Evolutionary biologist and master skeleton builder Ben Garrod looks at how bones have enabled vertebrates to colonise and dominate practically every habitat on Earth.
3.5 / 5
Episode 1
Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod Ben shows what bone is constructed from and how it can support animals that are both tiny (a frog) and massive (the blue whale).
Episode 2
Ben Garrod discovers how the skeleton has adapted for vertebrates to move on land in many ways and explores the role of the spine in both cheetahs and snakes.
Episode 3
Ben Garrod finds out how the skeleton has allowed vertebrates to take to the air, why the pigeon is an exceptional flier and how the albatross makes huge migrations.
Episode 4
Ben Garrod delves into the surprising ways in which bone has evolved to help vertebrates sense the world around them, from wolves and sheep to the great grey owl.
Episode 5
Ben Garrod uncovers the secrets of how vertebrates capture and devour their food using extreme jaws, bizarre teeth and specialised bony tools.
Episode 6
Ben Garrod seeks out the big part that bones can play in reproduction. Through sexual selection, the skeleton has adapted to aid courtship, competition and even copulation.
