Main content

Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur

Sir David Attenborough tells the story of the discovery in Argentina of the largest animal to ever walk the earth, a new species of the plant-eating titanosaur.

David Attenborough tells the story of the discovery and reconstruction in Argentina of the world's largest-known dinosaur, a brand new species of titanosaur. Measuring 37m long - close to four London buses put end to end - and weighing 70 metric tons, it now holds the record as the biggest animal ever to walk the earth.

In 2014, a shepherd spotted the tip of a gigantic fossil bone sticking out of a rock in La Flecha Farm in the Chubut Province in the Argentinian desert. Palaeontologists soon uncovered a massive 2.4m long thigh bone (femur), the largest ever found. By the end of the dig they had uncovered more than 220 bones. As the programme reveals, these all belong to a new species of the giant plant-eating titanosaur.

Filmed over the next two years, the documentary follows the twists and turns of this forensic investigation. Attenborough witnesses the uncovering and examination of these stupendous fossils and the dramatic construction of the complete skeleton. And using state-of-the-art graphics, the film also reveals the internal secrets of this dinosaur and what it means to be a giant.

Available now

58 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Tue 6 May 202502:45

Music Played

  • Drowning the Light

    With The Rain Comes Torments and The Slow Draining of Life

Credits

RoleContributor
PresenterDavid Attenborough
ProducerCharlotte Scott
DirectorCharlotte Scott
Executive ProducerMiles Barton
Executive ProducerMike Gunton
ParticipantBen Garrod
ParticipantDiego Pol

Broadcasts

  • Sun 24 Jan 201618:30
  • Tue 26 Jan 201622:45
  • Tue 26 Jan 201623:15
  • Tue 26 Jan 201623:35
  • Thu 11 Feb 201600:40
  • Thu 11 Feb 201601:05
  • Thu 11 Feb 201601:15
  • Sun 8 May 201616:35
  • Sun 23 Oct 201616:50
  • Thu 9 Mar 201722:00
  • Thu 13 Dec 201821:00
  • Sat 14 Dec 201920:10
  • Sun 20 Jun 202117:35
  • Mon 3 Jul 202320:00
  • Tue 4 Jul 202302:00
  • Fri 22 Dec 202313:45
  • Mon 5 May 202521:00
  • Tue 6 May 202502:45

Featured in...

Attenborough and the giant dinosaur - in virtual reality...

Attenborough and the giant dinosaur - in virtual reality...

David Attenborough presents the first mixed reality, 360ยบ film made by the BBC.