1 – Tropical Worlds

Original air date: 9 January 2022

The graphical timeline above shows how the programme unfolds, a more detailed text version is below

Selected material

Fungus feeding on leaves

The story of the fungus that uses ants as a way to feed on leaves is a very different way of looking at the leaf-cutter ants cutting down and chewing leaves in the jungle.

The fungus (left) controlling the ants (right) to cut down the leaves it needs to grow

Chimpanzee fire

Chimpanzee fire: fungus digesting trees. Bioluminescence

shining starlings = metallic starlings

More episodes

2 - Water Worlds
3 - Seasonal Worlds
4 - Desert Worlds
5 - Human World
Series in retrospect