NOVA: Season 49

Season 49 overview

The season opens with Arctic methane releases framed as a climate threat, then turns to ecological clues found in animal scat. Fossil discoveries in southern England extend the inquiry into ancient animals and early human inhabitants.

Key story beats

  1. Arctic Methane Releases — Enormous methane releases in the Arctic are presented as a threat to the climate.
  2. Tracking Animal Scat — Ecologist Scott Burnett investigates what animal scat can reveal.
  3. Scat DNA Analysis — Scat is analyzed for DNA and hormones to identify information about animal behavior.
  4. Protecting Wildlife — The findings are described as helping explain animals' roles in ecosystems and how they might be protected.
  5. Mammoth Bones Discovered — Amateur fossil hunters uncover giant mammoth bones at a site in southern England.
  6. Evidence of Neanderthals — The site also contains evidence of Neanderthals and early human inhabitants of Britain.
  7. Ancient Site Preserved — Researchers find rare evidence at a site dating to over 200,000 years ago.
  8. Climbing Accident — Hugh Herr loses both legs after a climbing accident at age 17.
  9. Prosthetic Frustration — Herr is frustrated by the crude prosthetic limbs he is given.
  10. Designing Robotic Limbs — Herr pursues better designs and develops a career inventing innovative prosthetic devices.
  11. Alzheimer's Prevention Study — Three women at risk of Alzheimer's join a study intended to try to prevent the disease.
  12. Watching for Symptoms — The women experience ups and downs while anxiously watching for symptoms and hoping their participation can make a difference.
  13. North Dakota Fossil Site — Scientists investigate whether fossils at a North Dakota site preserve evidence of animals killed on the day an asteroid struck Earth.
  14. Rare Fossils Unearthed — The site yields a pterosaur embryo still in its shell and a well-preserved patch of triceratops skin.
  15. Impact Fallout Clues — Tiny spheres of clay and glass are found mixed with fossils and could be fallout from the asteroid impact.

Seasons

Interactive Features

Episode Guide

Content sources

Plot analysis generated from content on Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related entry on Wikidata (Q3071768), public domain (CC0).