Nova

In North Dakota, scientists use new fossils to reconstruct what life might have been like just before an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. The site reveals remarkable evidence, including the unhatched egg of a pterosaur, a huge flying reptile.

Striking new fossils paint a picture of life right before the asteroid impact.

Dinosaur Apocalypse: The New Evidence

Dinosaur Apocalypse: The New Evidence Preview

To uncover the secrets of a pterosaur egg, Sir David Attenborough visits researchers using the latest technology to analyze these extinct creatures’ fossils.

Bones and shells can tell us a lot about how these creatures lived.

Inside a Fossilized Pterosaur Egg

With teamwork, careful handling, and a little help from liquid nitrogen, scientists unearth a remarkable baenid turtle fossil.

The Late Cretaceous period was kind of the heyday of turtles.

Watch Scientists Extract a Rare Turtle Fossil

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In the Badlands of North Dakota, a team of scientists think they might have found the fossilized remains of animals killed on the day an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. The evidence points to a catastrophic event, with a jumble of rare fossils, including a pterosaur embryo still in its shell and a well-preserved patch of triceratops skin, mixed in with tiny spheres of clay and glass that could be the fallout from the massive asteroid impact. Sir David Attenborough guides us on a search for clues that could give an unprecedented snapshot of what happened in the dinosaurs’ final moments on Earth. (A two-hour special premiering at 9 pm on May 11 on PBS)

Newly found fossils in North Dakota might shed light on the last days of the dinosaurs.

University of Edinburgh

Paleontologist, University of Kansas

Histologist, University of Cape Town

University of Texas at Austin

Imperial College London

Rutgers University

Striking new fossils paint a picture of life right before the asteroid impact.

Evolution

The search continues for signs of what might have happened on the day the dinosaurs died. Scientists uncover remarkable evidence, including a near perfectly preserved dinosaur leg and what could be pieces of the asteroid itself.

Scientists use new fossils to reconstruct the day the dinosaurs died.

Dinosaur Apocalypse: The Last Day

Watch scientists uncover what might be the first dinosaur fossil ever found from the day the dinosaurs died.

This might be the first time in 66 million years that this leg has seen the light of day.

New Fossil May Reveal Clues to Dinosaurs' Final Days

In the second episode of this two-part series, the search continues for signs of what happened on the day the dinosaurs died. Scientists uncover extremely rare fossils and more evidence that could link the dig site in North Dakota to the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Among the fossils are tiny spheres of glass locked in amber. Inside one of the spheres is a speck of rock that appears to be a chemical match to the killer asteroid itself. And scientists uncover one of the most spectacular finds of all: an almost perfectly preserved dinosaur leg. Sir David Attenborough guides us on a search for clues that could provide an unprecedented snapshot of what happened in the dinosaurs’ final moments on Earth. (Premiered May 11, 2022)

New fossil evidence might help reveal what happened on the day the dinosaurs died.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Scientists use new fossils to reconstruct the day the dinosaurs died.

Sixty-six million years ago, a gigantic asteroid slammed into Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs. There’s strong evidence of the asteroid impact, but no fossils of a dinosaur killed in the event have ever been found. Now, at a dig site in North Dakota, scientists have uncovered a wealth of fossilized creatures that could reveal a more detailed picture of the devastating day the asteroid hit. Following a trail of remarkably well-preserved fossils, including a pterosaur embryo in its shell and a dinosaur leg with its skin intact, Sir David Attenborough guides us on a search for clues that could provide an unprecedented snapshot of what happened on the unluckiest day for life on Earth. (Premiered May 11, 2022)

Newly found fossils may reveal an unprecedented snapshot of the day the dinosaurs died.

Newly found fossils may reveal an unprecedented snapshot of the day the dinosaurs died.

Dinosaur Apocalypse Episodes

Dinosaur Apocalypse: The New Evidence

Dinosaur Apocalypse: The Last Day