Available online
Description
This programme examines the emergence of flight through the evolutionary record, strating with the early land plants in the Silurian, whose spores were distributed by the wind, through to the most ...recent animal to fly - Man. Most of the programme is concerned with the flying reptiles such as Pteranodon; the first bird, Archaeoptryx; and of course flight in modern birds. Extensive use is made of models in the tudio, animations and film.
This programme examines the emergence of flight through the evolutionary record, strating with the early land plants in the Silurian, whose spores were distributed by the wind, through to the most ...recent animal to fly - Man. Most of the programme is concerned with the flying reptiles such as Pteranodon; the first bird, Archaeoptryx; and of course flight in modern birds. Extensive use is made of models in the tudio, animations and film.
| Module code and title: | S364, Evolution |
|---|---|
| Item code: | S364; 06 |
| First transmission date: | 21-05-1981 |
| Published: | 1981 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:00 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | P. L Firstbrook |
| Contributor: | S.(Simon) Conway Morris |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Archaeoptryx; Birds; Evolution; Flight; Pterodactyl; Pterosaurus |
| Footage description: | Shots of a falcon, flying frog, humming bird, butterflies and moths. Commentary introduces the programme. Over more shots of flying organisms, flamingoes, plant spores, vultures and flying fish, commentary lists some of the advantages to organisms of developing flight. Using shots of an albatross in flight, and a diagram of a bird wing, commentary discusses the features of birds which allow them to be expert fliers. Animated diagrams then illustrate the aerodynamics of bird flight. Shots of a stork and an eagle landing. Simon Conway-Morris briefly describes some of the earliest organisms to take to the air, the spores of land plants which appeared during the Silurian. Shots of these from Aberdeenshire which, in thin section, show the fossil remains of spores. Also shots of grasses in a field. All these features. The programme goes on to look at the fossil record of flying insects which appeared during the Carboniferous. Shots of fossil dragon flies, of a living dragon-fly in flight and of a locust swarm. Shots of a fossil of pterodactyl, a flying reptile from the Jurassic. Then, with the aid of a lifesize reconstruction of another flying reptile, Pteranodon, the programme examines, in detail, how this animal lived and flew. Some shots of a booky bird taking off, a circling vulture, an eagle and an albatross are also shown. Drawing of a Pteranodon in flight. Shots of a fossil cast of Archaeoptryx, the earliest known bird. Commentary points out the main features of this animal and then with the aid of a life size model of Archaeoptry it looks further into the anatomy and life style of the animal. Some shots of present day birds (ostrich, penguin and heron) are used to demonstrate uses of feathers. Another group of flying animals, the mammals, is examined. Shots of bats in flight and a diagram of a bat wing. This diagram is compared with diagrams of reptile and bird wings and the differences are pointed out. Finally, over shots of man's early attempts at flight, the programme looks at this latest flying organism. The programme ends with film of Concorde. |
| Master spool number: | HOU3604 |
| Production number: | FOUS126Y |
| Videofinder number: | 2057 |
| Available to public: | no |
