The Only Time In History That Water Was Safer Than Land

Summary

This script explores the Late Permian period, where life in the oceans was less threatening than on land. It highlights the dominance of land predators like gorgonopsids and theoscephalians, while marine life was relatively calm. The script also discusses the extreme climate and the devastating Late Permian Extinction, known as the Great Dying, which wiped out a significant portion of Earth's species, making water a safer haven.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Oceans were historically more dangerous than land, but there was a period, the Lopingian Age, where life in the water was safer.
• 🌛 During the Lopingian Age, the moon was closer to Earth, causing days to be shorter, around 22 hours.
• 🌍 The Earth's geography was drastically different, with most landmasses forming the supercontinent Pangaea.
• 🐋 Despite the vastness of the oceans, marine life was relatively tame with no large predators, unlike the terrifying land creatures.
• 🦈 Sharks were present, but the infamous Helicoprion had already gone extinct, leaving smaller, less threatening species.
• 🦕 The land, however, was dominated by fearsome predators like the gorgonopsids, which were the new rulers after the Dinocephalians' extinction.
• 🔪 The Inostrancevia was the largest terrestrial predator of the Late Permian, with massive saber-like teeth and a body comparable to a large bear.
• 🐉 The Rubidgeinae subfamily of gorgonopsids independently evolved in South Africa, becoming apex predators with robust skulls and serrated teeth.
• 🐊 Other land predators included the therocephalians, which were diverse and included potential venomous species and semi-aquatic hunters.
• 🌵 The climate was extremely hot and arid, with massive deserts and few habitable areas, making life on land challenging.
• 💥 The Late Permian Extinction, also known as the Great Dying, was the most severe extinction event in Earth's history, wiping out a significant portion of marine and terrestrial life.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Linnan stage in Earth's history?

The Linnan stage represents the last Epoch of the Permian period, playing out between 259 and 252 million years ago. It was a time when Earth was unrecognizable in nearly every sense, including the moon's orbit, which caused days to be shorter at around 22 hours.

How did the geography of Earth differ during the Linnan stage?

During the Linnan stage, most of Earth's land mass was tied up into the supercontinent Pangaea, leading to Africa, the Americas, Antarctica, India, Australia, and parts of Europe being connected. The largest 'island' consisted of present-day Siberia, Kazakhstan, and North China.

What was the size of the Panthalassa ocean compared to today's oceans?

The Panthalassa ocean occupied well over 60% of Earth's surface, out-sizing the current Pacific Ocean by two times.

Why were the oceans during the Linnan stage considered fairly tame?

Despite their grand size, the oceans during the Linnan stage were fairly tame in terms of marine life. There were sharks, but none as large as the helicoprion, and other marine groups were not doing well due to the Capitanian mass extinction event.

What was the impact of the Capitanian extinction event on marine life?

The Capitanian mass extinction event was more deadly than both the KT Extinction and the Triassic-Jurassic Extinction. It affected marine life severely, leading to a decrease in numbers and sizes of marine groups.

How did terrestrial life fare during the Linnan stage compared to marine life?

Terrestrial life during the Linnan stage recovered more swiftly from the Capitanian extinction and became arguably more dangerous than before, with the emergence of new predators like the gorgonopsids.

What characteristics defined the gorgonopsids, and why were they so feared?

Gorgonopsids were characterized by deep-set teeth, parasagittal gates, long narrow skulls, and razor-sharp elongated incisors and canines, making them among the first saber-tooth predators to evolve. Their presence made them look similar to saber-tooth cats.

What was the largest terrestrial predator from the late Permian, and how big was it?

The largest terrestrial predator from the late Permian was Inostrancevia, which could have been over 11 ft or 3.5 m long and weighed over 1,000 lb or 453 kilos.

How did the climate during the late Permian affect life on land?

The climate during the late Permian was extremely hot, with average temperatures of 35°C or 95°F, leading to severe aridity and massive deserts. This made large chunks of land borderline uninhabitable.

What was the Late Permian Extinction, and how severe was its impact on life?

The Late Permian Extinction, also known as the Great Dying, was Earth's worst extinction event. It resulted in 57% of all biological families and 83% of genera going extinct. It was believed to have started from the eruption of the Siberian traps, causing extreme heat, hypoxia events, and significant damage to the ozone layer.