Uncover the 2.5 billion years of Earth's evolutionary history 3 major turning points have created the current human race!
In those places where storms and hardships are raging, life forms have been born that will change the landscape of our world forever. 2.5 billion years ago, our planet was different enough to make a sci-fi blockbuster. At that time, water covered 90% of the Earth's surface, and we were not a blue planet, but a real methane world. Huge methane clouds give the atmosphere a vivid yellow color, creating a true picture of hell. On land, volcanic eruptions will spew red-hot lava for millions of years, more spectacular than the vastness of the oceans.
In the depths of the oceans and land, life begins a real evolutionary party. Creatures thrive and adapt to these extreme conditions, whether it's giant seaweed floating or strange creatures with bubbles on their backs. Thanks to these early pioneers of life, today we can appreciate the diversity of nature and the beauty of the planet. So, when you see a beautiful sunset or enjoy the fresh sea breeze, you can thank these first brave creatures, whose presence is like a meeting in a kingdom of silence.
Now we are surrounded by all kinds of noise and noise, but in that era when the air was toxic and the rivers were molten rock, life seemed impossible. Surprisingly, however, in the prehistoric ocean, there were insignificant plankton brewing game-changing things in the water. These tiny cells carry out a new process of photosynthesis and can use the sun's energy to grow. Imagine that this humble plankton will one day become the ancestor of all plants on the planet. Yes, from trees to flowers, all of our green friends are ** to these little heroes. They decided it was time to get out of the water and create oxygen for all of us. Thanks to Plankton, you gave us a chance to breathe.
Friends, look closely at the tiniest detail, for it is within them that there is the great power of evolution. We must remember that even the most inconspicuous creatures have the potential to have a huge impact on our world. From a hostile environment, Earth becomes a new world where life can finally develop in full force. Today, millions of years later, we can look back at the beginning of it all and say that it was a real explosion of life. Although life still looks fairly primitive in some of the shallows, the descendants of the first complex creatures can still be found. Many of these animals rely on filtration to survive, sometimes using rather exotic methods. Not all of these animals are confined to one place, and some do the same when exploring and studying the seabed.
Travel, like their predecessors, millions of years ago. It seems to be their paradise, a hidden place to live. But believe me, it's far from heaven. There are also its difficulties and dangers here, and these animals know how to survive in this complex world. On the shores of modern-day California, inhabited by rainbow sea cucumbers, it is always beautifully dressed, but despite its slow look, this guy has its own dark secrets. It comes here, just like its ancestors, in search of adventure and hearty food. Its main food is sea anemones. But like all predators, sea cucumbers have their own difficulties, as it is important to catch the right moment to hunt. But luckily for the marine gourmet, its favorite prey is firmly attached to the seabed and cannot escape forever.
Sea anemones simply have nowhere to hide, and their fate is destined to be devoured from within. Yes, this is not a joke, 5.3 million years ago, the appearance of predators shocked the ancient oceans, and the prey had to show their patience to survive. And do you know who became the real hero? Jellyfish, these creatures that are forever lost in the waves, decided not only to swim at the bottom of the sea, but also to swim to it. They became the first creatures to explore the space of the ocean, swimming from the bottom to the top, swimming everywhere. However, jellyfish are full of predators, and in a kingdom of anemones ruled by venomous harpoons, jellyfish don't feel at a disadvantage.
Huge colonies of anemones handled them with ease, and it seemed that the escape of the jellyfish was impossible. But this is not the case, jellyfish, with their swimming ability, became the first creature to escape from shallow water to the depths of the ocean. In the ocean before the appearance of fish, they could swim with peace of mind without worrying about predators. Their kingdom extends into the open seas, which will belong to them for the next 500 million years. But for those unfortunate who are trapped in shallow water, other ways to protect themselves from predators have to be invented. At this time, the protagonist appears - a trilobite. This intriguing creature has an innovative covering that helps it survive in a dangerous world.
Trilobites are the first representatives of a new dynasty of arthropods, and their history is full of amazing discoveries and exciting adventures in the depths of the ocean. When trilobites appeared with shield-like exoskeletons, they were sure that now no enemy could stop them, which was really useful in pristine waters. However, the problem arises, a peculiar creature called the Alien Shrimp appears on the stage, whose name means "unusual shrimp", which turns out to be the world's first super-predator. Trilobites had to think, maybe they better hide. But unfortunately, the crack was too far away and there was nowhere to hide.
The prawn, this elusive hunter, moves at an alarming speed, and sometimes even this is not enough to survive. Trilobites realize that they need to invent something else to survive and not be a snack for this incomparable prey. To do this, they invent an interesting history full of adventure and strategy. In the end, it turns into a kind of super escaper, which is insurmountable even for the most unusual shrimp. The threat has passed, and the trilobite is ready to go again. It is looking for the most luxurious place at the bottom of the ancient ocean, the mating site of the trilobites, where stories from the history of their lives are gathered.
Armor became so cool that almost 80% of today's animals, including insects, spiders, and crabs, are descendants of these ancient arthropods. But armor does not protect them from everything. After 400,000 years, a new explosion of life has begun, more than the ** of the ocean supermarket. In the depths of this underwater carnival, trilobites are at the peak of their development, and their armor has become stronger, since on these reefs appear as predators of the sea, ancestors of modern octopuses and squid, these giant tentacle giants belong to the dynasty of cephalopod mollusks.
They can be called the real ** party of the ocean. The largest individuals, with shells up to 26 feet or 8 meters long, are known as nautilus, and they can be boldly called the tanks of the ocean. Compared to these sea giants, trilobites look like small chips, but they still continue their journey through the ancient oceans to become true ocean cowboys.
Welcome to the crazy world of the ancient sea, where giant nautilus explores new ways to hunt. They no longer rely solely on huge eyesight, but utilize nimble claws and suction cups. Trilobites beware, they can only stay away from these vicious predators, who use their beaks instead of scissors. These monsters can cut through the strongest armor with their beaks, and the Nautilus is the true king of the sea.
But the newcomers to underwater life appear, the spiny fish, a fish that looks forever surprised, with a mouth full of food, ready to surprise you. This little guy has bones, which makes it fast and nimble. Who knows how this story will unfold?
In ancient times, when ** was not invented, it was 445 million years ago, and our earth suffered a real catastrophe. It seems that someone forgot to close the refrigerator, the climate decided to take revenge on everyone, the ocean froze as in a movie about Antarctica, and poor sea creatures began to freeze under the ice. The seabed becomes a real cemetery, where marine animals rest in eternal sleep. But this was only the beginning of all the catastrophes, and the drop in carbon dioxide levels led to an ice age that lasted for 200,000 years. During this time, even penguins wear fur coats. Although there are no penguins, almost half of the planet is covered in ice, and about 85% of all living things say goodbye to life. Many animal species have disappeared from our pedigree forever.
But then, a miracle happened. A spiny fish survived. It is so intelligent that it became the ancestor of all vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. So, never offend the fish, they can become the true saviors of our planet.
After the tragic disappearance of tropical coral reefs, only a few surviving animals remained, and they began to explore the ocean. Among these brave travelers is a Nautilus, a small relative of a giant nautilus, which has been around for hundreds of millions of years and does not intend to give up, thanks to the amazing nature of the depths of the ocean. At depths of 2,000 feet or 600 meters, the temperature is constant, and this place is an ideal refuge for the Ice Age. The Ice Age brought new opportunities for marine life, and cephalopods went through their ** era. Today, they continue to conquer ocean space, including octopuses and squid. Their hard bodies easily withstand the immense pressures of the deep sea, and their super senses allow them to navigate in complete darkness. The shells no longer limit their development, and now cephalopods can be of any size and shape. Well, the depths of the ocean became a real driving force for their creativity and courage.
In the dark abyss of the depths of the ocean, giant octopuses and sharks are not the only inhabitants. In the uncanny darkness, a spider crab explores the ocean as if looking for a lost swim trunk. Whereas vertebrates rarely go deep to such depths because they are too lazy to go there and come back. Only 10% of all fish decided to settle here, others prefer to live on trendy reefs or beaches with cocktails. But the main stars of this shady show are cephalopods, which turn into ruthless predators, and the unfortunate shrimp will be their next prey.
In the movie, there is a scene where a squid is looking at the surrounding waters lit up by bioluminescence and spotting a shrimp playing with something fun. The squid hides in the sand and carefully observes the shrimp's every movement, waiting for the best time to attack, hoping that the shrimp is not too familiar with self-defense techniques. However, before the shrimp could realize anything, it became the next victim. Surprisingly, this squid turned out to be the most popular hero in this way. Squid completely rule this cold and dark world, and they are not surprised by their ruthless rule. But they still envy the warm waters of the Maldives archipelago and dream of lounging on hot sand and green grass.
444 million years ago, when the dinosaurs didn't know we existed, we had other problems. 200,000 years later, global warming began. The Earth decided to surprise us, shimmering blue in the ice. Everyone is thinking, "Wow, what is this?" "It turned out that it was just the water that decided to play a joke on us. Due to the rise in carbon dioxide and the increase in the temperature of the earth, it is like my queue at my favorite coffee shop. As the glaciers melt, it's a big show for them.
A glacier as big as a mountain spews into the ocean like a champagne fountain at a party. Thousands of years later, the ice disappeared in a magical way. Those who sit in the inner shelter of the Earth decide it's time to get back to the surface and see what's left of this giant ice ball. Once again, they reunited with the world and decided to celebrate the event with a big party with ice drinks and snow dancing, as such things only happen once every 444 million years, so celebrate them well.
On the shores of modern-day Australia, a young male squid lives. It decided that it was going to find a partner. This is an alpha male who vigilantly protects his mate. But that doesn't scare our little heroes. It patiently observes the situation and waits for the right moment. Suddenly, a strong male challenged Alpha. Neither opponent intends to back down, and a fight is inevitable. The young male, unwilling to stay in the shadows, decided to use its secret ** tactic - disguised as a female. Let the alpha male think that it is not one but two females that it is protecting.
Of course, it doesn't know that the young ** has already mated with its mate. It seems that intelligence and cunning may be more effective than simple muscles when it comes to winning the heart of a squid. That's why cephalopods have managed to colonize all the oceans of the planet. They don't need to rely on force alone, they prefer to use their wits and charm. Who would have thought that the squid was such a cunning sea creature? They know exactly that sometimes it's better not to engage in hand-to-hand combat, but to use their clever tricks. Because a true gentleman squid will always find a way to win the female's heart without the need for extra fighting.
When the alpha male realizes that his mate has turned to a young and cunning opponent, he may have some doubts about his leadership abilities. But most importantly, the young male is able to find love, even if for this it has to pretend to be a lady. What a romantic twist in the world of squid!
However, in shallow waters, squid, unlike their giant ancestors, are not major predators. In the ancient seas, times changed. After the melting of the ice during the Devonian period 370 million years ago, vertebrates began to develop. This was followed by the appearance of Dunkel fish – offspring of spiny fish. Do you think a fish with such a name can be serious? This 30-foot or 9-meter fish can hardly be called a little guy. Even if its cubs look half the size of their mother, they look like fearsome predators. Then the little one noticed some movement in the distance, and it was Amani, a close relative of the modern-day Nautilus.
Thanks to the spine, the Dunkel fish was able to accelerate and catch up with Amani. But Amani has amazing jet spin ability. I think if the Dunkle fish could spin like this, it would be called a *** fish, and it would be a perfect ** to use to outsmart your opponents. The small predators begin to revolve around Amani, who in turn turns to their shells, adopting the same strategy. For a while, this defensive strategy would have worked, but the Dunkle fish evolved jaws, which its ancestors did not have**. Dunkle fish can use it to bite and crush their prey, just need to find the right angle. Although the little predator caught Amani, it was unable to bite through Amani's shell due to lack of strength. But for Dunkle Fish Mom, it's not a problem at all. Its jaws easily crushed Amani's shell and successfully captured its prey.
The combination of vertebral and jaw proved to be a winning combination, thus opening a new stage of evolution in vertebrates. They keep moving forward and never look back at their past neighbors. By the way, they are also not harmless. Today's world of fish is a real miracle, with 40 times more fish than cephalopods, and more than 30,000 species of them. Each fish is an evolutionary work of art, thanks to the perfect combination of spine and jaw.
The spine gives strength and speed to marine predators, whether they are small or large. And the jaw is the real tool of the underwater hunter, both offensive and defensive, no one can beat it. But jaws aren't just used for attacking, some fish use their jaws to protect their precious eggs. There are also fish species that have evolved unique ways of reproduction.
On the coast of Western Australia, a shark feast unfolds. Sharks organize a real **, with hundreds of sharks waiting around their prey. When their prey is finally exhausted, they begin their frenzied predation. Sharks are the overlords of the hunting grounds, and with their keen senses, they can sense the presence of their prey from hundreds of meters away. Some of these sharks can even grow to huge sizes, displaying amazing strength. Since the melting of the Great Ice Age, the shark's dynasty has not been shaken.
However, the brilliance of the shark is not without its opponents. They owe their success to the decline of a formidable opponent – the Dunkel fish. Dunkel fish ruled for a full 200,000 years, and its influence rivaled that of sharks. But unfortunately, an unexpected twist of fate led to the extinction of this animal. Dunkel fish became extinct due to plankton reproduction. Who would have thought that these plankton that once created the conditions for the appearance of animals would become the terminators of Dunkle fish? The sudden increase in nutrients led to a frenzied phytoplankton reproduction in the ocean, and this thick soup of plankton eventually piled up and inadvertently contributed to the extinction of Dunkle fish. Dunkle fish have disappeared from the face of the earth, and the coastlines of the world's oceans are littered with dead corpses.
However, life is always full of miracles. While the Dunkel fish went extinct, there were some lucky ones who survived. Among those survivors were the first sharks. It was thanks to the extinction of the Dunkel fish that the shark was able to emerge as the dominant player in the ocean. This is just the beginning, friends. Stay tuned for this exciting competition!