Humans have walked the Earth for 190,000 years, a mere blip in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history. Learn more about the planet's tumultuous past.
More About the Prehistoric World
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Digging Up Sea Monsters
Follow the blog from the Spitsbergen Expedition as they unearth "sea monsters″ from the Upper Jurassic Period 150 million years ago.
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Prehistoric Time Line
National Geographic's interactive time line takes you on a 4.5-billion-year-old trip through Earth's history⎯from its Precambrian birth to the birth of Homo sapiens some 190,000 years ago.
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Pterosaurs—Lords of the Ancient Skies
The largest animals that ever flew, pterosaurs ruled the Mesozoic skies for 150 million years, flapping and soaring long before the first bird ruffled a single feather.
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Fossil Wars
In the international fossil trade, even priceless specimens have a price tag. Ancient bones can end up in a movie star's mansion as easily as in a museum.
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National Geographic Channel
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Rocket City Rednecks
Wednesdays at 9P and 9:30P
Meet a group of backwoods Alabama geniuses who tackle problems with hillbilly ingenuity.
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Mad Scientists
Wednesdays at 10P and 10:30P
Travel across America with host John Bowler as he seeks out the weirdest inventions.
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National Geographic Investigates
Fridays at 8P, 9P, and 10P et/pt
Get up close with some of the world's most fascinating underground communities, from gangs to cults to organized crime families.
National Geographic Magazine
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The Great American Zoo Trip
Joel Sartore Takes to the Road to Photograph Endangered Species
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Tsunami Science Pictures
Japan knows what to do when the water suddenly goes away. People don’t always heed the warnings. When and where will the next giant wave hit?
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Dog DNA Pictures
Scientists have found the secret recipe behind the spectacular variety of dog shapes and sizes, and it could help unravel the complexity of human genetic disease.