The Beginning of Life | Life on Earth

Duration: 3'53''

Synopsis

David Attenborough explains the origins of life on earth, starting over three and a half thousand million years ago.

Further Information

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1: The Infinite Variety | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'12''

The first ever episode of the landmark natural history series Life on Earth. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape t...

10: Themes and Variations | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 52'46''

David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. The tree shrew has attracted great interest as it shows how mammal...

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'15''

David Attenborough explores the eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted - one of the driving forces of evolution.

12: Life in the Trees | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'01''

David Attenborough's now-legendary encounter with young gorillas is featured in this episode as he looks at the history of primates.

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'00''

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2: Building Bodies | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 53'36''

Sir David Attenborough presents a revised version of the original wildlife series about the remarkable evolution of life on our planet. Th...

3: The First Forests | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 53'22''

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4: The Swarming Hordes | Life On Earth

BBC Two | 1979 | 54'22''

David Attenborough looks at the role of a few of the millions of insect species, some of which have developed extremely close relation...

5: Conquest of the Waters | Life On Earth

5: Conquest of the Waters | Life On Earth

BBC Two | 1979 | 54'32''

Fish occur in populations of billions and there are over 30,000 species, more than in any other group of backboned animals. The dev...

6: Invasion Of The Land | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'57''

Some 350 million years ago, evolution reached one of its most crucial stages when fish crawled from the water onto the land and becam...

7: Victors of the Dry Land | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 54'44''

David Attenborough looks at the history of reptiles, the first back-boned creatures to solve the problems of living high and dry o...

8: Lords of the Air | Life On Earth

8: Lords of the Air | Life On Earth

BBC Two | 1979 | 53'45''

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that live around us. David Attenborough looks at the advantag...

9: The Rise Of The Mammals | Life On Earth

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BBC Two | 1979 | 53'43''

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More resources about Evolution and Inheritence

Darwin's Natural Selection (Song) | Horrible Histories

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CBBC | 2012 | 2'47''

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Large land mammals bone structures are perfectly adapted to help them to survive.

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Charles Dickens on life, novels and inspiration from his experiences in the Victorian Era.

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How wolverines have adapted to finding and eating food in the snow.

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