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It's astonishing that you can actually see
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Attenborough and the Sea Dragon

It's astonishing that you canactually see the remains of skinon such an ancient fossil

It's astonishing that you can
actually see the remains of skin
on such an ancient fossil

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.028
It's astonishing that you can actually see
00:00:03.028 --> 00:00:06.016
the remains of skin on such an ancient fossil.
Duration
6 seconds
Views
31
Timestamp in Movie
00:37:37
Uploaded
Jun 28, 2025
Genres
documentary
Production
BBC

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Movie Summary

Sir David Attenborough investigates the discovery of a 200 million year old Ichthyosaur on the Jurassic Coast in southern England.
tens-of-thousands-of-times - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:12
tens-of-thousands-of-times
SMITHWICK: Here we have exceptional level - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:07
SMITHWICK: Here we have exceptional level
So the structures we're looking at here are around - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:05
So the structures we're looking at here are around
And a micro meter is one millionth of a meter, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:09
And a micro meter is one millionth of a meter,
Now, melanosomes contain the pigment - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:12
Now, melanosomes contain the pigment
There's a large abundance of these melanosomes, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:11
There's a large abundance of these melanosomes,
So it most likely had a much darker back than it did a belly - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:11
So it most likely had a much darker back than it did a belly
ATTENBOROUGH: You can see countershading - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:07
ATTENBOROUGH: You can see countershading
Both predators and prey are colored in this way. - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:04
Both predators and prey are colored in this way.
It makes it more difficult to see both from above and below. - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:05
It makes it more difficult to see both from above and below.
SMITHWICK: So this is the first time that we've actually seen evidence - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:07
SMITHWICK: So this is the first time that we've actuall...
ATTENBOROUGH: So that really is a step forward - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:05
ATTENBOROUGH: So that really is a step forward
SMITHWICK: It is, and it can tell us a huge amount - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:05
SMITHWICK: It is, and it can tell us a huge amount
Today, counter-shaded animals tend to live in open water - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:07
Today, counter-shaded animals tend to live in open water
Ichthyosaurs also lived in the open seas, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:08
Ichthyosaurs also lived in the open seas,
The latest scientific research suggests that counter-shading - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:12
The latest scientific research suggests that counter-shading
As an air-breathing creature, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:12
As an air-breathing creature,
There are, of course many marine reptiles - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:07
There are, of course many marine reptiles
The biggest of them is the leatherback, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:10
The biggest of them is the leatherback,
Today they come ashore to nest in many places, - Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 00:08
Today they come ashore to nest in many places,