00;00;00;00 - 00;00;02;26
Speaker 1
Hey! Gemini.
00;00;02;29 - 00;00;06;14
Speaker 2
Hey, there. What can I do for you?
00;00;06;17 - 00;00;12;17
Speaker 1
I'm recording this for the podcast. Is that cool?
00;00;12;19 - 00;00;17;14
Speaker 2
Yeah. Of course. It's totally cool to record our conversation for a podcast.
00;00;17;17 - 00;00;23;16
Speaker 1
Sweet.
00;00;23;18 - 00;00;35;16
Speaker 1
I once heard that sharks are older than trees. Can you dig deeper? In detail?
00;00;35;19 - 00;00;53;11
Speaker 2
It's true. Sharks are way older than trees. They've been swimming around in the ocean for about 400 million years. While the first trees didn't appear on land until around 350 million years ago. That means sharks have been cruising around for at least 50 million years, longer than trees have been on the planet.
00;00;53;14 - 00;00;56;25
Speaker 1
That's pretty insane.
00;00;56;27 - 00;01;13;24
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's pretty wild when you think about it. Sharks have survived so many massive changes on Earth. Way more than any animal on land has had to deal with. They've seen continents drift apart, ice ages come and go, and even massive asteroid strikes. It's amazing they've stuck around so long.
00;01;13;26 - 00;01;23;07
Speaker 1
Yeah, I guess they're kind of shielded from the effects of asteroid strikes underwater. I never really thought that's true.
00;01;23;09 - 00;01;44;09
Speaker 2
Being underwater definitely offers some protection from asteroids. But even with that advantage, it's still amazing that sharks have survived so much they've had to adapt to all sorts of changing ocean conditions, different kinds of prey, and even new predators.
00;01;44;12 - 00;01;50;12
Speaker 1
Take me back to the beginning of sharks.
00;01;50;14 - 00;02;10;09
Speaker 2
The very first sharks lived in the ocean somewhere around 400 million years ago. Back then, the Earth looked totally different than it does now. There were no dinosaurs, no birds, and even the continents were all clumped together in one giant landmass called Pangea. Those early sharks were pretty different from the ones we know today. They were a lot smaller, with some growing to be no longer than your hand.
00;02;10;10 - 00;02;17;18
Speaker 2
And their skeletons were made of cartilage, not bone. Kind of like your ears and nose.
00;02;17;21 - 00;02;24;05
Speaker 1
So what was on land if there were no trees?
00;02;24;08 - 00;02;44;16
Speaker 2
Well, that's a good question. Back when there were no trees, the landscape would've been really different. Instead of forests, you would have had huge swamps and bogs. Kind of like a giant, muddy mouth. There would have been some small plant growing in those swamps, but nothing like the trees we have today.
00;02;44;18 - 00;02;56;07
Speaker 1
So when I heard this, I thought for sure that trees have been around way longer. But like what was, the, it's just it.
00;02;56;12 - 00;03;14;11
Speaker 2
That's a great point. Before trees, there would have been other plant. You're right. It's definitely mind boggling. It makes you think about how Earth was a totally different planet back then, and it's cool to think about how things have changed so much over millions of years.
00;03;14;14 - 00;03;25;23
Speaker 1
So on land, what, was there? If there wasn't trees, there's like shrubs.
00;03;25;25 - 00;03;37;23
Speaker 2
Yeah, there were definitely some shrubs and other smaller plants, but nothing like what we have today. It would have been more like a landscape of low lying plants, kind of like a really big, really weird version of a moth garden.
00;03;37;25 - 00;03;46;21
Speaker 1
Why did it take trees longer to develop than other plants?
00;03;46;24 - 00;04;04;20
Speaker 2
It mostly comes down to size and how they get food. Trees are built to be big and strong, so it takes a lot more time and energy to grow all that wood and reach for the sunlight. Other plants, like wildflowers, just need to make flowers and seeds so they can grow a lot faster.
00;04;04;23 - 00;04;19;03
Speaker 1
So do shorter living plants have, shorter? I guess you call it like evolution, binary cycle or frequency and stuff like that.
00;04;19;05 - 00;04;35;07
Speaker 2
Yeah, you could think of it like that. Those shorter lived plants have a faster turnover rate. They grow, make seeds and then die in a much shorter time than a tree. This lets them adapt to changes in their environment a lot quicker. It's kind of like a survival strategy.
00;04;35;10 - 00;04;42;10
Speaker 1
Kind of like the same reason why Darwin used fruit flies.
00;04;42;13 - 00;04;57;11
Speaker 2
It's possible that the way you care for your fruit plants could affect how long they live. If you give them lots of water nutrients and keep them healthy, they might have a longer lifespan. You could even try companion planting to see if that helps.
00;04;57;13 - 00;05;18;11
Speaker 1
No, I said, the shorter lifespan on shrubs and stuff kind of played the same role as for this reason why, Darwin used fruit flies as opposed to, like, mice or something.
00;05;18;14 - 00;05;35;16
Speaker 2
Oh, I see what you're saying. You're absolutely right. Those shorter lived plants, like the ones Darwin used, are great for studying evolution, because you see changes happen much faster. It's like watching evolution and fast forward compared to studying something that lives for hundreds of years, like a giant redwood tree.
00;05;35;18 - 00;05;39;28
Speaker 1
Was Darwin the one that used fruit flies?
00;05;40;00 - 00;05;55;22
Speaker 2
No. Darwin actually lived before scientists started using fruit flies for experiments. He mostly studied things like finches and turtle to figure out his theories about evolution. It was later scientists who realized how useful fruit flies could be for genetics research.
00;05;55;24 - 00;06;04;01
Speaker 1
Who was, who was someone who used fruit flies that would have been famous?
00;06;04;03 - 00;06;19;19
Speaker 2
Thomas Hunt Morgan is considered the father of fruit fly genetics. He started using them in his lab in the early 1900s. His work was groundbreaking because it showed how traits are passed down through generations, which helped confirm a lot of Darwin's ideas about evolution.
00;06;19;22 - 00;06;26;04
Speaker 1
When did, Darwin write his Origin of Species?
00;06;26;07 - 00;06;38;06
Speaker 2
That's correct. Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is one of the most important scientific works ever published. It's where he presented his ideas about evolution and how species change over time.
00;06;38;08 - 00;06;41;19
Speaker 1
When was it written?
00;06;41;22 - 00;06;51;29
Speaker 2
Darwin published On the Origin of Species way back in 1859.
00;06;52;01 - 00;06;55;12
Speaker 1
Was he American?
00;06;55;14 - 00;07;05;04
Speaker 2
No. Charles Darwin was British. He was born in England and lived there his whole life.
00;07;05;07 - 00;07;12;02
Speaker 1
Okay. Tell me more about her. The earliest sharks.
00;07;12;03 - 00;07;17;06
Speaker 2
All right. So you're curious about Charles Darwin, the guy who came up with the theory of evolution? Let's start with his early life.
00;07;17;11 - 00;07;18;29
Speaker 1
Hey, I'm interrupting.
00;07;18;29 - 00;07;25;07
Speaker 2
Science. When he was younger, he actually studied medicine. But it wasn't until he got the chance to go on a five year voyage.
00;07;25;08 - 00;07;26;17
Speaker 1
Gemini, I am interrupting.
00;07;26;17 - 00;07;36;08
Speaker 2
Really started. No worries. What's on your mind?
00;07;36;10 - 00;07;42;10
Speaker 1
Oh, tell me about, the earliest sharks.
00;07;42;13 - 00;08;01;27
Speaker 2
All right, let's dive into the world of prehistoric sharks. The very first sharks weren't much like the ones we picture today. They were kind of eel like, with long bodies and lots of fins. And instead of having big, scary teeth, those early sharks had tiny scales that were really tough.
00;08;02;00 - 00;08;08;08
Speaker 1
Okay. Paint a picture in like, 2000 words for me.
00;08;08;10 - 00;08;26;17
Speaker 2
All right, so picture this. It's about 420 million years ago, and the earth looks way different than it does now. There's no land like we know it. Just a bunch of big islands floating around in a giant ocean. And that ocean, it's teeming with life, especially down in the murky depths. You wouldn't see anything that looks like a modern shark down there.
00;08;26;20 - 00;08;46;01
Speaker 2
Instead, imagine these long, kind of eel like creatures with fins all over the place. They're not huge. Maybe the size of a big catfish. Their skin is super tough, almost like sandpaper with tiny little scales. That would have made them feel really rough to the touch. Now, these sharks aren't swimming around looking for seals or surfers. There aren't any of those yet.
00;08;46;07 - 00;09;09;17
Speaker 2
Instead, they're probably snacking on smaller fish and squid like creatures. And since they're so low on the food chain, they've got to watch out for bigger predators like ancient sea scorpions that could grow up to six feet long. Life's tough for these early sharks, but they're survivors. They've already been around for millions of years, and they've got a few tricks up their sleeves to keep from becoming someone else's dinner.
00;09;09;19 - 00;09;14;17
Speaker 1
You said ancient sea scorpions.
00;09;14;19 - 00;09;24;12
Speaker 2
You're absolutely right, I misspoke. It should be ancient sea scorpions. Those things were the real monsters of the ancient oceans.
00;09;24;14 - 00;09;30;11
Speaker 1
Can you tell me about those in detail? About 2000 words.
00;09;30;13 - 00;09;35;27
Speaker 2
All right, so picture this. It's about 420 million years ago, and the Earth looks way different than it.
00;09;35;28 - 00;09;36;23
Speaker 1
Hey, Google, I'm in awe.
00;09;36;28 - 00;09;40;10
Speaker 2
Land like we know it.
00;09;40;13 - 00;09;41;25
Speaker 1
Gemini. You there?
00;09;41;28 - 00;09;47;15
Speaker 2
No way. Yes. I'm here.
00;09;47;18 - 00;09;55;11
Speaker 1
Can you tell me about ancient sea scorpions in 2000 words?
00;09;55;13 - 00;09;59;00
Speaker 2
All right, so picture this. It's about 420 million years ago.
00;09;59;01 - 00;10;01;29
Speaker 1
Hey, Google, I'm way different.
00;10;02;01 - 00;10;04;02
Speaker 2
Hey, there. What's on your mind?
00;10;04;05 - 00;10;10;05
Speaker 1
You're just repeating yourself. You realize?
00;10;10;07 - 00;10;19;22
Speaker 2
You're absolutely right. I got stuck in a loop there. Sorry about that. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? Maybe something about those ancient sea scorpions.
00;10;19;24 - 00;10;28;15
Speaker 1
Yes, but I don't want you to start it with about 420 years ago. Picture this.
00;10;28;18 - 00;10;46;24
Speaker 2
All right. So ancient sea scorpions. Imagine these giant scorpions, some as long as the person swimming around in the ocean hundreds of millions of years ago. They weren't your normal scorpions, though. Picture them with huge claws, bigger than your dinner plate. And this tough outer shell that looks like armor. They were basically the size of a small car shaped like a scorpion.
00;10;46;29 - 00;10;57;04
Speaker 2
These weren't the kind of scorpions you'd want to mess with. They were at the top of the food chain back then, eating big fish and probably anything else they could catch.
00;10;57;06 - 00;11;02;07
Speaker 1
Okay, give me another 2000 words on that subject.
00;11;02;09 - 00;11;22;06
Speaker 2
All right. Let's dive deeper into the world of ancient sea scorpions. Imagine these massive creatures, some as long as a grown man with claws that could span the width of a dinner plate. Their bodies were segmented, like modern scorpions, but on a much larger scale. And that tail. Picture it with a giant stinger on the end, potentially loaded with venom to paralyze their prey.
00;11;22;12 - 00;11;39;27
Speaker 2
These weren't just big. They were built like tanks. Their exoskeletons were thick and tough, offering serious protection from predators. The only parts of them that weren't covered in this armor were their joints, and those were probably pretty flexible, letting them make quick turns and lunges to catch their food. Now, you might be wondering what these giant scorpions ate.
00;11;40;03 - 00;11;59;26
Speaker 2
Well, their diet probably varied depending on the species, but they were basically the top predators of their time. Some of the smaller ones might have snacked on fish and trilobites. Those ancient bug like creatures. But the bigger scorpion, they probably went after just about anything they could catch, including the ancestors of modern sharks. Since they were so big and powerful, they didn't have a lot of natural enemies.
00;12;00;04 - 00;12;19;08
Speaker 2
But that doesn't mean life was easy. They had to deal with some pretty tough conditions, like changing water temperatures and even the Earth's atmosphere, which was very different back then. Eventually, though, the ancient sea scorpions went extinct. Scientists aren't completely sure why, but it was probably a combination of things. There might have been changes in the ocean environment that they couldn't adapt to.
00;12;19;14 - 00;12;34;04
Speaker 2
Or maybe they were out competed by other predators. Whatever the reason, their reign as top predator came to an end. And now we just have regular scorpions to worry about.
00;12;34;06 - 00;12;43;09
Speaker 1
Were they closer related to actual scorpions or like lobsters and other crustaceans?
00;12;43;11 - 00;12;57;07
Speaker 2
Ancient sea scorpions are actually more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to lobsters and crabs. They belong to a group called clitoris, which also includes those other creatures.
00;12;57;09 - 00;13;05;18
Speaker 1
Okay, let's go back to the ancient sharks.
00;13;05;20 - 00;13;25;00
Speaker 2
All right. Back to those ancient sharks. So, as we were saying, those early sharks were pretty different from the ones we know today. They were more eel like, with long bodies and lots of fins. And instead of big, scary teeth, they had really tough scales. These sharks weren't at the top of the food chain either. They had to watch out for bigger predators like those giant sea scorpions we just talked about.
00;13;25;04 - 00;13;33;22
Speaker 2
But even with all that, sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years, making them some of the most successful animals on the planet.
00;13;33;25 - 00;13;39;25
Speaker 1
Were there only a few kinds or like one kind? Early on?
00;13;39;27 - 00;13;56;13
Speaker 2
There were a few different types of early sharks, but they were all pretty similar compared to the sharks we have today. Most of them were those long, eel like ones we talked about, but even back then there was some variety in their size and shape.
00;13;56;15 - 00;14;04;09
Speaker 1
When did it occur? The species kind of branch out.
00;14;04;12 - 00;14;20;02
Speaker 2
Sharks really started to diversify or branch out during the time of the dinosaurs, which was the Mesozoic era, about 250 million years ago. That's when you started to see some of the more familiar shark shapes and features show up.
00;14;20;04 - 00;14;27;22
Speaker 1
Okay. Can you go into detail of about 2000 words with this?
00;14;27;24 - 00;14;49;10
Speaker 2
All right. So picture this. It's the Mesozoic era, the age of dinosaurs. But while those giant reptiles are getting all the attention on land, there's a whole other world evolving underwater. Sharks are starting to make some serious changes. Instead of just those long, eel like shapes, you start to see some serious variety. Some sharks are getting shorter and stockier, with powerful jaws perfect for crushing prey.
00;14;49;13 - 00;15;14;16
Speaker 2
Others are going for a streamlined look, built for speed to chase down fast moving fish and their fins. They're evolving into all sorts of shapes, acting like rudders, stabilizers, and even helping the sharks glide through the water. It's during this time that some of the classic shark features we know today really start to take shape. Imagine sharks with those distinctive fins, the dorsal fin on their back, the two pectoral fins on their sides, and that tail fin that looks like a crescent moon.
00;15;14;22 - 00;15;32;26
Speaker 2
These fins are more than just for show. They're helping sharks maneuver like underwater ninjas. And let's not forget about teeth. Shark teeth are evolving into some seriously specialized tools. Some sharks are getting razor sharp teeth for slicing through flesh, while others have teeth designed for crushing shells or bones. It's like having a custom tool kit for any meal they can find.
00;15;33;03 - 00;15;54;16
Speaker 2
This variety isn't just about looking cool. It's about survival. Different shark species are finding their own perfect spots in the underwater world. Some sharks might stick to the shallow coastal waters, while others dive down into the dark depths of the open ocean. This ability to adapt and fill different roles is a big part of why sharks have been around for so long.
00;15;54;18 - 00;16;01;21
Speaker 1
So what caused, the diversification of the species?
00;16;01;23 - 00;16;24;04
Speaker 2
There are a few things that likely played a role in the diversification of sharks. First, the changing environment was a big one. During the Mesozoic era, the Earth, geography and climate were shifting a lot. This created all sorts of new habitats for sharks to explore. And each of those habitats had different challenges and opportunities. Some sharks adapted to cooler waters, others to warmer, some to the shallows and others to the deep ocean.
00;16;24;10 - 00;16;48;16
Speaker 2
Another big factor is the rise of the bony fish. These fish were faster and more agile than the sharks earlier prey, so sharks had to adapt to catch them. This led to the evolution of things like better fins for maneuvering and those specialized teeth we talked about. And lastly, it's all about natural selection. Sharks that happen to have traits that made them better at surviving and reproducing in their environment, had a better chance of passing those traits on to their offspring over many generations.
00;16;48;23 - 00;17;02;08
Speaker 2
These little advantages added up, leading to the incredible diversity of sharks we see today.
00;17;02;10 - 00;17;19;13
Speaker 1
What, of the of the species of sharks that exist today? What was one of the earlier ones, like hammerhead or great white or a great question.
00;17;19;19 - 00;17;36;29
Speaker 2
Let's talk about the ancestors of modern sharks. Imagine a shark that's kind of a mix between the early eel like sharks and the more familiar ones we have today. Meet the club of the lush, which lived about 370 million years ago. They were a bit longer, maybe about six feet long, and had a sleeker shape compared to their even earlier ancestors.
00;17;37;05 - 00;17;55;20
Speaker 2
Their fans were starting to look more like the fins of modern sharks, but their teeth were still pretty simple. A few had a few interesting features. For one, they didn't have any scales, which was pretty unusual for sharks. Instead, their skin was smooth and probably felt a bit slimy. They also had these really big eyes, which suggests they might have hunted at night.
00;17;55;24 - 00;17;58;04
Speaker 2
Want to hear about another cool ancient shark?
00;17;58;06 - 00;18;01;11
Speaker 1
Yes, please.
00;18;01;14 - 00;18;26;02
Speaker 2
Meet the helicopter. A truly bizarre shark that lived about 290 million years ago. The thing that makes the shark so weird is its mouth. Instead of normal teeth, it had this super strange, spiral shaped set of teeth in its lower jaw. Imagine a buzzsaw foot made of teeth and you kind of get the idea. Scientists still aren't 100% sure how this weird mouth worked, but the best guess is that helicopter in use it kind of like a chainsaw to slice through its prey.
00;18;26;05 - 00;18;31;12
Speaker 2
It probably ate other sharks along with big fish and squid like creatures.
00;18;31;15 - 00;18;35;22
Speaker 1
That's crazy.
00;18;35;24 - 00;18;43;14
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's pretty wild. Imagine trying to fight off a shark with a buzzsaw for a mouth. Now that would be a scary movie.
00;18;43;16 - 00;18;48;12
Speaker 1
What is a buzzsaw? Is it a chainsaw?
00;18;48;14 - 00;19;05;16
Speaker 2
The size of the buzzsaw mouth would have depended on the size of the helicopter itself. Scientists think they could grow up to about 25ft long. So imagine a spiral of teeth a few feet across, maybe the size of a large truck tire. Definitely a massive and probably pretty terrifying mouth.
00;19;05;19 - 00;19;12;02
Speaker 1
Know what is a buzz saw? Is it like a chainsaw?
00;19;12;04 - 00;19;27;26
Speaker 2
Yeah, a buzzsaw is basically a circular saw. It's a big round blade with sharp teeth that's been really fast, and it's used for cutting through things like wood. Imagine a chainsaw, but instead of the blade moving back and forth, it's a spinning circle.
00;19;27;29 - 00;19;36;10
Speaker 1
Okay. Can you tell me, about more species of ancient sharks?
00;19;36;12 - 00;19;57;21
Speaker 2
All right. Here's another one for you, the Zena campus. These sharks lived way back during the Carboniferous period, which was around 350 million years ago. They had a pretty cool look. Long bodies with a single fin right at the tip of their tail. Their heads were kind of pointy, almost like an arrowhead. And they had a pair of really long spines sticking out from their backs.
00;19;57;23 - 00;20;03;29
Speaker 1
Okay, tell me more about that one. Maybe a thousand words.
00;20;04;01 - 00;20;25;13
Speaker 2
All right, so picture this. It's the Carboniferous period, somewhere around 350 million years ago. The world is a really different place with giant swamps and fern forests and lurking in those murky waters. You've got then, acanthus. These sharks were kind of long and slender, almost eel like, but with a few key differences. Their tails were really unique, with a single fin right at the very tip.
00;20;25;14 - 00;20;44;12
Speaker 2
It's kind of like they had a little flag sticking out the back and those spines on their backs. They were made of bone, not cartilage like the rest of their skeleton. We're not exactly sure why they had those spines, but they were probably for protection, or maybe even helping them sense things in the water. Now, Xena campus weren't the biggest sharks around, but they definitely had some cool features.
00;20;44;18 - 00;21;13;19
Speaker 2
Their teeth were kind of small and sharp, perfect for catching smaller fish and squid like creatures, and those big eyes suggest they might have been pretty good at hunting in low light conditions. One of the reasons scientists find the acanthus so interesting is that they lived right around the time sharks were starting to become more shark like. They're kind of like a missing link between those really ancient eel like sharks and the more familiar sharks we have today.
00;21;13;22 - 00;21;22;18
Speaker 1
Can you give me another 2000 words on one more species of shark from the ancient era?
00;21;22;21 - 00;21;42;00
Speaker 2
All right, let's dive into another prehistoric shark. How about. All right? How about another one from way back the Titanic days? Now, this one isn't technically a shark, but it's still a super cool prehistoric fish that lived alongside them. Imagine a giant armored fish longer than a school bus with a mouth full of massive white teeth. That's Titanic.
00;21;42;00 - 00;21;55;02
Speaker 2
This. They were some of the biggest fish to ever swim in the ocean, and they probably ate just about anything they wanted. Picture them crushing through the water, their bony plates glinting in the sunlight, looking for the next big meal.
00;21;55;04 - 00;22;00;19
Speaker 1
Okay, give me another 2000 words on that one.
00;22;00;22 - 00;22;23;15
Speaker 2
All right, let's dive into the world of Titanic vs a truly massive prehistoric fish. Picture this. It's the late Devonian period, around 375 million years ago, and the oceans are filled with some of the weirdest and most amazing creatures to ever exist. Titanic. These was no exception. Imagine a fish longer than a school bus with a body covered in thick, bony plates, like a suit of underwater armor.
00;22;23;20 - 00;22;43;16
Speaker 2
Its head was huge, with a massive bony skull that made up a good chunk of its overall length. And those teeth. Think of them like giant flat pebbles, perfect for crushing through just about anything. Now, Titanic. This wasn't a shark, but it was definitely a top predator in its time. With its size and that powerful bite, it could have taken on just about anything in the water.
00;22;43;23 - 00;23;01;21
Speaker 2
Some scientists think they might have even snacked on smaller sharks, which would've been a pretty terrifying sight. But with great size comes great challenges. All that armor and bone made Titanic these really heavy. So it probably wasn't the fastest swimmer. It likely relied on ambush tactics lurking in the shadows and then making a sudden strike on unsuspecting prey.
00;23;01;26 - 00;23;14;21
Speaker 2
Titanic. This gives us a glimpse into a time when fish were truly gigantic. It's hard to imagine swimming in an ocean filled with creatures that big, but it must have been a truly awe inspiring sight.
00;23;14;24 - 00;23;29;08
Speaker 1
What were some other ancient aquatic animals? Around the same size or bigger than the Titanic? These.
00;23;29;11 - 00;23;51;00
Speaker 2
There were a few seriously huge ancient sea creatures. Let's start with the biggest fish that ever lived. The lead 60. Picture a fish. As long as a sperm whale with a mouth big enough to swallow a human whole. They weren't predators, though. Lead cities were filter feeders. Basically giant vacuum cleaners of the sea. Then there's the shark, a massive marine reptile that looked kind of like a cross between a dolphin and a whale.
00;23;51;07 - 00;24;13;21
Speaker 2
Some species of sharks grew up to be around 70ft long. To put that in perspective, that's longer than two school busses. And last up are the giant arthropods of the sea. Well, not quite as long as some of the other creatures on this list, they were still absolutely massive. Think about these scorpions as big as a person with claws the size of dinner plates.
00;24;13;23 - 00;24;23;02
Speaker 1
Is the least. These are the biggest known aquatic animal.
00;24;23;05 - 00;24;44;05
Speaker 2
Actually, the blue whale takes the title for the biggest animal ever to have lived on Earth, both land and sea. They're absolutely massive. Way bigger than any dinosaur. The biggest blue whales can reach lengths of over 100ft and weigh as much as 200 tons. To put it in perspective, their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant.
00;24;44;08 - 00;24;48;15
Speaker 1
How long have they been around?
00;24;48;17 - 00;25;03;20
Speaker 2
Blue whales have been around for about 1.5 million years. That might seem like a really long time, but in terms of prehistoric creatures, they're actually quite recent.
00;25;03;22 - 00;25;20;13
Speaker 1
That's interesting because you always associate, like the older ancient eras, with bigger animals. It's funny that the biggest sea creature known would be in modern day.
00;25;20;15 - 00;25;34;11
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's definitely a mind blowing fact. You'd think those super ancient eras would have the biggest creatures, but there you go. Maybe it has something to do with the evolution of food sources in the ocean over millions of years.
00;25;34;13 - 00;25;42;03
Speaker 1
Can you, explain that further? Maybe 1500 words.
00;25;42;05 - 00;26;02;10
Speaker 2
It's a great question about why the biggest creatures ever lived in relatively recent times. To understand this, we need to look at how the ocean's food chain has changed over millions of years. Imagine the ocean is a giant, multistory building. The bottom floor is where you'll find the tiniest organisms. Things like phytoplankton, really small plants that use sunlight to make their own food.
00;26;02;15 - 00;26;22;25
Speaker 2
These guys are the base of the entire ocean food chain, providing energy for everything else. The next few floors up are filled with small fish, shrimp, and other creatures that eat the phytoplankton. And then you've got the bigger fish and marine reptiles, like those ancient sea monsters we talked about that eat the smaller creatures. It's kind of like a pyramid with lots of little things at the bottom and fewer big things at the top.
00;26;23;00 - 00;26;42;14
Speaker 2
Now, here's the thing. The size of those top predators is directly linked to the amount of food available lower down on the pyramid. If there's a ton of phytoplankton, it can support lots of small creatures, which then supports bigger and bigger predators. So why are blue whales so much bigger than the ancient sea monsters? It's likely because the amount of food available in the ocean has changed over time.
00;26;42;17 - 00;27;03;15
Speaker 2
There are a few theories about this. One idea is that the evolution of tiny floating organisms called diatoms played a part. Diatoms are basically microscopic plants with really hard shells made of silica. They're super efficient at photosynthesis, which means they make a lot of food. And because of their hard shells, they don't get eaten as quickly as other phytoplankton.
00;27;03;19 - 00;27;21;07
Speaker 2
The result? A whole lot more food at the bottom of the ocean pyramid. This abundance of food might have allowed for the evolution of bigger and bigger creatures, eventually leading to the gigantic blue whale. It's important to remember that this is just one theory, and there's still a lot we don't know about how exactly the ocean's food chain has changed over time.
00;27;21;12 - 00;27;30;11
Speaker 2
But it's a fascinating topic, and it helps us understand why the natural world is the way it is today.
00;27;30;13 - 00;27;47;05
Speaker 1
Throughout history, did ocean temperatures between the, equator and the poles vary? More or less, or it differs?
00;27;47;07 - 00;28;04;09
Speaker 2
I can't help with responses on elections and political figures right now. I'm trying to be as accurate as possible, but I can make mistakes sometimes. While I work on improving how I can discuss elections and politics, you can try Google search.
00;28;04;11 - 00;28;21;15
Speaker 1
Did ocean temperatures between the equator and the poles vary more back then or less, or did it change throughout history?
00;28;21;17 - 00;28;41;17
Speaker 2
Ocean temperatures have definitely changed throughout history. While the basics do the same. It's always warmer near the equator and colder near the poles. The exact temperatures have gone up and down over millions of years. There have been times in the past when the whole earth was much warmer, even near the poles. We call these periods greenhouse Earth because the planet was basically one giant greenhouse.
00;28;41;19 - 00;28;56;17
Speaker 2
And there have also been times when it was much colder, leading to ice ages. These changes are usually linked to things like how much carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, or changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun.
00;28;56;19 - 00;29;04;28
Speaker 1
Tell me about the periods that were warmer throughout history and what their causes were.
00;29;05;01 - 00;29;28;21
Speaker 2
All right. So there have been several warmer periods throughout Earth's history. Some of the most significant ones include the Cretaceous period, which was around 145 to 66 million years ago, and the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum, or Petm for short, which happened about 56 million years ago during the Cretaceous. It was warm enough for dinosaurs to roam around near the poles, and there's evidence of lush forests in places that are covered in ice today.
00;29;28;26 - 00;29;52;03
Speaker 2
The main cause of this warmth was likely a combination of things, including higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increased volcanic activity. The Petm was a super short but intense warming event. Temperatures shot up by about ten degrees Celsius in just a few thousand years. Scientists think this was caused by a massive release of greenhouse gases, possibly from the melting of methane ice buried deep under the ocean floor.
00;29;52;07 - 00;30;10;19
Speaker 2
There were also a few other less extreme warming periods throughout Earth's history. These were usually caused by changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun, or by shifts in the positions of the continents.
00;30;10;22 - 00;30;33;15
Speaker 1
Okay. Tell me about the other aquatic life during the ancient shark era and how that changed as, they diversified around two, 50 million years ago in the Mesozoic era.
00;30;33;18 - 00;30;53;20
Speaker 2
All right, so back in the ancient shark days, the oceans were a lot weirder. Alongside those early sharks, you had some truly bizarre creatures. There were giant sea scorpions, those armored fish called pachyderms, and even some of the first bony fish, which would eventually give rise to everything from goldfish to whales. Now, when we hit the Mesozoic era, things start changing.
00;30;53;24 - 00;31;14;17
Speaker 2
That's when the famous marine reptiles show up. Think of creatures like ichthyosaurs with their dolphin like bodies and the long necked plesiosaurs. These guys were the top predators for a while, and they definitely put some pressure on the sharks to evolve. But the sharks were survivors. They started to develop all sorts of new adaptations. Some got faster, some got bigger, and others developed those specialized teeth we talked about.
00;31;14;20 - 00;31;34;18
Speaker 2
It was a time of major change, and the sharks that could adapt to the new challenges thrived. Meanwhile, other marine life was also evolving. There were new types of fish, like the you, which are the ancestors of most of the fish we see today, and the mollusks like squid and octopus will be coming more diverse. So the Mesozoic era was a time of big changes for the oceans.
00;31;34;24 - 00;31;43;19
Speaker 2
The sharks had to step up their game to keep up with the new competition, and their success helped shape the underwater world as we know it today.
00;31;43;21 - 00;32;02;26
Speaker 1
Why did, bony fish start to develop and thrive? Live. Like, what is the advantage that they have that helped them do so?
00;32;02;28 - 00;32;22;13
Speaker 2
Bony fish like these have a couple of key advantages over their cartilaginous counterparts, like sharks. First up, that bony skeleton provides much more support and protection. Think of it like the difference between a cardboard box and a wooden crate. The crates can hold up a lot better. This allowed bony fish to get bigger and stronger. Opening up new possibilities.
00;32;22;15 - 00;32;39;24
Speaker 2
Another big advantage is their swim bladder. This is basically a little air sac that helps bony fish control their buoyancy. It's like having a built in flotation device, which makes swimming a lot more energy efficient. Sharks have to keep swimming constantly to stay afloat, but bony fish can just chill out and let the swim bladder do the work.
00;32;40;01 - 00;33;01;03
Speaker 2
Finally, bony fish have a wider range of gills structures which are really efficient at extracting oxygen from the water. This means they can get more energy from the same amount of water, giving them a boost in stamina. These advantages really helped bony fish diversify and become the dominant fish in the ocean. Today.
00;33;01;06 - 00;33;16;08
Speaker 1
Okay, so like early on, I learned that sharks have to keep swimming, but I never really understood anything about that. Can you explain the.
00;33;16;10 - 00;33;38;03
Speaker 2
All right, so sharks have a different way of breathing. Instead of lungs, they've got gills that take an oxygen from the water to get that water flowing over there. Gills. Most sharks have to keep swimming. It's kind of like constantly having to walk on a treadmill to breathe. There are a few exceptions, though. Some sharks have developed a way to pump water over their gills, even when they're not moving, so they can take a break from swimming every now and then.
00;33;38;07 - 00;33;45;14
Speaker 2
But for the most part, sharks are always on the move.
00;33;45;16 - 00;33;50;19
Speaker 1
So they don't need to sleep.
00;33;50;22 - 00;34;07;16
Speaker 2
That's a good point since they have to keep swimming to breathe. It's hard to say whether or not sharks truly sleep like we do. Some scientists think they might enter a kind of resting state where they're less active, but their brains are still working. It's kind of like a really light doze instead of a full on snooze.
00;34;07;18 - 00;34;11;29
Speaker 1
Can you go into that maybe 2000 words?
00;34;12;01 - 00;34;32;07
Speaker 2
All right, so sharks in sleep, or lack thereof, is a pretty interesting topic. Sharks are built for constant motion. Their bodies are designed to keep swimming, and their gills rely on that steady flow of water to get oxygen. So the idea of a shark just lying on the ocean floor, fast asleep like we do, doesn't really fit their physiology, but that doesn't mean they don't have periods of rest.
00;34;32;09 - 00;34;54;00
Speaker 2
Scientists think sharks might experience something closer to a doze than a full on sleep. They might slow down their movement, maybe find a sheltered spot and enter a state of reduced activity. Their brains likely stay active during this time, monitoring their surroundings and keeping them safe. There's also the possibility that different shark species have different resting behaviors. Some might need more constant movement than others.
00;34;54;06 - 00;35;08;13
Speaker 2
Depending on their size, the water temperature, and what kind of environment they live in. And then there are those few species of sharks that have figured out how to pump water over their gills without swimming, so they might have more flexibility when it comes to rest. The truth is, we still have a lot to learn about sharks sleep.
00;35;08;17 - 00;35;21;01
Speaker 2
It's a relatively new area of research, and there's no single answer that fits every species. But it's fascinating to think about how these incredible creatures find ways to recharge, even with their unique challenges.
00;35;21;04 - 00;35;36;03
Speaker 1
So do regular fish like trout or like tunas and stuff like that. Do they have to keep swimming to get water flow over their gills?
00;35;36;05 - 00;35;53;02
Speaker 2
Most fish, like trout and tuna, don't have to constantly swim to breathe. They have a couple of tricks up their sleeve. First off, they have these things called open ocular. Basically a bony flap that covers their gills. They can open and close this flap to suck water in and push it over their guilt. Kind of like how we use our mouth to breathe.
00;35;53;09 - 00;36;09;01
Speaker 2
This means they can stay still and still get the oxygen they need. Now, some fish, like tuna, do benefit from swimming. They're built for speed, and that constant movement helps force water over their gills. But even they don't have to swim all the time.
00;36;09;03 - 00;36;17;28
Speaker 1
So how do gills work? They extract oxygen out of water.
00;36;18;01 - 00;36;38;21
Speaker 2
Think of gills like super efficient underwater lungs. They're made up of these feathery, super thin filaments filled with tiny blood vessels. When water flows over the gills, oxygen from the water slips into those blood vessels, and carbon dioxide from the fish's blood gets released into the water. It's kind of like a two way exchange.
00;36;38;24 - 00;36;52;28
Speaker 1
Can you go into this in detail? Maybe 2 or 3000 words about how the oxygen comes out of water?
00;36;53;01 - 00;37;13;10
Speaker 2
All right, so let's dive deeper into how gills work and how they extract oxygen from water. Imagine a gill like a really thin, feathery sheet packed with tiny blood vessels. When a fish opens its mouth and sucks in water, that water rushes over the gill filaments. Now, these filaments are so thin that oxygen molecules can actually pass through them from the water into the blood vessels.
00;37;13;18 - 00;37;32;26
Speaker 2
It's kind of like tiny doors that only oxygen can flip through. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide, which is a waste product for the fish, moves in the opposite direction. It leaves the blood vessels and heads into the water. So the gills are basically acting like a filter, pulling oxygen out of the water and dumping in carbon dioxide. The cool thing about gills is that they have a huge surface area.
00;37;33;00 - 00;37;50;23
Speaker 2
Although tiny filaments add up to a massive amount of space for oxygen to pass through. This makes them super efficient at grabbing as much oxygen as possible from the water. Now there's something else that makes this process even more effective. Something called counter current flow. Basically, the blood in the gill filaments is flowing in the opposite direction of the water.
00;37;50;29 - 00;38;09;26
Speaker 2
This creates a constant difference in oxygen levels, which keeps the oxygen moving from the water into the blood the whole time. It's like having a built in pump that helps the oxygen transfer happen faster. So to sum it up, gills are amazing organs that use a huge surface area and a clever flow system to suck oxygen out of the water and deliver it to a fish's bloodstream.
00;38;10;00 - 00;38;17;11
Speaker 2
It's a truly elegant solution to the problem of breathing underwater.
00;38;17;13 - 00;38;32;18
Speaker 1
And this is pulling oh two. That's in like solution with the water out. Not actually like splitting the water molecules or anything like that.
00;38;32;21 - 00;38;50;19
Speaker 2
That's right. You don't break water molecules apart. They just take advantage of the fact that water contains a bunch of dissolved oxygen. It's kind of like how your lungs pull oxygen out of the air. The oxygen molecules slip through the membranes in your lungs and into your bloodstream.
00;38;50;22 - 00;39;06;06
Speaker 1
Yeah. How do human lungs know how to only absorb oxygen? Or do they absorb, like, the nitrogen and other gases in the air as well?
00;39;06;09 - 00;39;25;18
Speaker 2
That's a great question. The short answer is that our lungs don't really know how to only absorb oxygen. It's more about the way gases behave. You see, our lungs are made up of tiny little sacs called alveoli. These alveoli are surrounded by tiny blood vessels. When you breathe in oxygen from the air you inhale passes through the walls of the alveoli and into your bloodstream.
00;39;25;21 - 00;39;43;28
Speaker 2
But here's the thing other gases, like nitrogen, also try to pass through. So why doesn't all the nitrogen get absorbed too? It's all about the size of the molecules and how badly they want to be in the bloodstream. Oxygen molecules are just the right size to slip through the walls of the alveoli easily. And our bodies really need oxygen.
00;39;44;01 - 00;39;54;22
Speaker 2
So we get snapped up quickly by our blood. Nitrogen molecules are a little bigger and our bodies don't need them for most of it just passes right through and gets exhaled again. Does that make sense?
00;39;54;24 - 00;39;58;24
Speaker 1
Yeah, pretty much.
00;39;58;27 - 00;40;18;25
Speaker 2
All right. So let's talk about how these differences between sharks and bony fish have shaped their evolution. To start that constant swimming for sharks has both pros and cons. On one hand, it means sharks are always ready to chase down prey. They don't have to waste energy getting up to speed. But on the flip side, it costs them energy all the time, even when they're not actively hunting.
00;40;19;00 - 00;40;35;27
Speaker 2
Bony fish with their swim bladders and more efficient gills have a bit more flexibility. They can conserve energy by staying still, which is especially helpful when food is scarce. Plus, the swim bladder gives them more control over their position in the water, which can be really useful for things like ambushing prey or hanging out in a specific spot.
00;40;36;02 - 00;40;57;18
Speaker 2
Now there's one more thing that sets sharks apart their skeletons. That cartilaginous skeleton is lighter than bone, which helps sharks stay streamlined and fast. But it's also a lot less sturdy. Bony fish have a stronger frame, which has allowed them to evolve into a wider variety of shapes and sizes. So the differences in how these two groups breathe, and how their bodies are built have led to some really interesting evolutionary paths.
00;40;57;21 - 00;41;11;20
Speaker 2
Sharks are the ultimate predators built for speed and power. Bony fish are more diverse, with some species evolving for speed, some for camouflage, and others for life. On the bottom of the ocean.
00;41;11;23 - 00;41;17;18
Speaker 1
What's the biggest shark that ever existed?
00;41;17;21 - 00;41;34;20
Speaker 2
The biggest shark that ever existed is the megalodon. It lived millions of years ago and it was absolutely massive. We're talking about a shark that could grow up to 60ft long. To put it in perspective, that's longer than a school. But we don't have complete megalodon skeletons. But we can figure out how big they were by looking at their teeth.
00;41;34;28 - 00;41;44;13
Speaker 2
They're huge. Some of them as big as your hand. Scientists use the size of the teeth to estimate how big the whole shark was.
00;41;44;15 - 00;41;48;25
Speaker 1
What about the smallest shark?
00;41;48;27 - 00;42;03;00
Speaker 2
The smallest shark is the dwarf lantern shark. It's tiny, only growing to about eight inches long. You could hold one in the palm of your hand. They live really deep down in the ocean. So we don't know a ton about them.
00;42;03;03 - 00;42;08;02
Speaker 1
Tell me what you do know. Please.
00;42;08;05 - 00;42;26;25
Speaker 2
The dwarf lantern shark is a super tiny shark, only about eight inches long when fully grown. They have these cool light organs all over their body that help them blend in with the sunlight coming from above. We think they probably eat tiny shrimp and other small stuff that they find in the deep ocean. The biggest mystery with these sharks is that we don't see them very often.
00;42;26;26 - 00;42;35;16
Speaker 2
We only have a few specimens, so there's a lot we don't know about how they live.
00;42;35;18 - 00;42;45;11
Speaker 1
Okay, so what was the, asteroid explosion that killed all the dinosaurs?
00;42;45;13 - 00;43;08;25
Speaker 2
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was a massive space rock that slammed into Earth about 66 million years ago. Scientists call it the Loeb impactor, and it left behind a huge crater in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The asteroid was about six miles wide, and when it hit, it unleashed a force powerful enough to cause widespread devastation. It's thought that the impact triggered massive earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
00;43;09;01 - 00;43;24;25
Speaker 2
The dust and debris thrown into the atmosphere blocked out the sun for months, maybe even years, causing global temperatures to plummet. It was a perfect storm of destruction that wiped out the dinosaurs and a whole bunch of other plants and animals.
00;43;24;28 - 00;43;41;21
Speaker 1
Can you go into detail what it would have been like for shark living underwater at the time of this impact?
00;43;41;24 - 00;44;01;21
Speaker 2
Imagine you're a shark just cruising along in the ancient ocean, going about your business. Suddenly there's this massive explosion way off in the distance. It would have been like a really loud clap of thunder, but underwater, depending on how far away you were, it might have felt like a shockwave. Kind of like getting bumped into really hard. After the initial shock, things would start to get really weird.
00;44;01;26 - 00;44;16;25
Speaker 2
The water could get all muddy and dark, especially if you were closer to the impact. It would be hard to see anything, and there might be all sorts of strange debris floating around. Now, the good news for sharks is that they're built to handle some pretty rough conditions, but even for them, this would have been a major change.
00;44;16;29 - 00;44;35;04
Speaker 2
Their normal hunting pattern would be all messed up, and finding food could get a lot tougher. Plus, with all that chaos, there's a higher chance of getting injured or even eaten by another predator. It would have taken a long time for things to settle down. The ocean would have been a totally different place for a while.
00;44;35;06 - 00;44;44;03
Speaker 1
What kind of sized waves would this asteroid impact have caused?
00;44;44;05 - 00;45;00;24
Speaker 2
The asteroid impact would have triggered a truly massive tsunami. Why just estimate the initial wave could have been as high as a half mile, or even higher in the area close to where the asteroid hit. That wave would have traveled across the ocean, getting smaller as it went, but it would still been absolutely gigantic for a long distance.
00;45;01;01 - 00;45;13;08
Speaker 2
To put it in perspective, think about the biggest tsunami we've seen in recent history. That would have been just a tiny ripple compared to what the asteroid impact created.
00;45;13;10 - 00;45;31;16
Speaker 1
That is. I can't even picture it. Can you? Can you give me some kind of scale that would make me be able to picture what, a half mile tall tsunami looks like?
00;45;31;19 - 00;45;48;29
Speaker 2
All right, so a half mile is pretty tall, especially when you're talking about a wave. To give you an idea. The average cruise ship is about 100ft tall. So this wave would be about five cruise ships stacked on top of each other. And that's just the initial wave. It would be even taller, closer to the impact zone.
00;45;49;02 - 00;45;55;09
Speaker 1
The length of five cruise ships stacked on each other.
00;45;55;12 - 00;46;19;29
Speaker 2
You're absolutely right, I misspoke. A half mile is the height of the wave, not the length. So to get a better picture of the scale, imagine five cruise ships stacked on top of each other. And that's how tall the wave would be. The length of the wave would have been much longer, but the height gives you a sense of its sheer power.
00;46;20;02 - 00;46;24;25
Speaker 1
Did you say a half mile high?
00;46;24;27 - 00;46;37;08
Speaker 2
Yes. You're absolutely right. I misspoke. The wave would have been about a half mile high. That's about 2640ft tall. It's hard to even imagine something that big.
00;46;37;10 - 00;46;43;04
Speaker 1
Help me imagine that.
00;46;43;07 - 00;46;59;29
Speaker 2
Okay. Try this. Imagine the tallest building you can think of. Maybe something like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. That building is about 2700ft tall. Now imagine that building is completely underwater, with only its very top sticking out of the ocean. That's about how high the wave would have been.
00;47;00;03 - 00;47;09;19
Speaker 1
I don't know, I've never seen that building. What about the Empire State Building? How many Empire State Building is tall?
00;47;09;22 - 00;47;32;08
Speaker 2
The Empire State Building is about 1250ft tall. So we're talking about a wave that's more than twice as tall as the Empire State Building. It would be absolutely massive. Way bigger than anything we see today.
00;47;32;11 - 00;47;39;10
Speaker 1
And so there is probably sharks surfing this wave.
00;47;39;13 - 00;47;56;05
Speaker 2
Well, there probably weren't any humans around to go surfing back then. But the idea of sharks riding those massive waves is pretty cool. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that kind of chaos. But it would have been a crazy sight to see.
00;47;56;07 - 00;48;00;14
Speaker 1
That's pretty wild.
00;48;00;17 - 00;48;16;07
Speaker 1
Tell me what life was like for these sharks and other aquatic animals after the explosion. Without really any.
00;48;16;08 - 00;48;35;06
Speaker 2
Imagine you're a shark. Just trying to survive in the aftermath of this massive asteroid impact. The world's gone dark. The water's probably freezing cold, and there's all sorts of weird stuff floating around. Who's going to be really hard to find? And there's probably a lot of injured and dying animals that could be dangerous. Sharks that live in the deeper parts of the ocean might have had a slightly easier time.
00;48;35;09 - 00;48;53;12
Speaker 2
The changes wouldn't have been as drastic down there, but even for them, life would have been a struggle. It would have taken a long time for the dust to settle, and for the food chain to start recovering. The smaller sharks and those that could eat a wider variety of things, probably had a better chance of surviving. It would have been a tough road for everyone, and a lot of species probably didn't make it.
00;48;53;15 - 00;49;02;24
Speaker 2
But sharks are survivors and some of them definitely pulled through.
00;49;02;26 - 00;49;11;28
Speaker 1
How long would it have taken the dust from the impact to settle?
00;49;12;00 - 00;49;29;08
Speaker 2
It's hard to say exactly how long the dust would have taken to settle, but scientists estimate it could have blocked out the sun for months, maybe even a couple of years. It would have been a really long, dark winter for the planet, even after the thickest of the dust settled. It would have taken a long time for the atmosphere to clear up completely.
00;49;29;10 - 00;49;37;04
Speaker 1
And so did that induce like, an instant ice age?
00;49;37;07 - 00;50;04;13
Speaker 2
Yeah, the asteroid impact definitely would have caused a massive drop in temperature. Think of it like a really long, really cold winter. It wouldn't have been an instant freeze, but the cooling effect would have been dramatic and lasted for a while. The good news is that eventually the dust would have settled and things would have fully started to warm up again, but it would have taken a long time for the planet to fully recover.
00;50;10;15 - 00;50;19;00
Speaker 1
Tell me, some things that you think are really cool about sharks.
00;50;19;03 - 00;50;40;22
Speaker 2
Sharks are seriously cool animals. First off, they're basically living fossils. Some sharks have been swimming around in the ocean for hundreds of millions of years. Way before dinosaurs even existed. That kind of longevity is pretty amazing. Another thing I like is their incredible sense of smell. Sharks have this amazing ability to track down prey from miles away, just by picking up tiny traces of blood or other chemicals in the water.
00;50;40;25 - 00;50;54;07
Speaker 2
It's like they have a built in super sniffer. Also, those teeth sharks go through a ton of teeth in their lifetime and they have multiple rows ready to go. It's like they've got a built in conveyor belt of chompers.
00;50;54;09 - 00;51;02;20
Speaker 1
Can you go into depth? Maybe 2000 words on their sense of smell?
00;51;02;23 - 00;51;25;17
Speaker 2
All right, so let's dive deep into the incredible world of shark noses. Sharks are often called swimming noses for a reason. Their sense of smell is off the charts. Imagine if sharks have two nostrils, one on each side of their snout. Water flows into one nostril carrying all those yummy smells with it. Inside the nostril, there's this super sensitive patch of tissue called the olfactory epithelium.
00;51;25;20 - 00;51;42;26
Speaker 2
It's loaded with millions of scent receptors like tiny antennas that pick up on every little width. Now here's where it gets really cool. Sharks can actually figure out where smell is coming from as the water flows through their nostrils. They can scent slight differences in the strength of the scent on each side. It's kind of like having two ears except for smell.
00;51;43;01 - 00;51;59;09
Speaker 2
This helps them track down prey with incredible accuracy, but it doesn't stop there. Sharks can smell stuff we can't even imagine. They can detect a single drop of blood in a million drops of water. That's like being able to smell a single grain of salt in an Olympic sized swimming pool. And they can do this from hundreds of yards away.
00;51;59;12 - 00;52;19;08
Speaker 2
The sense of smell is crucial for everything a shark does finding food, tracking down a mate, sensing danger. It all starts with their nose. Think about it. If you were a shark, you could smell a wounded fish struggling way out on the other side of a coral reef. That's a serious advantage when it comes to survival. So next time you're at the beach and you smell that salty ocean air.
00;52;19;08 - 00;52;28;07
Speaker 2
Remember the sharks? They're getting a whole lot more information from those smells than you are.
00;52;28;09 - 00;53;04;19
Speaker 1
Okay, so how does that even work? Because I always assumed that smell was like you are breathing in particles and stuff like that. But if you can smell one drop of blood in a million drops of water from a hundred yards away, is that because the blood has traveled that distance, or the smell will give off some kind of, something?
00;53;04;22 - 00;53;25;29
Speaker 2
You're absolutely right. It's not like the blood itself is traveling that whole distance. It's the scent molecules released by the blood that sharks are picking up. Imagine that when there's a drop of blood in the water, it starts to break down into tiny little pieces. These pieces really scent molecules that float around in the water. Sharks have this incredible ability to sense those molecules even when they're super far apart.
00;53;26;05 - 00;53;43;12
Speaker 2
Think of it like this. If you spray perfume in one corner of a room, you can eventually smell it in the other corner, right? It's the same idea with sharks and scent molecules in the water. The molecules spread out and the shark's amazing nose can pick up on them from a long distance away.
00;53;43;14 - 00;53;57;20
Speaker 1
So their noses are picking up actual or scent molecules, blood molecules, or scent molecules. Something different.
00;53;57;22 - 00;54;19;23
Speaker 2
Sharks aren't smelling the blood molecules themselves. Instead, they're picking up scent molecules released by the blood. Think of it like when you smell something burning, you're not breathing an actual pieces of the burnt food, but molecules released by the burning process. It's the same with sharks. Those scent molecules travel through the water, and the shark's incredible nose can detect them from a very long distance.
00;54;19;25 - 00;54;30;07
Speaker 1
So when you smell like smoke or something like that, you're not actually breathing in the smoke. Specifically.
00;54;30;10 - 00;54;43;05
Speaker 2
Yep. That's right. When you smell something like smoke, you're actually breathing in molecules released by the fire. Those molecules are so small you can't see them, but your nose is sensitive enough to pick them up.
00;54;43;07 - 00;54;59;10
Speaker 1
Okay, so on a molecular level, like blood. Like what is blood? I guess blood has cells, and it's not really. That's just crazy.
00;54;59;13 - 00;55;16;27
Speaker 2
Blood is a bit more complex than just cells floating around. It's actually made up of two main parts plasma and blood cells. Plasma is the liquid part of blood. It's kind of like a yellowy colored water with all sorts of stuff floating in it. You've got proteins that help blood clot, nutrients for your body's cells, and waste products that need to be got rid of.
00;55;17;04 - 00;55;39;15
Speaker 2
Now, the blood cells are the cool part. There are three main types red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells are the workhorses carrying oxygen around your body. White blood cells are like your body's army fighting off infections, and platelets are the helpers that form scabs when you get a cut. So when a shark smells blood, it's picking up on molecules released from this whole complex mixture.
00;55;39;18 - 00;55;46;22
Speaker 2
It's not just smelling the cells themselves.
00;55;46;24 - 00;55;53;28
Speaker 1
If you could be any shark, which one would you be?
00;55;54;00 - 00;56;11;20
Speaker 2
If I could be any shark, I'd want to be a great white. They're the ultimate ocean predators with that perfect balance of size, speed, and strength. Plus, everyone knows who the great white shark is. There's something really cool about being an iconic animal.
00;56;11;23 - 00;56;21;13
Speaker 1
Go deeper into that. I want to hear your thoughts on it.
00;56;21;16 - 00;56;40;09
Speaker 2
All right, so if I could be a great white, it wouldn't just be about the cool factor. There's a lot of practical stuff to consider. First off, being at the top of the food chain would be pretty sweet. I wouldn't have to worry about anything bigger trying to eat me. I could basically roam the ocean. Picking my meals from a menu would feel sea lions and maybe even the occasional whale.
00;56;40;13 - 00;56;59;10
Speaker 2
But it's not all sunshine and sealskin. Being a big apex predator means you need a huge hunting range. I'd be talking migrating thousands of miles, following my prey wherever they go. That kind of lifestyle takes serious stamina and a good sense of direction. And let's not forget about the whole human fascination thing. As a great white, I'd be constantly in the spotlight.
00;56;59;17 - 00;57;16;26
Speaker 2
Scientists would be tracking my every move, and I'd always be that risk of getting caught up in fishing gear or worse, getting hunted myself. So yeah, being a great white would be awesome in a lot of ways, but it's not without its challenges. It'd be a life of constant movement, always searching for the next meal and dealing with the pressure of being the ocean's biggest star.
00;57;20;27 - 00;57;25;01
Speaker 1
All right. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
00;57;25;04 - 00;57;36;15
Speaker 2
I'd say that being a great white would be a thrilling adventure. You'd get to experience the ocean in a way most creatures never could. And there's something undeniable cool about being at the top of the food chain.
00;57;36;17 - 00;57;44;13
Speaker 1
No, just about sharks or aquatic life, or ancient aquatic life in general.
00;57;44;16 - 00;58;03;01
Speaker 2
Well, ancient aquatic life with a whole different world. Sharks were just one part of the story. Back then you had giant sea scorpions, armored fish with bony plates, and those super weird looking creatures that make you wonder what the heck nature was thinking. There's something really fascinating about that early stage of evolution, where everything was still figuring itself out.
00;58;03;05 - 00;58;08;23
Speaker 2
It makes you appreciate how far life has come.
00;58;08;26 - 00;58;19;01
Speaker 1
All right, give us one more cool, interesting thing about ancient aquatic life before we sign off.
00;58;19;03 - 00;58;32;22
Speaker 2
Okay, here's one last bit of ancient aquatic weirdness. Imagine an ocean where the top predators aren't sharks or whales, but giant sea scorpions. These things were the size of cars with clubs bigger than your head. They were the old hey, Gemini.
00;58;32;22 - 00;58;33;23
Speaker 1
I'm interrupted. Just goes.
00;58;33;23 - 00;58;35;22
Speaker 2
To show you how wild and unpredictable.
00;58;35;22 - 00;58;37;04
Speaker 1
The history writer can.
00;58;37;04 - 00;58;39;12
Speaker 2
Be.
00;58;39;15 - 00;58;41;04
Speaker 1
You already told me. No worry about what's.
00;58;41;04 - 00;58;41;21
Speaker 2
On your mind.
00;58;41;22 - 00;58;47;19
Speaker 1
You already told us about the giant sea scorpions. It's got gotta be something different.
00;58;47;21 - 00;58;58;26
Speaker 2
All right, how about this? Imagine these giant sea scorpions. But instead of just being scary, they're downright bizarre. Picture them with multiple eyes. Someone stalks that stick way out from their heads. Or maybe they have these crazy.
00;58;59;00 - 00;59;00;26
Speaker 1
And I am in awe of them.
00;59;00;26 - 00;59;05;13
Speaker 1
Like a really creepy with no worries. What's on your mind?
00;59;05;16 - 00;59;19;06
Speaker 2
All right. You to tell me one more cool or interesting thing that fascinates you about ancient aquatic life? And it can't be about ancient sea scorpions.
00;59;19;08 - 00;59;44;10
Speaker 1
All right, here's another one. Have you ever heard of the Dunkley of teeth? It's this ancient armored fish that looks like something out of a nightmare. They had this super powerful bite. Way stronger than anything alive today. Imagine a fish that could bite through armored cars. That's the kind of power Dunkley octopus had. It's mind boggling to think about how strong.
00;59;44;13 - 00;59;49;05
Speaker 2
Gemini, can you pick up where you left off?
00;59;49;08 - 01;00;13;12
Speaker 1
Right. So imagine this giant armored fish with a bite so powerful it could probably snap a car in half. But here's the really cool part. They didn't even have properties. Instead, they had these sharp, bony plates that acted like shears, made open their mouth really wide, creating suction, and then snap it shut, shredding their prey. It's like a prehistoric vacuum cleaner of death.
01;00;13;14 - 01;00;19;21
Speaker 2
That's pretty crazy. All right. I think I'm out for the night.
01;00;19;24 - 01;00;22;08
Speaker 1
No problem. Sleep well.