Evolution: Need to Feed | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

Discover the untold story—full of surprising evolutionary leaps—behind every bite we take.

Official website: https://to.pbs.org/4ecZOcA #novapbs

The relentless pursuit of energy, the very act of eating, has profoundly shaped life on Earth. Follow the evolution of the bat to discover the untold story behind every bite we take—one marked by astonishing evolutionary leaps revealing the strange origins of fundamental body parts like powerful jaws. See how a prehistoric feeding frenzy might have sparked mass extinction, and marvel at the unlikely journey of bones from our ancestors’ jaws into our ears, giving us the incredible gift of hearing. The story of how our planet’s diverse creatures became the furious feeding machines they are today is full of surprises.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
09:11 Ancient Evolution of the Through-Gut
22:55 Ancient Evolution of Jaws
34:00 Evolution of Mammalian Traits
45:46 Evolution of Bats

evolution documentary, evolution of eating, evolution of poop, ediacaran period, digestive tract, cambrian period, filter feeding, sun bear, evolution of teeth, chewing, mammal hearing

© 2026 WGBH Educational Foundation

All rights reserved

This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its content.

This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate/

Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR

📰 Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA’s newsletter here: https://to.pbs.org/4brCC7Y

🛍️ Shop official NOVA 50th anniversary merch: https://nova-shop.org/

Follow on social for more NOVA content
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novapbs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novapbs
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@novapbs

Written by NOVA PBS Official