我們展開前往南極洲冰雪大陸的新探險。科學家抵達位於橫貫南極山脈的沙克爾頓冰川營地，展開為期6個星期的挖掘工作。在二疊紀-三疊紀地質帶進行挖掘，我們了解到原哺乳動物水龍獸如何在2億5200萬年前的大滅絕事件中存活下來，這場災難殺死了世界上大部分生物。以及巨型肉食性兩棲動物如何可能在這個重大事件後統治南極洲。探險隊的古植物學家也揭示了一個重大謎團的線索：失落的極地森林如何可能在每年4個月沒有光合作用的情況下存活。

In the first Episode, the new expedition to the ice continent of Antarctica begins. Scientists arrive at their camp on Shackleton glacier, located in the Transantarctic mountains, to begin their 6 weeklong dig. Excavating in the Permian-Triassic geologic zone, we learn how a proto-mammal, Lystrosaurus, survived a massive extinction event, 252 Mya that killed off most creatures around the world. And how giant carnivorous amphibians may have dominated Antarctica after this momentous event. The expedition’s paleobotanist also reveals clues to a great mystery: how the lost polar forests may have survived without photosynthesis for 4 months every year.