News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food

Nature

Life on Earth

The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals that now live around us.

1. The Infinite Variety (54 mins)

1. The Infinite Variety

David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin.

54 mins

2. Building Bodies

David Attenborough examines the creatures and fossils of the Great Barrier Reef.

3. The First Forests

David Attenborough looks at when plants began to invade the land 400 million years ago.

4. The Swarming Hordes

David Attenborough looks at the role of a few of the millions of insect species.

5. Conquest of the Waters

David Attenborough looks at some of the 30,000 species of fish.

6. Invasion of the Land

When fish crawled from the water onto land and became amphibians, 350 million years ago.

7. Victors of the Dry Land

How reptiles were the first backboned creatures to solve the problems of living on land.

8. Lords of the Air

David Attenborough looks at the advantages of birds' feathers.

9. The Rise of the Mammals

David Attenborough looks at the evolution of mammals from reptiles 200 million years ago.

10. Themes and Variations

David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals.

11. The Hunters and the Hunted

The eternal duel between the hunters and the hunted on the plains of East Africa.

12. Life in the Trees

David Attenborough looks at the history of primates.

13. The Compulsive Communicators

David Attenborough looks at how and why humans have come to dominate life on earth.