Documentary backdrop image for When Pterosaurs Walked (2021)

202111 minGdoc-short

evolution indigenous-histories

When Pterosaurs Walked

202111 minGdoc-short

Pterosaurs, known for their aerial dominance during the Mesozoic Era, also inhabited terrestrial environments, revealing insights into their life on land.

evolution indigenous-histories

Genres

Channel: PBS Eons

When Pterosaurs Walked

2021• 11 minG

Synopsis

Pterosaurs, known for their aerial dominance during the Mesozoic Era, also inhabited terrestrial environments, revealing insights into their life on land.

Synopsis

Pterosaurs, known for their dominance in the skies during the Mesozoic Era, also spent significant time on land. "When Pterosaurs Walked" examines the lifestyle and behavior of these ancient reptiles beyond their aerial capabilities. Through fossil evidence and paleontological research, the episode explores how pterosaurs interacted with their environment and adapted to terrestrial life. The program acknowledges the Indigenous lands where many of these fossils were discovered, specifically recognizing the ancestral homelands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Pueblos, and Diné Bikéyah Peoples.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed (2026)

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed

Pterodactyl sightings, alleged living dinosaurs, and mysterious human-dino tracks are examined alongside strange carcasses in a compilation of intriguing evidence.

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed

What Drove Life Into The Trees? (2026)

What Drove Life Into The Trees?

Tetrapods transitioned into arboreal life primarily due to the availability of leaves, reshaping their evolutionary path on Earth.

What Drove Life Into The Trees?

Could You Survive The Carboniferous Period? (2024)

Could You Survive The Carboniferous Period?

In the Late Carboniferous Period, the emergence of amniotes marked a significant evolutionary step as they adapted to life on land amidst giant insects.

Could You Survive The Carboniferous Period?

Could You Survive On Hateg Island? (2025)

Could You Survive On Hateg Island?

In the Late Cretaceous Period, Hateg Island served as a hunting ground for a giant pterosaur, presenting unique survival challenges for its inhabitants.

Could You Survive On Hateg Island?

Could You Survive The Devonian Period? (with Hank Green!) (2024)

Could You Survive The Devonian Period? (with Hank Green!)

The Devonian Period saw the emergence of Tiktaalik, one of the first vertebrates to transition from water to land, amidst a flourishing of plant life and ancient invertebrates.

Could You Survive The Devonian Period? (with Hank Green!)

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

Iconic Dinosaur Moments from Walking With Dinosaurs (1999) (2025)

Iconic Dinosaur Moments from Walking With Dinosaurs (1999)

A 7-ton male Stegosaurus, equipped with meter-long spikes on its tail, poses a lethal threat despite its small brain size.

Iconic Dinosaur Moments from Walking With Dinosaurs (1999)

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like? (2025)

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

Paleontological research since 1993, influenced by Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park," reveals that dinosaurs likely had feathers and diverse appearances, challenging previous perceptions.

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

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

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs (2024)

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs

66 million years ago, a huge inland sea covered much of Wyoming, preserving dinosaur bones and footprints from the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators (2021)

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators

70 to 80 pregnant lemon sharks gather each spring in the Grand Bahama Bank, a phenomenon first documented by researcher Professor Sam Gruber.

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors (2026)

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors

DNA analysis from the petrous bone reveals that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers had dark skin and provides new insights into ancient migration patterns.

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors

Explore When Pterosaurs Walked

Where else to watch

Walking with Dinosaurs (2025)

Walking with Dinosaurs

2025•5h•★6.7TMDB

Individual dinosaurs are brought to life through the latest paleontological evidence and advanced visual effects, showcasing their stories as fossils are unearthed.

Walking with Dinosaurs

Walking with Beasts (2001)

Walking with Beasts

2001•3h•★6.8TMDB

Prehistoric beasts, through innovative morphing technology, illustrate the evolution and adaptation of ancient creatures over millions of years.

Walking with Beasts

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough (2011)

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough

2011•1h10m•★7.0TMDB

Wingspans of up to 40 feet allowed pterosaurs to dominate the skies 220 million years ago, as shown in this natural history documentary.

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough

Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers (2012)

Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers

2012•53m•★8.1TMDB

The Spinosaurus, the largest predator to ever walk the Earth, roamed during the Cretaceous period alongside the feathered Microraptor from China.

Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia (2007)

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia

2007•39m•★6.7TMDB

A 60-foot Liopleurodon hunts an ichthyosaur in the Late Jurassic ocean, illustrating the prehistoric life of Patagonia 150 million years ago.

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia

Land of Giants: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special (2003)

Land of Giants: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special

2003•30m•★7.3TMDB

Over 30 species of dinosaurs are featured as Nigel Marven walks through the prehistoric world, revealing their size and behavior.

Land of Giants: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special

Alien Crab (2012)

Alien Crab

Horseshoe crabs have existed for over 450 million years, surviving major extinction events, including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Something From Nothing: A Conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss (2012)

Something From Nothing: A Conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

2012•2h•★1.0TMDB

Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss engage in a dialogue on the interplay between science and religion, exploring their implications for understanding existence and the universe.

Something From Nothing: A Conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Browse more like this

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed (2026)

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed

Pterodactyl sightings, alleged living dinosaurs, and mysterious human-dino tracks are examined alongside strange carcasses in a compilation of intriguing evidence.

Undiscovered Dinosaurs Revealed

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

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like? (2025)

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

Paleontological research since 1993, influenced by Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park," reveals that dinosaurs likely had feathers and diverse appearances, challenging previous perceptions.

What Did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

No digital watch option in your country

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs (2024)

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs

66 million years ago, a huge inland sea covered much of Wyoming, preserving dinosaur bones and footprints from the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Secrets of the Deadly T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs

No digital watch option in your country

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators (2021)

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators

70 to 80 pregnant lemon sharks gather each spring in the Grand Bahama Bank, a phenomenon first documented by researcher Professor Sam Gruber.

Phantoms of Evolution - The Unknown Underwater Predators

No digital watch option in your country

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors (2026)

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors

DNA analysis from the petrous bone reveals that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers had dark skin and provides new insights into ancient migration patterns.

Archeologists Investigate Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Of Our Prehistoric Ancestors

No digital watch option in your country

Walking with Monsters (2005)

Walking with Monsters

2005•1h27m•★7.3TMDB

530 million years ago, bizarre creatures roamed the Earth during the Cambrian Period, long before the age of dinosaurs began.

Walking with Monsters

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

Walking With Dinosaurs Special: The Giant Claw (2002)

Walking With Dinosaurs Special: The Giant Claw

2002•29m•★7.4TMDB

The Therizinosaurus possessed claws measuring over three feet long, making it one of the most formidable dinosaurs of its time.

Walking With Dinosaurs Special: The Giant Claw

Sky Monsters (2005)

Sky Monsters

2005•1h30m•★7.5TMDB

Quetzalcoatlus, a giant pterosaur, was one of the largest flying reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous period.

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 →