Documentary backdrop image for When Humans Were Prey (2019)

201910 minPGdoc-short

evolution archaeology

When Humans Were Prey

201910 minPGdoc-short

Early human ancestors faced constant predation, which significantly influenced their evolutionary adaptations and survival strategies.

evolution archaeology

Genres

Channel: PBS Eons

When Humans Were Prey

2019• 10 minPG

Synopsis

Early human ancestors faced constant predation, which significantly influenced their evolutionary adaptations and survival strategies.

Synopsis

Early human ancestors faced constant threats from predators, a reality that significantly influenced their evolution. The adaptations that emerged during this perilous period, including increased social cooperation and enhanced cognitive abilities, played a crucial role in the survival and success of hominins. Research on the Taung Child, an Australopithecus africanus fossil discovered in South Africa, highlights the impact of predation on human development. Insights from paleoanthropologists like Lee Berger and Richard Leakey provide a deeper understanding of the evolutionary pressures faced by early humans.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Could You Survive Living With Other Hominin Species? (2025)

Could You Survive Living With Other Hominin Species?

In the Early Pleistocene Epoch, various hominin species coexisted with Homo sapiens, raising questions about survival strategies and social interactions among them.

Could You Survive Living With Other Hominin Species?

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors (2025)

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors

Homo ergaster, the earliest human ancestors from southern Africa, exhibited unique adaptations that paved the way for the evolution of modern humans.

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors

From the Fall of Dinos to the Rise of Humans (2018)

From the Fall of Dinos to the Rise of Humans

The Cenozoic Era marks a significant period in Earth's history characterized by the emergence of modern mammals and birds, leading to the rise of human-like organisms.

From the Fall of Dinos to the Rise of Humans

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like? (2025)

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like?

Australopithecus afarensis and Homo habilis illustrate key stages in human evolution, highlighting adaptations like bipedalism and tool use shaped by environmental changes.

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like?

Is This 2.8 Million-Year-Old Skull The Missing Link In Human History? (2026)

Is This 2.8 Million-Year-Old Skull The Missing Link In Human History?

In 1924, the Taung Child skull was discovered in South Africa, prompting Dr. Kevin Kuykendall to investigate its origins and the violent world of Australopithecus africanus.

Is This 2.8 Million-Year-Old Skull The Missing Link In Human History?

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human (2023)

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human

In 2000, the discovery of a pivotal fossil in Ethiopia provided new insights into the characteristics of early human ancestors and their evolution from apes.

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us? (2025)

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us?

Cognitive abilities of early humans, including Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, are examined through archaeological findings and anthropological research, challenging perceptions of their intelligence.

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us?

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators (2026)

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators

Reptiles, often perceived as primitive, showcase remarkable diversity and adaptability, having existed for over 300 million years alongside Earth's changing ecosystems.

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators

Human evolution: How our ancestors learned to speak, write and rule (2018)

Human evolution: How our ancestors learned to speak, write and rule

Human evolution highlights the development of language, art, and governance from Africa to the Americas, illustrating key milestones in societal complexity.

Human evolution: How our ancestors learned to speak, write and rule

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa (2011)

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa

In the Malapa region of South Africa, Professor Lee Berger and his son unearthed fossils of a new ape-like species, shedding light on human evolution.

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi (2025)

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi

In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was a significant religious center where priestesses conveyed prophecies from the god Apollo.

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi

Why Did Nasa Secretly Send 6 Men To The Bottom Of The Ocean In 1969? (2026)

Why Did Nasa Secretly Send 6 Men To The Bottom Of The Ocean In 1969?

In July 1969, NASA conducted a secret experiment involving six men in the PX-15 submarine, exploring the depths of the Gulf Stream for 30 days.

Why Did Nasa Secretly Send 6 Men To The Bottom Of The Ocean In 1969?

Explore When Humans Were Prey

Where else to watch

First Peoples (2015)

First Peoples

2015•1h•★6.0TMDB

Over 200,000 years, early humans adapted to diverse environments, influenced by prehistoric gene mixing across continents.

Homo sapiens (2005)

Homo sapiens

2005•1h28m•★7.6TMDB

400,000 years of human evolution are examined, focusing on the development of language, art, and agriculture from 400,000 to 20,000 BC.

Neanderthal Apocalypse (2015)

Neanderthal Apocalypse

2015•1h29m•★6.7TMDB

40,000 years ago, Neanderthals in Eurasia displayed cultural practices and technological skills similar to those of modern humans.

Neanderthal Apocalypse

Human By Chance? (2020)

Human By Chance?

About 2 million years ago, the rapid growth of the human brain began, leading to advancements in architecture, science, and culture.

Human By Chance?

Egypt's Lost Pyramid (2019)

Egypt's Lost Pyramid

A 4,000-year-old pyramid contains a burial chamber that appears sealed, yet its artifacts suggest signs of disturbance within.

Egypt's Lost Pyramid

Ancient Origins: Mankind's Mysterious Past (2022)

Ancient Origins: Mankind's Mysterious Past

2022•1h10m•★8.0TMDB

Archaeologists present evidence of advanced societies that existed before recorded history, challenging the belief that Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization.

Ancient Origins: Mankind's Mysterious Past

Ghosts of Stonehenge (2017)

Ghosts of Stonehenge

2017•52m•★6.0TMDB

Recent archaeological excavations at Stonehenge reveal insights into the construction methods used by its builders over 5,000 years ago.

Ghosts of Stonehenge

Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts (2023)

Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts

2023•1h50m•★7.5TMDB

Professor Alice Roberts visits recently excavated archaeological sites along the Nile, examining artifacts that reveal insights into ancient Egyptian civilizations.

Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts

Browse more like this

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors (2025)

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors

Homo ergaster, the earliest human ancestors from southern Africa, exhibited unique adaptations that paved the way for the evolution of modern humans.

Uncovering The Lost World Of Our Earliest Human Ancestors

No digital watch option in your country

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like? (2025)

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like?

Australopithecus afarensis and Homo habilis illustrate key stages in human evolution, highlighting adaptations like bipedalism and tool use shaped by environmental changes.

What Did The First Humans Actually Look Like?

No digital watch option in your country

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human (2023)

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human

In 2000, the discovery of a pivotal fossil in Ethiopia provided new insights into the characteristics of early human ancestors and their evolution from apes.

Is This The Face Of Our Earliest Human Ancestor? | The First Human

No digital watch option in your country

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us? (2025)

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us?

Cognitive abilities of early humans, including Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, are examined through archaeological findings and anthropological research, challenging perceptions of their intelligence.

Was Stone-Age Man Dumber Than Us?

No digital watch option in your country

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators (2026)

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators

Reptiles, often perceived as primitive, showcase remarkable diversity and adaptability, having existed for over 300 million years alongside Earth's changing ecosystems.

From Dinosaurs to Deadly Hunters: The Rise of Earth's Oldest Predators

No digital watch option in your country

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa (2011)

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa

In the Malapa region of South Africa, Professor Lee Berger and his son unearthed fossils of a new ape-like species, shedding light on human evolution.

Part Ape, Part Human: The Fossils of Malapa

No digital watch option in your country

Prehistoric Predators (2007)

Prehistoric Predators

2007•1h•★7.5TMDB

Ancient predators once dominated the Earth, employing various hunting strategies to survive in a world filled with danger.

Prehistoric Predators

Before We Ruled the Earth (2003)

Before We Ruled the Earth

2003•1h40m•★9.0TMDB

1.5 million years of early human history are examined alongside the challenges faced by hominids and prehistoric animals like the Woolly Mammoth.

Before We Ruled the Earth

The Beasts Within (2001)

The Beasts Within

2001•49m•★9.0TMDB

Early humans may have played a significant role in the extinction of large mammals during the Ice Age, according to recent scientific findings.

The Beasts Within

Savage Instinct (1999)

Savage Instinct

Predators and prey on the African Savannah constantly adapt, with some species evolving to be fitter and faster than their ancestors.

Savage Instinct

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →