Walking with Prehistoric Beasts (TV Mini Series)

Next of Kin (2001)

Kenneth Branagh: Narrator

Quotes 

• Kenneth Branagh : This is the northern end of the Great African Rift Valley: a staggering landscape, created by fractures in the continent. This is the cradle of evolution for mankind!

• Kenneth Branagh : One reason that our origins begin here in Africa is that it's an ideal habitat for an upright ape. A patchwork of forest and savannah.

• [first lines] 

  Kenneth Branagh : Some animals can show emotion. These unique creatures are reacting to the death of one of their group with what can only be described as grief.

• Kenneth Branagh : The world has been transformed in the last few million years by one small plant. Where once there was forest, there are now vast tracks of grassland. And with grass have come new species of grazing mammals.

• Kenneth Branagh : [about Australopithecus]  A type of ape has evolved that clearly shows the first signs of becoming more human. What makes them closer to us than other apes is not their brains, which are only one third of the size. It's not their skin, which is hairy. It's something they do that other apes just don't: something that will one day lead them to be described as a missing link. These apes walk upright!

• Kenneth Branagh : [about Deinotherium]  They are as tall as giraffes, but weigh fourteen times as much.

• Kenneth Branagh : Walking on two legs is an efficient way to travel. It gives the Australopithecus a higher view point than other apes. This means predators are easier to spot.

• Kenneth Branagh : [as the group travels]  Eight pairs of eyes are better than one.

• Kenneth Branagh : They very nearly lost another member of the group.

• Kenneth Branagh : Apes have a long road to travel yet. Outwardly they are almost human, but their brains are no bigger than a chimpanzee's. It will be at least another two million years, before any ape has a decent conversation.

• Kenneth Branagh : Later members of the human family will rise up the food chain to become top predators, but in this era, our relatives are prey.

• Kenneth Branagh : Meat is only a small part of the Australopithecus diet, but it will become more important in the future, for more human-like apes. An increase in meat eating will go hand in hand with an increase in brain size. Meat contains nutrients vital for big brains. Intelligent apes will develop special tools to get meat, until eventually they'll make weapons, and won't be scavengers, but predators.