Link to Wild south america: 1- Lost worlds documentary
Documentary Description
The opening episode traces the events that have created the unique
landforms and ecology of South America. Originally part of the
supercontinent Gondwana, it broke away around 100 million years ago and
became an island. At that time, it was dominated by reptiles and strange
plants similar to the araucarias and tree ferns of Chile’s Valdivian
forests. These forests also harbour descendants of the first mammals,
small marsupials like the shrew opossum and monito del monte. Volcanic
activity thrust up the Andes, where animals have had to adapt to the
extreme environments of the altiplano and Patagonia. The Andes formed a
natural barrier which altered the climate and the course of major
rivers. Amazonia was once a great swamp, but now harbours the world’s
greatest expanse of rainforest and its mightiest river. There are more
species here than anywhere else, and many, including pygmy marmosets,
have specialised diets. There are extreme dry environments here too.
Guanacos survive in the Atacama Desert by eating lichens, whilst in
windswept Patagonia, maras and burrowing owls squabble over the best
nest holes. By contrast, the seas are rich in life: a pod of dusky
dolphins is filmed attacking a shoal of anchovies. A land bridge with
North America formed 3 million years ago, creating a pathway for
invasive species. Those that survived were the opportunists like coatis,
or specialists that exploited niches, like the maned wolf. Man, the
most recent invader, has shaped the land and domesticated its animals to
meet his own need
