Jessica Young

She's at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

She's at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

There's also accounts of squirrels eating like roadkill or insects. But what's new here is that they've documented the whole process from start to finish with video, the hunt, the kill, and then the consumption. And they've shown that this isn't just like a one-off, but part of these squirrels' behavior.

There's also accounts of squirrels eating like roadkill or insects. But what's new here is that they've documented the whole process from start to finish with video, the hunt, the kill, and then the consumption. And they've shown that this isn't just like a one-off, but part of these squirrels' behavior.

There's also accounts of squirrels eating like roadkill or insects. But what's new here is that they've documented the whole process from start to finish with video, the hunt, the kill, and then the consumption. And they've shown that this isn't just like a one-off, but part of these squirrels' behavior.

Yeah. And Jennifer said the next big thing is to find out like how these squirrels learn this behavior. Are they teaching each other? Does this abundance of vole meat like lead to more squirrel babies? There's like so much to explore.

Yeah. And Jennifer said the next big thing is to find out like how these squirrels learn this behavior. Are they teaching each other? Does this abundance of vole meat like lead to more squirrel babies? There's like so much to explore.

Yeah. And Jennifer said the next big thing is to find out like how these squirrels learn this behavior. Are they teaching each other? Does this abundance of vole meat like lead to more squirrel babies? There's like so much to explore.

Why is that? So there's a few reasons. One researcher said that the time period is just less studied. And also, it's generally harder for organisms from this time to become fossils because their bodies were so soft and they had no shells, no skeletons.

Why is that? So there's a few reasons. One researcher said that the time period is just less studied. And also, it's generally harder for organisms from this time to become fossils because their bodies were so soft and they had no shells, no skeletons.

Why is that? So there's a few reasons. One researcher said that the time period is just less studied. And also, it's generally harder for organisms from this time to become fossils because their bodies were so soft and they had no shells, no skeletons.

Interesting. How's he doing that? So Xu Haixiao and his team use the existing fossil record, even though it's small, as a sample of all the species at different times in history.

Interesting. How's he doing that? So Xu Haixiao and his team use the existing fossil record, even though it's small, as a sample of all the species at different times in history.

Interesting. How's he doing that? So Xu Haixiao and his team use the existing fossil record, even though it's small, as a sample of all the species at different times in history.

So from this small number of fossil samples, they can make some big picture inferences about the history of life on Earth. Okay, that makes sense. Tell us what they found.

So from this small number of fossil samples, they can make some big picture inferences about the history of life on Earth. Okay, that makes sense. Tell us what they found.

So from this small number of fossil samples, they can make some big picture inferences about the history of life on Earth. Okay, that makes sense. Tell us what they found.

And they also found that like right after the Boring Billion, there are ice ages that were followed by super rapid species turnover and like a boom of diversity, which has made Xu Hai wonder if ice ages reset evolution.

And they also found that like right after the Boring Billion, there are ice ages that were followed by super rapid species turnover and like a boom of diversity, which has made Xu Hai wonder if ice ages reset evolution.

And they also found that like right after the Boring Billion, there are ice ages that were followed by super rapid species turnover and like a boom of diversity, which has made Xu Hai wonder if ice ages reset evolution.