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David Attenborough is fascinated by the largest flying animal ever to exist during the time of the dinosaurs. From 2011.

As Sir David Attenborough explains:

"The biggest animal to fly was not a bird, but a reptile."

It was a Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur with at least a 44 foot wingspan. David, a huge fan of palaeontology, is skilled in bringing the past natural histories to life through stories about the discovery of key fossils.

What a creature this "terrible lizard" must have been - big enough to scavenge the bodies of dead Tyrannosaurus and yet able to fly, probably in large numbers. And with a twist so typical of Sir David's writing, he brings this pterosaur to life at the very end.

Written and presented by David Attenborough.

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in May 2011.

10 minutes

Last on

Mon 22 Apr 2024 01:45

Broadcasts

  • Fri 27 May 2011 20:50
  • Sun 29 May 2011 08:50
  • Tue 14 Jun 2016 06:20
  • Tue 14 Jun 2016 13:20
  • Tue 14 Jun 2016 20:20
  • Wed 15 Jun 2016 01:20
  • Sun 20 Jan 2019 11:50
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  • Sun 14 May 2023 10:45
  • Sun 14 May 2023 15:45
  • Sun 14 May 2023 21:45
  • Mon 15 May 2023 04:45
  • Sun 21 Apr 2024 06:45
  • Sun 21 Apr 2024 11:45
  • Sun 21 Apr 2024 17:45
  • Mon 22 Apr 2024 01:45