Natural History of an Alien
1998 Discovery Channel pseudo-documentary exploring speculative alien ecosystems.
Natural History of an Alien (released as Anatomy of an Alien in the United States) is a 1998 pseudo-documentary from the Discovery Channel, comparable to *Alien Planet*. The program explores speculative alien ecosystems on a range of worlds, from the Epona Project to Helliconia, Sulfuria, Greenworld, and a High Gravity Planet, and includes interviews with scientists and science-fiction authors such as Dr. Jack Cohen, Derek Briggs, Christopher McKay, David Wynn-Williams, Emily Holton, Peter Cattermole, Brian Aldiss, and Dougal Dixon.
The viewer is placed aboard an intergalactic spacecraft called the S.S. Attenborough, piloted by a small green alien. The journey visits various locations in documentary style, beginning with Earth during the Cambrian period and Mars. The ship then travels to asteroids, where the possibility of panspermia seeding the solar system with life is discussed. Next, the voyage continues to Europa, featuring a number of speculative organisms, and from there to a series of fictional planets populated by alien life.
On Europa, the featured organisms include the Europa Cone Bacteria, which are orange-gray bacteria that grow in towers rising many miles above the ocean floor; warm water rises inside these vents, supporting layered bacterial colonies. The Europa Sea Vent Herbivore is a large, gray, shark-like animal that feeds on bacteria in schools, using a suction-cup-like mouth on an extended, Opabinia-like trunk to pierce vents and suck in bacteria. These grazers are territorial and flash warning glows like squid to drive away rivals, producing dolphin-like cries. The Europa Sea Vent Carnivore is a predatory, yellow-green, streamlined, shark-like animal that uses echolocation and hunts the herbivores; it also has an Opabinia-like snout, which it uses to kill its prey.
The High Gravity Planet, with 1.5 times Earth's gravity and an atmosphere 15 times denser, is home to insect-like aliens. Flight is easier in the thicker air. The Pteropede is a gray-green, millipede-like creature with accordion-folding, dragon-like wings that resemble a dragonfly in flight. Its eight legs are positioned directly under its body to support its weight, and it breathes through lungs in the tip of its tail, a more efficient system than insect respiration.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 1 hour with commercials (US)
- Starring
- Various scientists
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Network
- BBC Two
- Num Episodes
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The viewer is placed aboard an intergalactic spaceship named the S.S. Attenborough, run by a small green alien. The journey begins with Earth during the Cambrian period and Mars, then visits asteroids to discuss panspermia. The ship proceeds to Europa, where speculative organisms such as Europa Cone Bacteria, Europa Sea Vent Herbivores, and Europa Sea Vent Carnivores are described. From there, the documentary visits a series of fictional planets: a High Gravity Planet with insect-like aliens; Helliconia, a binary-system world created by Brian Aldiss; Sulfuria, a sulfur-rich world created by Dougal Dixon; Epona, an imaginary ecosystem from the Epona Project begun by Martyn J. Fogg in 1992; and Greenworld, an Earth-like rainforest planet also created by Dougal Dixon.
Reader's Guide
Natural History of an Alien is significant as an early example of the speculative documentary genre, blending real scientific concepts with imaginative biology. It brought together prominent scientists and science fiction authors to create plausible alien lifeforms and ecosystems, influencing later works like Alien Planet. The documentary's exploration of diverse worlds—from Europa's ocean vents to a high-gravity planet with flying insects—showcases a range of speculative adaptations. Its inclusion of the Epona Project, a collaborative effort begun in 1992, highlights the interdisciplinary approach to astrobiology and exobiology. The film's legacy lies in its popularization of speculative evolution and its role in inspiring public interest in the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.
Did You Know?
- The spaceship in the documentary is named the S.S. Attenborough.
- The Europa Sea Vent Herbivore uses an Opabinia-like trunk to pierce bacterial vents.
- The Pteropede from the High Gravity Planet must enter water to shed its skin and grow.
- The narrator is revealed at the end to be a little green man-like female alien.
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