00:00Let's start with the theory generally accepted, according to which a gigantic asteroid would have led to the extinction of dinosaurs.
00:07This hypothesis, however, leads us to wonder why the mammals, them, survived.
00:12An explanation could be that they were better adapted.
00:16Although they were not the dominant creatures of the time, the mammals presented a great diversity.
00:22They multiplied into a wide range of species, which could have contributed to their preservation.
00:29Some say that the mammals survived because of their small size, which allowed them to need less resources.
00:36Having had to constantly hide from dinosaurs, they had learned to live in hostile environments long before the impact.
00:43But let's assume for a moment that the asteroid never happened, and that the environment conducive to dinosaurs has never been disturbed.
00:51It is then obvious that the fauna we know today would be very different.
00:55Let's take the powerful titanosaur.
00:58It is considered the largest terrestrial animal to have existed.
01:02Some specimens, reaching equivalent lengths, have about 7 cars put side by side.
01:08This colossus had such a long neck that it would have required a two-story house to shelter it.
01:13Its herbivorous diet allowed it to feed both on the ground and in the tallest trees.
01:19This left very little resources for a small animal like the juramaya, a contemporary mammal whose size did not exceed that of an ice stick.
01:27Let's push this exercise a little further and imagine that we had a machine that could go back in time to transport the current mammals to the era of dinosaurs.
01:36Some scientists advance that they have grown over time, which could give them some chance of survival, right?
01:43They have also evolved a lot in terms of diet and skills.
01:48However, others believe that they would have no chance of survival, because they remain too small to compete with dinosaurs.
01:55An adult tyrannosaur, for example, would reach the size of a bus.
02:00It would probably not take long to hunt a prey the size of a human.
02:04This predator would rather target comparable prey the size of a car, or even larger, like an elephant, and it would not take him long to dominate them.
02:13Of course, a t-rex could be satisfied with a more modest prey, but it would only be conceivable if it was hunted by the end and had no other alternative.
02:22If we were forced to send some mammals into the past hoping that they could survive, which candidate would we put on?
02:30Some think that the chimpanzee would be a good choice, because its primates build their nests high in the trees, which could protect them from terrestrial carnivorous dinosaurs.
02:41Although there is no solid evidence indicating that the dinosaurs themselves were able to fly, it is established that some reptiles moved in the air.
02:50This is the case of pterosaurs, or flying lizards.
02:53These creatures probably consumed mainly fish and small animals, but who could say that they would not try to catch a chimpanzee, if the opportunity presented itself?
03:02The hyena could also be a good choice.
03:04Today, the Tachedy hyena is the largest carnivore in Africa, and it shows great adaptability.
03:11It can hunt a wide variety of prey, alone or in groups, and is able to digest most of its victims, including skin and bones.
03:21These animals are not demanding in terms of food, and do not hesitate to consume parts that others would avoid willingly.
03:28They can even eat fruits if necessary.
03:31Overall, hyenas are animals as robust as coryas.
03:36Some studies show that they are rarely subject to health problems.
03:41However, like all living beings, hyenas have their own weaknesses.
03:45It is still unknown why they are no longer present in Europe, although some research suggests that they struggle to coexist with humans and wolves.
03:54In addition, they are not particularly adapted to the forest environment.
03:59Orcs could also have coexisted with dinosaurs.
04:03These creatures have no natural predators, which means that they are compared to sea wolves, because they hunt in groups in the same way that wolves track their prey.
04:13Although orcs are related to dolphins, they can hardly be called friendly.
04:19It has been found that they have already sunk ships.
04:22Intentionally.
04:24These are animals of remarkable intelligence, which evolve in groups in an organized way.
04:30They also tend to capture more prey than is necessary for their survival.
04:34This could be explained by a need for training.
04:37Other theories advance that their intelligence would allow them to seek food in anticipation, even when they are not hungry.
04:45It could also be that they are demanding, and are always looking for the most nutritious prey when the desire to eat is felt.
04:52However, the global temperature of the time of dinosaurs could prevent them from surviving.
04:57During the Mesozoic era, the earth was much warmer, with several degrees more than today.
05:03Although orcs prefer to live in cold waters, they are nevertheless found in all oceans and in most seas.
05:10Ostriches, on the other hand, seem an obvious choice.
05:13Just look at them, they look practically like dinosaurs.
05:17They even have a distant cousin of the Cretaceous, the Struthiomimus, whose name means similar to an ostrich.
05:24Because of its powerful and fast legs, its agility and feathers.
05:29However, they would risk not being able to defend themselves against larger dinosaurs.
05:34The vegetation of the Mesozoic era, dominated by conifers, would also have been very different.
05:40However, ostriches, known for their food selectivity, would probably have had difficulties finding their food at this time.
05:47There would be many reasons to send felines into this machine to go back in time.
05:52Thus, during the Jurassic, they would have had access to numerous prey moving slowly, as well as countless hiding places in dense vegetation.
06:01Felines, with their discretion, their sharp sight and their ability to climb, could have exploited these advantages.
06:09Some have an impressive strength for their size, which makes them formidable fighters.
06:15Lions, due to their speed and their ability to hunt in groups, would be a good candidate.
06:20By working in concert, they could probably attack modest-sized dinosaurs, such as the Europasaurus.
06:26As for leopards, their talent for climbing trees would allow them to capture their prey and put themselves in high shelter, far from the most imposing predators.
06:35However, their main obstacle would be, once again, the temperature.
06:40At this time, the heat was considerably more intense, and today's large mammals are not made to resist such conditions.
06:48Although lions currently reign on the savannah, this extreme climate would be too much for them.
06:54Finally, if they tried to hunt a herbivore with a spiny tail, such as the Togiangosaurus or the Stegosaurus,
07:02they could well be surprised.
07:04A single tail strike from these creatures, endowed with formidable power, could inflict fatal injuries on them.
07:10Not to mention the possible confrontations with raptors, or with the frightening Saurofaganax.
07:16The animal that would undoubtedly have the best chance of cohabiting with dinosaurs is the Ornithorhynchus.
07:21This curious Australian mammal, one of the rare to lay eggs, is a lover of fresh water and is almost like a living relic.
07:29Scientists have managed to trace its origins back to about 120 million years ago.
07:34To feed, the Ornithorhynchus uses its sensitive beak to catch shrimp and worms underwater.
07:40When it dives, skin folds cover its eyes and ears, making it temporarily blind and deaf.
07:46But it continues to use its beak as a sophisticated radar.
07:50An adult Ornithorhynchus can swallow up to half its weight in one night.
07:55Researchers have known for a long time that it shares various traits with reptiles,
07:59including its homoplates and its reproductive mode with vipers.
08:03Other creatures that coexisted with dinosaurs have survived to this day, but without including mammals.
08:10Snakes, cockroaches and bees all date from this prehistoric era.
08:15Some species of sharks are even considered to be older than dinosaurs.
08:20And if we consider the whole history of our planet, we will see that they have survived 4 of the 5 mass extinctions.
08:27As for mammals, they are nicknamed living fossils because of their extremely slow evolution.
08:34This is not due to a lack of resources, but because they found their ideal form very early on,
08:40and therefore did not need to adapt further.
08:43They have a rudimentary immune system, but which seems remarkably effective.
08:49It is not surprising that it has remained practically unchanged for more than 400 million years.
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