs to scurry back down in the sand or hide under driftwood. One crab, while in her jaws, nips her upper lip, but she just shakes it off & swallows the crab down.

“ Crabs may have hard shells, but they're full of protein. Too good an opportunity to miss, and not only for her. She has three young, only four inches tall, and not quite ready to take on large crabs... but some youngsters develop hunting instincts early. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

As she continues to hunt crabs, from cover, her three chicks run out to her, and she drops them a dying crab to eat, for they are not yet ready to hunt large crabs. As the three feast on the crab, one of them, made impatient by the greedy tugging of its siblings, decides to pursue food on its own. It eyes a small crab that can be swallowed whole, but just as it ran at the crustacean, it had already retreated under a piece of driftwood, its speed serving as compensation for its small size. As the juvenile continues running across the shoal, poking through the ground and hunting for crabs on its own, its mother tries to call out to it to caution the chick not to stray too far. Still, the juvenile, upon seeing another crab to hunt, runs towards its prey. Suddenly, out of one of the shoal's pools, a large amphibian leaps out, snatching the juvenile from the ground with its tongue, pulling it into its mouth in under a second.

Beelzebufo consumes a juvenile Masiakasaurus — *Beelzebufo* consumes a juvenile *Masiakasaurus*

“ Beelzebufo, the 'Devil Toad', one of the largest frogs that has ever existed. He won't need to feed again for a month. These sandbars may be a rich feeding ground, but there can be a high price to pay for living here. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

Watching in surprise as their sibling is devoured by the Beelzebufo, the two chicks run for their mother and hide behind her as she stares in disbelief at the toad. His hunger satiated for a month, Beelzebufo sinks back down into his pool. With nothing more that can be done about what just happened, the mother Masiakasaurus leaves the shoal with her two surviving offspring.

Segment VI: Elasmosaurs[]

“ The river water is now approaching the sea. A taste of salt in its waters is already detectable. At high tide, visitors come in from the open sea to explore these channels. Elasmosaurs. These are true ocean-going reptiles. But some come to estuaries to explore the brackish waters. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

In the sixth and final segment of the episode, in the forests of South America,^{[DN 1]} elasmosaurs journey down a river flowing through a mangrove, with a Quetzalcoatlus watching them curiously.

“ Now, the millions of tons of sediment carried here by rivers is finally delivered into the sea. The river water takes time to mix with the ocean, and, for a while, the two waters flow side by side. Nonetheless, great shoals of fish find plenty on which to feed in these waters. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

The elasmosaurs continue on to where the river widens, where more inhabitants of the forest (namely, what appears to be a juvenile Quetzalcoatlus and an Austroposeidon) take an interest in the peculiar presence of the normally ocean-dwelling creatures. The elasmosaurs eventually end up where the murky waters of the river meet and mingle with the sea. There, they pursue great schools of fish, circling around them to agitate and pin them right where they want them to, leaping out of the water to catch mouthfuls of fish as they try to jump and escape.

“ The clouds of sediment conceal the fish if they're any distance away. But the elasmosaurs don't hesitate to swim into the murkiest of water to pursue their prey. There is no escape for the fish, even above the water. These elasmosaurs collect the last of the river's gifts before its traces are finally lost in the oceans of the Prehistoric Planet. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

The elasmosaurs are seen diving in and out of the clouded boundary between river and ocean, catching as many fish as they can, and the segment ends with one last view of Patagonia from space.

Uncovered Segment: Did Velociraptor Have Feathers?[]

	*Did Velociraptor* Have Feathers?**
	Subject The evidence of existence and purpose of feathers in Velociraptor and other dromaeosaurs. Experts Dr. Darren Naish, Professor Paul Barrett

Did Velociraptor Have Feathers?

Subject
The evidence of existence and purpose of feathers in Velociraptor and other dromaeosaurs.

Experts
Dr. Darren Naish, Professor Paul Barrett

Several dinosaurs are confirmed or at least strongly implied to have feathers

This Uncovered segment is dedicated to whether Velociraptors had feathers, and what purpose these feathers would serve. When a prehistoric animal fossilizes, their bones tend to be preserved very well. Unfortunately, the skin and the other soft parts usually tend to rot away and leave little to no trace instead, leaving much of them to guesswork. However, there are some cases were exceptional fossils finally answer long-held questions.

The idea that Velociraptor is feathered is no longer a controversial view in the modern day, with at least 60 other dinosaurs known to be fully covered in feathers, much like modern birds. Some of the most perfect fossilized feathers have been found in China, among them, Zhenyuanlong, which was discovered in 2015, with its tail feathers and the wings on its arms preserved in astonishing detail.

JPM-0008, the holotype specimen of Zhenyuanlong suni. Note the preserved traces of feathers on its arms and tail. — JPM-0008, the holotype specimen of *Zhenyuanlong suni*. Note the preserved traces of feathers on its arms and tail.

“ For Velociraptor in particular, fossils have even been found with indentations in the bone, showing exactly where feathers would have been positioned. ”

― David Attenborough, Did Velociraptor Have Feathers?

With this irrefutable evidence replacing the familiar image of scaly monsters with that of a "really terrifying turkey", the next thing to find out would be why Velociraptor, a clearly-flightless predator, needed them to begin with. In truth, while the concept of feathers at first appear to make them less scary, the presence of feathers actually make Velociraptor an even deadlier hunter.

“ When we look at modern animals, we see that feathers are useful for so much more than just flying. For an animal like Velociraptor, feathers would have helped to control movement, particularly when the animal was leaping, climbing, or changing direction during a hunt. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

The feathers functioning as armor of sorts, providing protection to absorb blows of retaliation from prey and collisions with the environment, would have further helped these hunters succeed even in the most difficult of terrains. As can be seen on the succeeding episodes of Prehistoric Planet, some dinosaurs would indeed rely on their feathers for several purposes, with the adult Therizinosaurus being able to disregard bee stings in the sixth segment of Forests, the Imperobator pack using their feathers to gain an advantage in maneuverability in the fifth segment of Islands, and male Corythoraptors using their heavily-feathered bodies to shield their eggs from the desert sun in the third segment of Badlands.