When Amphibians Were Earth's Main Source Of Nightmare Fuel

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ExtinctZoo 26 min 8 chapters transcribed 15 days ago

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Why were amphibians once the most terrifying predators on Earth?

Unknown 0:00

Within the animal kingdom, there are some creatures that by name alone makes you instantly think danger. I mean, just imagine being stranded in nature and hearing that one of the following is chasing you: a bear, a shark, a big cat, a croc, etc. etc. Your palms would become sweaty, knees weak, and your arms heavy. Perhaps vomit on your sweater already,

0:20

mom

Unknown 0:20

spaghetti. No, but seriously, you'd automatically start panicking. Even though all All I said was bear, shark, whatever, not the specific species. On the contrary, in the same situation, there are also certain animals that would cause no fear of it. Such as being told a rabbit, beaver, hamster, or some amphibian was chasing you. Yet the irony is that one of these animals I just named, while not being known as deadly today, was once upon a time by far the worst thing you could run into. And likely based on the title, you'll know that I'm talking about amphibians. Yep. Once upon a time, Kermit's ancestors were the deadliest things around. But what exactly is an amphibian? Now obviously, I'm sure that you know frogs, toads, and salamanders are all amphibians, yet few can actually fully define them.

Unknown 1:05

The old idea was that a creature who spends half its life in water, and half on land, fits the bill. But this is outdated. Instead, they're generally regarded as cold-blooded, four-limbed, and anamniotic vertebrates that make up their own basic animal group. The amphibia, with the other groups being mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and invertebrates. Many amphibians share common traits, like a distinct life cycle and thin, porous, permeable skin. But like any group, there are exceptions to the rules. And today they are represented by over 9,000 different species found across the entire world and on all continents, barring Antarctica. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, this makes them even more diverse.

Unknown 1:44

than ourselves, mammals. Yet admittedly, they don't really reach where we do on the food chain. Whenever you think about apex predators, an amphibian isn't what you necessarily picture. But if you dial the clock back, the story becomes a different one. Only thing is, this clock has to be in prime condition. Because we've got to turn it way back.

What defines an amphibian and how does modern classification differ from the old “half‑water, half‑land” view?

Unknown 2:04

Way, way, as in hundreds of millions of years, as the rule of amphibians began not just before the ice age, but even before the dinosaurs, with the beginning of this story starting during the Carboniferous. Over 350 million years ago. Thanks to various media, this period has garnered quite a lot of attention in recent years, which honestly isn't so surprising considering just how bizarre the Earth was during it. At the time, the supercontinent of Pangaea hadn't yet formed, but its arrival was imminent, with increased tectonic activity bringing the land masses ever closer. What was truly unique about this period though wasn't something you would see on a map. You had to be on the ground to truly understand, as that is when you would notice that one kind of environment was seemingly everywhere.

Unknown 2:46

Swamps. Today swamps cover just 6% of the planet's surface. But back then, they counted for much more, let's say, which is essentially a result of the right factors lining up at the same time, with much of the land being extremely low-lying, expansive. Humid and warm, while then sea levels at the start of the period were rising, leading to much of these lands being flooded by warm seas. While separately, rivers bringing water down from the surrounding mountains would also then flood these plains, essentially turning the lands into one giant soup, and therefore priming it for the formation of vast, moist swamps, which are now known as coal swamps, that covered large swathes of the equatorial regions.

Unknown 3:23

And if you track through any swamps today, You'll know they tend to be great for bugs, creepy crawlies, and then of course, amphibians, who benefit from the abundance of safe places they create, food provided, and moistness, which keeps their eggs and skin nicely hydrated, no wrinkles for them. And so, with so much of the Earth being peak real estate for the group, amphibians, who had only evolved the period prior, they rapidly started to take over the planet, expanding across the continents and evolving at a blindingly fascinating.