Documentaries on Evolution and Big History
Documentaries on human evolution, neanderthals, primates, and the history of life on earth in general.
List activity
60K views
• 70 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
26 titles
- StarsKevin DeonStephen M. KajiuraThe world is full of fascinating animals which come in a multitude of species. But how did these species evolve? What features do they have that makes them different? This series investigates different anatomical features which animals have evolved over millions of years.
- DirectorGraham TownsleyStarsZeresenay AlemsegedMichel BrunetPeter de MenocalNova examines the early ancestors of mankind and considers whether climate change was the driving force behind our early evolution.
- DirectorGraham TownsleyStarsJordi AgustiSusan AntónViktor DeakNova examines the ancestors of man by attempting to to reconstruct what they look like, what tools they used, and how they lived. Special focus is given to Homo erectus.
- DirectorGraham TownsleyStarsJuan Luis ArsuagaDominique BonjeanStu ChaseNova examines the early ancestors of mankind and examines why Homo sapiens won out over Neanderthals in the evolutionary race.
- StarsKenneth CranhamJud CharltonTracy EmmertonAn extinct species or subspecies of the genus Homo which is closely related to modern humans. They are known from fossils, dating from the Pleistocene period, which have been found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia.
- DirectorNic YoungStarsLeslie AielloJoe CainEdward HerrmannThe history of the search for the "missing link" in evolution is told through reenactments and interviews with leading scientists.
- DirectorSerena DaviesRushmore DeNooyerSarah HoltStarsEllen Becker-GrayJerry ChuKandace C. CummingsA look at Charles Darwin, his book On The Origin of Species, and how his theory of evolution is explained. It includes Darwin's observations through work on the Human Genome Project.
- StarsNeil ShubinMichael BerrymanTim D. WhiteHave you ever wondered why the human body looks the way it does? Why we walk on two legs instead of four? Why we can see in color but have a lousy sense of smell? Your Inner Fish delves deep into the past to answer questions like these. The three-part series reveals a startling truth: Hidden within the human body is a story of life on Earth. Based on a best-selling book by evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, this scientific adventure story takes viewers from Ethiopia to the Arctic Circle on a hunt for the many ways that our animal ancestors shaped our anatomical destiny. Shubin has spent much of his life studying our ancient ancestors----searching for the deep pedigree of Homo sapiens. Using both the fossil record and DNA evidence, he traces various parts of our body's structure to creatures that lived long, long ago.
- StarsJoe Duttine
- DirectorNick Clarke PowellStarsCorey JohnsonJohn HawksApril NowellWhat happened when the first modern humans encountered the Neanderthals? Did they make love or war?
- StarsLiam NeesonChris LarkinIan ShawThis magazine-style documentary outlines biological evolution through a variety of dramatizations and data delivered by expert testimony.
- DirectorSarah HoltStarsJamie EffrosNathaniel PearsonFrancis CollinsThe ability for people to have their genetic codes analyzed is examined, as are the moral aspects that come with access to such information.
- StarsRichard DawkinsThe Naked CowboySteven PinkerIn this three-part series Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary scientist and bestselling author, takes us on a journey of discovery. How does evolution work? How do we know it's true - and why do some people still deny it? As evolved creatures, do we have to be callous, selfish and immoral? Dawkins echoes Darwin's emphatic "no".
- StarsAlice RobertsKlaus SchmidtClive FinlaysonThis series explains the evidence for the theory of early human migrations out of Africa and subsequently around the world, supporting the Out of Africa Theory.
- DirectorRuth BerryStarsJay O. SandersMarco de la RasillaAntonio Rosas GonzalezScientists investigate the recently found 49,000 year-old remains of a group of Neanderthals in El Sidron, Spain. Could they have been victims of cannibalism?
- StarsRichard DawkinsDocumentary where Richard Dawkins challenges William Paley's theories on creationism and takes on Paley's descendants, it won the Sci-Tech Award for Best Science Documentary of the year.
- StarsOprah WinfreyDavid AttenboroughDoug AllanDavid Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth. From giving an overview of the challenges facing life to hunting the deep sea and various major evolutionary groups of creatures.
- StarsIain StewartKevin SwainDean Ah CheeThe epic story of how the world's continents were created, featuring Professor Iain Stewart.
- 1995– 49mTV-PG8.0 (26)TV Episode
- StarsDavid AttenboroughAnthony GeffenMartin WilliamsFilmed in one of the most extreme and hard-to-reach locations in the world, 'Galapagos' explores the unique environments and species of the Galapagos. It will take viewers on a voyage to understand the stunning archipelago which changed the way we see the world and has long-remained a place of true interest with the nation's favourite naturalist.
- DirectorJon AmielStarsPaul BettanyJennifer ConnellyIan KellyTorn between faith and science, and suffering hallucinations, English naturalist Charles Darwin struggles to complete 'On the Origin of Species' and maintain his relationship with his wife.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsJane GoodallHugo Van LawickHugo Eric Louis van LawickThe life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.
- DirectorDouglas CohenStarsCorey BurtonAlex FilippenkoPeter WardA rapid-fire history of our world, from the beginning of time as we know it to present day. This two-hour CGI-driven special delves into the key turning points: the formation of earth, emergence of life, spread of man and the growth of civilization--and reveals their surprising connections to our world today.
- DirectorMark MannucciStarsLee BergerKeneiloe MolopyaneAgusin FuentesFollows Paleo anthropologist Lee Berger in South Africa, as he and his team try to prove that the world's oldest graveyard they found, is not human. A small brained, ape-like creature could have practiced complex burial rituals.
- StarsMahershala AliA vast community of chimpanzees thrives in a forest in Uganda, navigating complex social politics, family dynamics and dangerous territory disputes.