Inside Nature's Giants Series 1

Episodes

Episode 1 - The Elephant

How did evolution overcome the challenges of being as big as an elephant? And how did the elephant get the most versatile limb on the planet - the trunk?

Experts dissect a 20 metre, 50 tonne fin whale that has died after being stranded off the coast of Ireland. It's a race against time as whale anatomist Joy Reidenberg flies in from New York before the animal's decomposition causes it to explode on the beach.

Episode 3 - The Crocodile

Veterinary scientist Mark Evans joins experts in anatomy, evolution and behaviour in a bid to get under the skin of the crocodile, as biologist Simon Watt travels to Florida to test the huge strength of the massive reptile's bite: the most powerful in the animal kingdom.

Episode 4 - The Giraffe

Creationists question how this extraordinary creature could have evolved such a long neck, but for Professor Richard Dawkins the anatomy of the world's tallest animal provides some of the best arguments in favour of Darwinian natural selection.

The Series

Inside Nature's Giants dissects the largest animals on the planet to uncover their evolutionary secrets.

Most wildlife documentaries tell you how an animal behaves, but by dissecting the animal and studying its anatomy we can we can see how it actually works.

Experts in comparative anatomy, evolution and behaviour put some of the most popular and enigmatic large animals under the knife. Veterinary scientist, Mark Evans, interprets their findings, biologist Simon Watt tests the animals' physiology in the field and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins reflects how evolutionary history has determined the animals' unique anatomy.