Episode 25 - Prehistoric Life - Eyewitness (1994)

Summary

This script takes us on a journey through Earth's prehistoric past, detailing the emergence of life from a lifeless soup to the complex organisms of today. It explores early estimations of Earth's age, the evolution of life forms from single-celled organisms to the dominance of dinosaurs, and the resilience of species like the cockroach. The narrative also touches on significant extinction events and the rise of mammals, leading to the emergence of Homo sapiens, highlighting our species' ability to learn and invent.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The script narrates the story of Earth's prehistoric life, highlighting the vast timeline and the evolution of life forms from the earliest single-celled organisms to complex creatures.
• 🕊 The earliest life on Earth is believed to have started in a 'soup' of organic compounds that eventually formed proteins, leading to the first living cells.
• 🔍 Fossils are the primary evidence of prehistoric life, preserved in rocks, amber, and ice, providing a glimpse into Earth's biological past.
• 🦀 The script mentions the Cambrian explosion, a period when a diverse array of multicellular life forms rapidly appeared, including the trilobite and the first fish.
• 🦋 The evolution of life is marked by significant events such as the development of eyes, the transition of life from water to land, and the emergence of the first reptiles and mammals.
• 🦄 The script describes various prehistoric creatures, including the giant sea scorpion, the dragonfly with a wingspan larger than a human, and the formidable predator Dunkleosteus.
• 🦈 The extinction events are highlighted, particularly the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, paving the way for the rise of mammals.
• 🌳 Plant life also evolved, with the first plants colonizing land and eventually giving rise to the diverse flora we see today.
• 🦇 The script notes the resilience of certain species, such as the cockroach, which has survived multiple mass extinctions and adapted to various environments.
• 🧬 Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is mentioned, emphasizing the importance of adaptation and the survival of the fittest.
• 🌌 The script concludes by pondering the potential for life on other planets, suggesting that the story of life on Earth may not be unique in the universe.

Q & A

What is the significance of prehistoric life in understanding our own history?

Prehistoric life is significant as it provides the foundation of Earth's biological and geological history, showing the evolution of life forms and the environmental changes that have shaped our planet, including our own species, Homo sapiens.

How did early scholars like Archbishop Ussher and John Lightfoot estimate the age of the Earth?

Archbishop Ussher and John Lightfoot estimated the age of the Earth by adding up the ages of people named in the Bible, calculating the Earth's creation around 4004 BC. Lightfoot further refined this to Sunday, October 26th, at 9 a.m.

What is the role of fossils in understanding prehistoric life?

Fossils are the primary physical evidence of prehistoric life, providing direct traces of ancient organisms, their environments, and behaviors, which are embedded in rock layers over millions of years.

How did life on Earth begin according to the script?

Life on Earth is believed to have begun from a 'soup' of organic compounds that eventually linked together to form proteins, possibly triggered by events like lightning or ultraviolet light, leading to the first single-celled organisms.

What is the significance of the Cambrian Explosion in the history of life on Earth?

The Cambrian Explosion, occurring around 541 million years ago, was a period during which there was a rapid diversification of life forms, leading to the emergence of multicellular organisms and a variety of body plans, leaving behind the first complex fossils.

How did the continents' movement affect the distribution of life on Earth?

The movement of continents, known as continental drift, affected the distribution of life by allowing species to migrate and diversify across different landmasses. For instance, similar fossils found in South America and Australia suggest a once connected supercontinent, Pangaea.

What evidence suggests that the first plants colonized land before animals?

The script mentions that the first plants had developed roots to anchor themselves on land, and there is fossil evidence of these early plants existing before the appearance of land-dwelling animals.

How did the first fish adapt to life on land?

Some fish developed lungs to breathe air and bony fins that evolved into limbs to support their weight on land, marking the transition to the first amphibians.

What is the importance of the discovery of Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis?

Lucy's discovery is significant as it provided evidence of an early hominid that walked upright, showing a direct link between apes and humans, and offering insights into human evolution.

How did the extinction of the dinosaurs impact the evolution of mammals?

The extinction of the dinosaurs allowed mammals to diversify and occupy new ecological niches. Mammals evolved various adaptations, such as warm-bloodedness and complex parental care, which contributed to their success in the post-dinosaur world.

What is the role of natural selection in the evolution of species as explained by Charles Darwin?

Natural selection, as explained by Darwin, is the process by which organisms best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to the next generation, leading to the evolution of species over time.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Origins of Life and Earth's Ancient History

This paragraph delves into the origins of life on Earth, setting the stage for the prehistoric narrative. It discusses early myths and scientific theories about the Earth's formation, from the Big Bang to the molten globe that became our planet. The script mentions early estimates of Earth's age by scholars like Archbishop Ussher and John Lightfoot, contrasting these with modern understanding that places Earth's age at 4.5 billion years. The paragraph highlights the slow emergence of life from a 'lifeless soup' over a billion years, leading to the formation of proteins and the launch of life, recorded in fossils.

05:02

🔍 The Record of Prehistoric Life: Fossils and Evolution

The second paragraph focuses on the evidence of prehistoric life found in fossils, which are the direct traces of ancient organisms. It describes the discovery of simple algae fossils dating back to 3.5 billion years and the process of fossilization in various mediums like rock, amber, and tar. The summary explains the significance of fossils in understanding the evolution of life, from single-celled organisms to multicellular beings, and the development of complex life forms over billions of years. It also touches on the misinterpretations of fossils, such as the initial confusion over the Hucog Genia's body structure.

10:02

🦈 The Age of Fishes and the Emergence of Land Life

This paragraph explores the 'Age of Fishes' and the transition of life from water to land. It describes the evolution of the first fish, the development of jaws, and the appearance of complex creatures like cernoscites. The summary details the process of dating fossils using radioactive decay and the emergence of the first plants and arthropods on land. It also discusses the continental drift and how it affected the distribution of life, mentioning the discovery of the coelacanth, a 'living fossil' thought to be extinct until found off the coast of South Africa.

15:03

🦗 The Tenacity of Insects and the Rise of Reptiles

The fourth paragraph discusses the resilience of insects, particularly the cockroach, and the rise of reptiles during the age of coal. It talks about the adaptability of insects and their various uses in history, including as a remedy for earache. The summary covers the evolution of reptiles from amphibians, the development of tough eggshells, and the emergence of the first true reptiles. It also mentions the survival of the gigantoscorpio and the arthropleura, massive prehistoric creatures that coexisted with the first reptiles.

20:05

🦕 The Reign of Dinosaurs and the Rise of Mammals

This paragraph covers the era of the dinosaurs, from the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex to the smaller, more adaptable mammals that would eventually outlive them. The summary highlights the discovery of Mary Anning and the continental drift that led to the distribution of similar fossils across continents. It discusses the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs and the subsequent rise of mammals, which were warm-blooded and had a more advanced reproductive system, allowing them to thrive in the post-dinosaur world.

25:05

🌿 Surviving Species and the Evolution of Modern Life

The sixth paragraph discusses the survival of certain species from the time of the dinosaurs, such as the magnolia and the crocodile, and the evolution of birds from reptiles. The summary explains Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and how it accounts for the diversity of life forms. It also touches on the emergence of mammals with unique adaptations, the movement of continents shaping the world's geography, and the discovery of Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, which marked a significant step in human evolution.

🧠 The Emergence of Homo Sapiens and the Future of Life

The final paragraph explores the emergence of Homo sapiens and the potential for life beyond Earth. It discusses the various human species that existed, including the Neanderthals, and the unique abilities of Homo sapiens, such as learning and inventing. The summary highlights the relatively recent appearance of modern humans on Earth's timeline and the ongoing discoveries in the field of paleontology, such as the Symbian Pandora. It concludes with a reflection on the possibility of life on other planets and the resilience of life forms like the cockroach.

Keywords

💡Prehistoric life

Prehistoric life refers to the organisms that lived on Earth before recorded history. It is central to the video's theme, illustrating the vast timeline and diversity of life forms that existed before human civilization. The script discusses various prehistoric creatures like algae, trilobites, and dinosaurs, showcasing the evolution of life on Earth.

💡Big Bang

The Big Bang is the prevailing cosmological model explaining the origin of the universe. In the script, it is mentioned as the event from which a universe of swirling debris emerged, including the Earth. It sets the stage for the narrative of Earth's formation and the subsequent development of life.

💡Fossils

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The script emphasizes their importance as the primary evidence of prehistoric life, providing examples such as the fossilized lenses of trilobites and the footprints of early primates.

💡Natural selection

Natural selection is the process by which certain heritable traits become more common in a population over successive generations. The script mentions Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, illustrating how it explains the diversity and adaptation of species over time, such as the evolution of the horse's hoof.

💡Extinction

Extinction is the disappearance of a species or taxonomic group. The script discusses major extinction events, such as the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, and how they paved the way for the rise of new species, like mammals.

💡Multicellular organisms

Multicellular organisms are life forms composed of more than one cell, which allows for greater complexity and specialization. The script refers to the transition from single-celled to multicellular organisms as a significant step in the evolution of life, with DNA providing endless possibilities for variation.

💡Australopithecus afarensis

Australopithecus afarensis is an early hominin species known for its bipedal locomotion. The script introduces 'Lucy' as a notable specimen of this species, highlighting the evolutionary significance of upright walking in the development of human ancestors.

💡Homo sapiens

Homo sapiens is the Latin term for 'wise man,' referring to the species of modern humans. The script describes the emergence of Homo sapiens as a significant event in Earth's history, characterized by a remarkable brain and the ability to learn and invent.

💡Radioactivity

Radioactivity is the property of some unstable atomic nuclei that decay over time, emitting radiation. The script mentions the use of radioactive decay in dating fossils, such as measuring the decay of uranium-238 to determine the age of rocks.

💡Continental drift

Continental drift is the movement of Earth's continents over the planet's surface due to the movement of the Earth's lithosphere. The script discusses how the continents have moved over time, affecting the distribution of species and the formation of features like the Himalayas.

💡Cockroach

The cockroach is highlighted in the script as an incredibly resilient species that has survived multiple extinction events. It serves as a symbol of life's tenacity and the potential for survival and adaptation in changing environments.

Highlights

Prehistoric life is a collection of living things that appeared on Earth long before humans.

Chinese myth and Australian Aboriginal stories illustrate early human attempts to understand the origins of life.

The Big Bang is believed by many scientists to have given birth to the universe and the Earth.

Archbishop Asher and John Lightfoot's biblical calculations estimated a much younger Earth than modern science accepts.

Charles Darwin argued for an Earth much older than previously thought, in the millions of years.

Fossils are the primary evidence of prehistoric life, preserved in rock layers.

The first life forms appeared in a 'soup' that took millions of years to develop into single cells.

Complex organic compounds may have been triggered by lightning or ultraviolet light to form the first proteins.

The first multicellular organisms emerged after another billion years of evolution.

DNA provided the basis for the vast diversity of life forms that began to populate the Earth.

The age of the first fish and the development of jaws marked a significant evolutionary step.

Trilobites were among the first creatures with sophisticated eyes, providing them with advanced vision.

Fossil dating techniques, such as uranium decay, allow scientists to place fossils within a timeline.

The first plants colonized land, developing roots and pioneering a new environment for life.

Amphibians were the first to make the transition from water to land, developing lungs and limbs for terrestrial movement.

The discovery of Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, provided insights into an early human ancestor.

Homo sapiens, or modern humans, emerged as a distinct species with a highly developed brain.

The theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin, explains the diversity of life.

The potential for life on other planets has been suggested by the discovery of planets with Earth-like conditions.

Transcripts

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prehistoric life the incredible

collection of living things that

appeared on Earth long before we did

many came and went others came and

stayed we may call it prehistory but to

those that lived it it wasn't pre

anything it was their story and in many

ways it's ours

too prehistory is the story that began

long before any human hand made marks on

a

page the earliest storytellers imagined

a time when there was no life at all

Chinese myth tells of chaos shaped like

an

egg and split apart by two energies that

battled inside

it Australian Aborigines envisaged a

bare plane in the time when their

Eternal ancestors slept

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many scientists now believe that from an

explosion called The Big Bang came a

universe of swirling debris including

the molten glob that became our globe

Earth across millions of years a kind of

soup began to float on the surface of

murky

Seas but when

how can we tell the time passing in a

world unseen by any living

thing an early estimate was by a 17th

century scholar Archbishop Asher by

adding up the ages of people named in

the Bible he calculated that the Earth

was created in 404

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BC meanwhile at Cambridge University

John Lightfoot aimed for more pinpoint

accuracy

he agreed the year and added a date

Sunday October the 26th and a time

exactly 9

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a.m. in the 18th century the first

geologists cast doubt on such a tender

age Clues embedded in Earth's Rocky

layers pointed to a much older

Planet before another Century passed

Charles Darwin the great naturalist was

to argue that Earth's age should be

calculated not in thousands but in

millions of

years we now count the age of our

venerable planet in billions of years 4

and a half

billion how can we with our fleeting

lifespan grapple with such

numbers if you take something old like

the entire recorded history of the known

world and multiply by a thousand

years now multiply Again by a thousand

then add half a billion more

years that's something closer to Earth's

true

age and at first things didn't exactly

happen fast the lifeless soup drifted

for about a billion

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years 365 billion sunrises before there

was a single cell around to take

advantage of

sunlight then complex chemicals took

form perhaps mixing with chemicals

arriving from outer

space triggered Maybe by lightning or by

ultraviolet light the organic compounds

began to link together and form proteins

the proteins grew and split life was

launched the record of prehistoric life

is written in rock fossils the word

means literally dug

up dig this fossil and you're looking at

traces of the oldest living things ever

found strands of simple algae at least 3

and A2 billion years old the minute

threads left their marks as they died

embedded in layers of mud that turn to

rock

it's inside Stony cabbages like these

found in a few rare places on the

Australian coast that the evidence is

stored there may be nowhere else on

Earth that looks more like the scene of

life's first

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stirrings when life stops stirring it

may record the moment in a fossil if mud

or sand settles quickly and turns to

rock the recently deceased is stored in

the vaults of time

fossils are also found deep inside Pete

tar ice or golden Amber the resin of

ancient trees some of the tiniest living

things were caught in the glowing

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ooze as Earth's Rocky layers are laid

down pushed up and crumble away fossils

emerge they are the only direct evidence

of prehistoric

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life of all the life forms ever to exist

99% are now extinct only a very few of

them left a

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trace from the first primitive living

things to more complex organisms another

billion years passed now there was

enough oxygen around for life to get

organized into multicell

beings DNA provided endless

possibilities and life took an ever

increasing variety of

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forms but only after another billion

years or more does the evidence show a

gathering storm of

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life from a more recent lay come more

than a dozen different kinds of

jellyfish looking like flowers flattened

in their two-dimensional

Graves there were worms and sea pens and

other strange animals writing their

history on the ocean floor this was the

age of the soft

bodies more than 56 of the way through

Earth's history the rocky record begins

to filled with the marks of ever

stranger

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creatures from its fossil it seemed this

odd animal hucog Genia had seven pairs

of stilt-like legs and seven tentacles

with which to feed or was that getting

it upside

down a few years later scientists

realized the seven stilts were actually

a spiky back and the Seven tentacles

were walking legs

fossils don't come marked this way

up just 100 million years later came

cernos cytis with a tail it may have

used like a limb to travel backwards

across the

seabed it sifted the water for food

through a primitive mouth then expelled

it through slits at the other

end these complex new creatures shared

the Seas with the first fish with no

Jaws as yet they swallowed their prey

whole the first bite as we know it was

still a long way off but not the first

sight some of the very first glimpses of

the world were seen by these eyes those

of the trilobit some were so well

preserved that scientists have used the

fossilized lenses to take photographs

the troby had an entirely new chassis

segmented and flexible it could curl up

for

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defense there were trilobites smaller

than a walnut and others bigger than a

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coconut eyes were some of the

sophisticated new features that began to

evolve

before another 100 million years had

passed some of the big artillery arrived

combining Keen eyesight with the first

biting

mouths imagine a great white shark

wearing full body armor and you've got

the leading predator of its day

Dunkleosteus long before the more famous

Jaws it ate primitive sharks for

breakfast

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whether a fossil comes from a watery

grave or a Dusty dig it comes up needing

a date Mari kuri is famous for

discovering x-rays but her work with

radioactivity also made it possible to

assign dates to fossils chemical

elements within rocks Decay and that

decay can be measured for instance the

less uranium 238 a rock contains the

older it

is whatever its age assembling a fossil

is like building a model but with no

instructions definitely no picture on

the box and most likely with pieces

missing just before the age of fishes

some early Pioneers had made

landfall but these colonizers weren't

animals they were plants small and

without leaves or flowers they did have

the first

Roots at first plants were alone on land

unthreatened by animals

it couldn't last soon came the pitter

patter of tiny feet arthropods the

forerunners of millions of small

creeping insects and

crustations meanwhile the continents we

know today barely existed several were

massed together in one expanse later

named gondwana land Europe Greenland and

North America remained separate all were

drifting like crusts of bread on a thick

Rocky stew

the dry land was claimed next by

swimmers from a watery world how this

fossil holds the

answer some fish developed lungs

enabling them to emerge from shallow

water and still breathe and bony fins

began to support their weight on

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land a fossilized caamp reveals the

kinds of Bones which took the first ever

steps such bones were to become feet the

first amphibians had

landed the ocean dwelling cican was

presumed extinct until

1938 when one made a startling

appearance off the coast of South

Africa 14 years went by before another

was found but more cants have since been

discovered alive near Madagascar their

living fossils little changed from a

Time before the

dinosaurs if one such ghost still swims

the sea today why not other bizarre

relics since pre-biblical times Sailors

have told of huge monsters and sea

serpant with water covering 2/3 of the

earth it's easy to imagine other strange

survivors swimming The Depths like the

sea Camp there are persistent claims

that loches in Scotland holds a creature

unlike any other

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a fossil that's certainly dead and

buried is coal one of the fossil fuels

it now supports life with its heat and

light coal formed when rotting plants

turned to Pete and were further

compressed over millions of

years as seams of coal that would one

day fire the industrial revolution first

formed Along came a sturdy new creature

making its debut during the age of

coal the

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Cockroach it can withstand extreme heat

and cold drought and famine no wonder

it's hardly changed across

time segmented bodies were a hit and

this was just one of the insects to

Scurry through the leaf litter

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today's cockroach is scavenged for

anything from toenails to

toothpaste could their well-known

partiality for small dark crevices have

led to the use of cockroaches as a

remedy for ear

ache ground cockroach entrails mixed

with oil were used as recently as the

16th century to treat a painful

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ear the ancient cockroach had some truly

fantastic Neighbors giganto Scorpio 10

times the size of a modern-day scorpion

with a stinger the size of a kitchen

knife the even larger arthr plura took

Locomotion to new lengths like a

centipede crossed with a stretch

limo there were dragonflies seven times

the size of the modern Emperor

dragonfly and the first reptiles evolved

from amphibians they were adapted to

life on land laying eggs with a tough

skin that didn't dry out in air a major

new

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[Applause]

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development fossils lay buried for

millions of years before they were first

glimpsed by some latecomers in The

evolutionary story fossil

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collectors among the first to profit

from the fines was a 19th century

British girl Mary Anning when just 11

years old Mary found an iosaur in stands

near her home she sold it for £23 the

price of a small house at the

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time just 280 million years ago the

continents were still mostly bunched

together in one gigantic land mass

Pangia all Earth plants and animals

could spread from one continent to

another wandering or drifting with with

EAS since then the continents have moved

away from each other so almost identical

fossils have been found as far apart as

South America and

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Australia a vast number of animals have

walked the Earth estimates run as high

as 3 billion different species none has

so mesmerized the human mind as the

largest of them all Tyrannosaurus Rex

masket of the age of the

dinosaurs even T-Rex was topped by

flying reptiles like the Giant

terrasaur in the Nevada desert a

reconstructed terasa took flight with a

computer for a brain even at half scale

its wingspan matched that of a modern

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glider the last time such a shadow was

cast on these rocks dinosaurs roamed the

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Earth at the same time the Cockroach was

well on its way to becoming one of the

most tenacious creatures on earth now it

had a new scheme instead of laying

single eggs It produced egg cases that

held 40 or 50 eggs

each cockroaches that foraged

successfully by night were favored to

survive sensitive antenna could detect

the slightest disturbance and Trigger

tiny legs to take

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off 65 million years ago cockroaches

must have Run for Cover when something

wiped out the dinosaurs possibly a

massive meteorite climatic change or

even cancer caused by radiation from a

collapsing

star the age of the dinosaurs had come

to an end yet this was not the largest

Extinction ever

that happened before the dinosaurs

existed when 95% of all living species

suddenly vanished from the fossil

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record it's possible that pang's own

geography contributed to the deaths one

single land mass half Frozen half desert

was IL equipped to absorb the impact of

a massive

change surviving both these extinctions

was yes the cockroach

which no doubt feasted on the remains of

the

dead but none benefited from the

dinosaurs demise quite as much as some

new creatures waiting in the

wings

mammals unlike the reptiles mammals were

warm-blooded they could hunt at night

and they developed special tools to

carry with them on the

hunt daggers and Blades slices and

choppers for some permanent meshing

teeth

and unlike reptiles whose eggs are

vulnerable to attack the mammals had a

new reproductive system their young

developed internally and newborns were

fed on milk the complex design worked

for mammals on the wing beneath the

waves and

underground and arms and legs could

carry mammals across the continents all

evolved from animals that lived when the

dinosaurs walked the

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Earth there were other survivors from

before the

dinosaurs the Magnolia one of the most

ancient flowers on

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Earth the crocodile though it has

changed a bit some crocodiles once grew

to the length of two tanks put end to

end maybe it's not so surprising that

early images of dragons are virtually

identical to crocodiles with

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wings Birds too survived from out of the

reptiles they had flown with the

feathers evolved from

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scales by the middle of the 19th century

scientists were racing to come up with

an explanation for it all why and how

had such a variety of living things come

into being

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Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by

natural selection was based on his

observations of the natural world by

1859 he concluded that the Animals best

suited to survive are ones most likely

to pass their characteristics On to the

Next

Generation tortoises were one tip off in

the galapagus: those that needed to

reach high into the brush for food could

their necks different from those of

tortoises on the other Islands seem to

have evolved for the

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purpose Darwin's new Theory could

explain even this a three-toed foot on a

horse-like

animal as the strongest toe continued to

evolve it became the single hoof seen

today with fantastic fastic running

ability over hard

ground as a period much closer to our

own time thundered along familiar forms

took shape but with unfamiliar

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twists the ground SLO didn't live in

trees like its descendants since few

trees could support its great

weight giant elk bore equally giant

animals the elephant bird laid eggs that

were almost 200 times larger than a

hen's egg today some animals grew to

immense sizes just because they could

there was an abundance of food and

little

competition other animals however

started small the earliest horses were

only the size of a

dog millions of years after the

dinosaurs weird and wonderful creatures

still walk the earth

or found other means of travel with

features that were scrambled in

surprising

combinations the South American mixed up

mammal had an elephant's trunk a camel's

body and the feet of a

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rhinoceros by 50 million years ago the

continents were nearly as they are today

but still traveling

India ground into Asia creating the

Himalayas which are still Rising

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today Antarctica headed south into its

deep

freeze the stage was set for the

emergence of a mammal that would find

entirely new new ways to occupy every

corner of the

planet it would evolve from a creature

with links to both past and present

whose remains were first discovered in

1974 the spectacular find was named Lucy

after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky

with

Diamonds Australopithecus afarensis Lucy

was related to both apes and humans

though an adult she stood just slightly

taller than an average 6-year-old child

but she stood she was among the first

primates to walk

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upright others of Lucy's kind left these

Footprints probably two adults with a

child they walked the Earth at least 3.7

million years

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ago although Darwin's theory had leashed

a storm of debate that continues today

there's little disagreement among

scientists about 3 million years after

Lucy one animal evolved into a

familiar-looking hunter with a

remarkable brain Homo sapiens from the

Latin meaning wise

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person modern Humanity's debut came just

a half beat Ago by Earth time

it wasn't a smooth ride there were at

least seven variations on the human

theme including the neander tals whose

remains were first found at the neander

valley in

Germany neander tal stood nearly 2 m

tall with immense

bones they've been portrayed as dull

unfeeling but scientists had

misinterpreted their find a skull

ravaged by disease evidence indicates

that neander tals buried flowers with

their

dead another human species was to out

hunt the neander tals and drive them to

Extinction the new omnivore had a

feature that would serve it well the

ability to learn and invent in

remarkable new

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ways Homo sapiens modern man has come a

long way yet only in the latest blink on

Earth's time

scale so far we've merely scratched the

surface of our planet's past a past that

makes our own history seem tiny by

comparison and still new discoveries

come to

light in 1995 the Symbian Pandora a

minuscule creature was found right under

our noses or rather under a lobster's

nose where it lives it's the first known

member of an entirely new group of

living

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things we can only wonder what other

creatures may have come and Gone without

leaving a

trace whatever our future holds it's

likely that life in some form will carry

on tenacious and resilient as the

cockroach

and could another life story be in the

making in a universe of solar systems it

seems more than

possible in 1996 two distant planets

were found to have conditions that might

support life temperatures not unlike the

Earth so long ago and the potential for

rain and

oceans their prehistoric life could just

possibly be getting started start it now

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[Applause]

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