The schedule includes BBC One's Attenborough And The Giant Sea Dragon, a one-off special exploring Britain's Jurassic Coast and the recent discovery of gigantic fossils embedded in a cliff face.

Natural history icon Sir David Attenborough will use the latest scanning techniques and 3D imaging to bring back to life the ichthyosaur, and reveal more about the ocean predator's way of life.

A six-part serial, Seven Worlds - due to air on BBC One in 2019 - will take an in-depth look at the unique flora and fauna that inhabit each of Earth's continents. While BBC Two will screen four-part documentary Rituals on the ceremonies and traditions of human society across the globe, made by the team behind Human Planet.

Cameras are to be fixed on to chimpanzees, cheetahs and meerkats in a ground-breaking new series fronted by camera expert Gordon Buchanan.

BBC One's Animals With Cameras will give a unique insight into the lives of wild creatures that has never been achieved before, helping scientists to improve the ways in which they protect wild species. 

Cherry Blossom: The Greatest Spring On Earth (w/t), a one-off special, will follow the blossoming of cherry trees in Japan and how it is marked by the public and wildlife alike.

And the film Sudan's Story: A Rhino's Last Stand will document attempts to save the Northern White Rhino from extinction, starring Sudan - the last male rhino of his kind in the world.

"Our new Natural History commissions show the range and ambition we have for the genre and our commitment to Natural History up to 2019 and beyond," said Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual, Tom McDonald. 

"From blue-chip landmarks to special event pieces, access documentaries to truly surprising and innovative ways of delivering stories, Natural History at the BBC goes from strength to strength.”