Woolly Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice
Professor Alice Roberts on the natural history of the woolly mammoth, revealing adaptations that helped the species evolve from their origins in the tropics to surviving in Siberia
Professor Alice Roberts reveals the natural history of the most famous of ice age animals - the woolly mammoth. Mammoths have transfixed humans since the depths of the last ice age, when their herds roamed across what is now Europe and Asia. Although these curious members of the elephant family have been extinct for thousands of years, scientists can now paint an incredibly detailed picture of their lives thanks to whole carcasses that have been beautifully preserved in the Siberian permafrost.
Alice meets the scientists who are using the latest genetic, chemical and molecular tests to reveal the adaptations that allowed mammoths to evolve from their origins in the tropics to surviving the extremes of Siberia. And in a dramatic end to the film, she helps unveil a brand new woolly mammoth carcass that may shed new light on our own ancestors' role in their extinction.
Last on
Clips
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The Yuka Mammoth
Duration: 01:21
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Virtual time travel
Duration: 01:52
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Teeth tell the story
Duration: 02:06
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Born of the permafrost
Duration: 00:52
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:06
Watain
Waters of Ain
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Alice Roberts |
Producer | Tim Walker |
Director | Tim Walker |
Executive Producer | Tim Martin |
Broadcasts
- Wed 4 Apr 2012 21:00
- Sat 7 Apr 2012 18:30±«Óãtv HD
- Sun 8 Apr 2012 00:00±«Óãtv HD
- Sun 20 Jan 2013 18:00±«Óãtv HD
- Wed 30 Sep 2015 23:00
- Sun 4 Oct 2015 20:00
- Wed 7 Oct 2015 01:55
- Mon 18 Jan 2016 20:00
- Tue 19 Jan 2016 00:40
- Sun 4 Sep 2016 21:00
- Tue 6 Sep 2016 01:00
- Sat 1 Apr 2017 20:00
- Wed 18 Oct 2017 00:30
- Wed 22 Aug 2018 00:00
- Sun 13 Jan 2019 20:00
- Thu 1 Aug 2019 22:00
- Sun 27 Sep 2020 20:00
- Sun 25 Feb 2024 19:00
- Mon 26 Feb 2024 01:45
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