Mysteries of the Giants

After the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Earth was populated by other, astonishingly gigantic animals: a 13-metre snake weighing as much as a truck, a shark as big as a school bus, a 20-ton rhinoceros and a sloth 200 times the size of sloths today. Although they dominate their ecosystems, giant animals are often more vulnerable than others. They are susceptible to climate change, loss of habitat, shortages of food and competitors invading their territory. In fact, today’s last giants – the descendants of those behemoths – are all in decline. Some of them are even threatened with imminent extinction.

Our documentary series looks back on the evolutionary history of eight giant prehistoric animals and their eight modern descendants. The first two episodes examine four particularly amazing animals, seeking to explain why they became so huge and why they later disappeared. We join four experts as they study those ancient species.

The four following episodes turn to today’s giants, exploring their evolutionary history and past to see if their ancestors suffered from their great size. We discover their story with the help of the finest biologists and paleontologists specializing in these creatures.

List of episodes:

  • Titanoboa & Baluchitere – Dependent on their Environment
  • Megalodons & Giant Sloths – Climate Victims
  • Sperm Whales & Sharks – Surviving Alone or in Groups
  • Elephants & Rhinoceroses – A Complicated Co-existence
  • Gorillas & Sloths – Two Contrasting Styles
  • Reptiles – Dependent on Climate

Film Info

Genre: Nature and Animals, Science, Documentary
Director: Nicolas Bazeille, Eric Elléna, Guillaume de Ginestel and Paul-Aurélien Combre
Production: French Connection Films, Les Productions Megafun, Berenice Medias Corp., CNRS Images
Year: 2018
Length: 6 x 52 minutes
Languages : French, English, Spanish
Partners: Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), École Pratique des Hautes Études, Muséum National d’Histoire naturelle, Musée des Confluences de Lyon, CNC, Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane and Telefilm Canada.
Broadcasters: France 4 and Ushuaia TV in France, Discovery Italy, Viasat Nature, Odisea (Spain and Portugal). RTP Portugal, ERT Greece, RTV Slovakia, Al Jazeera Middle East,Harbour Rights South-East Asia, Century Carnival China, Mediaset (Italy)

Available for Distribution & Public Use