- 1 day ago
New research is overturning long-held beliefs about dinosaurs, revealing they looked vastly different from our traditional image, while shedding light on why mammals, not dinosaurs, survived the catastrophic asteroid event. These findings offer fresh insights into Earth's ancient history and the forces that shaped life as we know it.
Category
đŸ˜¹
FunTranscript
00:01Well, it seems we got dinosaurs completely wrong.
00:05Plus, the movie's created an image of them that's hard to get out of the head now.
00:10You know what I'm talking about?
00:12Dinosaurs as giant lizards.
00:15I mean, lizards are cool.
00:17There's a type of lizard found in the streams of Costa Rica
00:19that can stay under the water for up to 16 minutes.
00:24They create a pocket of air at the top of their snout
00:27and breathe exhaled air while submerged.
00:31So-called horned lizards can spout blood out of their eyes,
00:34shooting it up to six feet.
00:36Poor lizard has to do it when it gets closer to the mouth of its attacker,
00:40since this bad taste makes a predator change their mind
00:43and go after some more delicious bites.
00:47Then there's the basculist lizard that can run over water
00:50while making its escape from bigger animals in the rainforest of Central America.
00:54They can do that for short distances,
00:57but still, it gets to rear up and rely on flaps of skin
01:01on the toes of its hind legs to have more surface area.
01:05Many types of lizards have had to develop such unusual adaptations,
01:10so they didn't become an easy, quick snack
01:12for snakes, coyotes, hawks, foxes, and other big animals going after them.
01:18They wouldn't have to do it if they had some giant cousins that would protect them.
01:22Like dinosaurs.
01:24But even though they look like gigantic scary lizards in the movies,
01:28it's not what you would see if you had the chance to go back to the dino age.
01:34You'd have to be aware and run if you saw feathery creatures instead.
01:38Feathers don't sound that scary,
01:40because birds are the only animals alive today that have them.
01:44But millions of years ago, it was a different story.
01:48Some of the most fearsome dinosaurs were covered in feathers, too,
01:52of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
01:55For example, check this fella, a cousin of the famous T-Rex.
02:00It was a scary predator that weighed one and a half tons
02:03and was covered in a shaggy coat of filaments,
02:06known as protofeathers.
02:08These feathers were not used for flying,
02:11but to stay warm or attract mates.
02:14Or take a velociraptor, for example.
02:17For so long, we've believed it's a sleek predator with the skin of a lizard.
02:22But it turns out it was a much smaller, colorful creature covered in feathers,
02:26like some sort of bird.
02:28Many of their dino relatives had pretty long feathers all over their forearms,
02:33together with downy feathers that were spread across the rest of the body.
02:37This works for most of the meat-eating dinosaurs or so-called theropods.
02:43There were tiny ones with a tail fan full of feathers
02:46or those with shiny feathers in a mix of colors.
02:50It was similar to a hummingbird.
02:52Maybe it wouldn't be that scary to face dinosaurs after all.
02:56Some of the fossils researchers found are well-preserved.
03:00In combination with modern techniques they used to study these fascinating creatures,
03:04they found out dinosaurs came in different colors.
03:09Archaeologists found some fossilized feathers together with fossils of melanosome structures.
03:14Those are pigments that gave them gray, brown, and black colors,
03:18like Ancyornis, whose body was almost entirely black.
03:22It's reminiscent of a bird with wings and fluffy tail feathers on his hind legs,
03:27together with a pretty long tail that could fan out.
03:30This fella had white stripes along its wings, too.
03:33It also had a brown headcrest.
03:36This one was perhaps there as a display or used to communicate with other Ancyornis dinosaurs.
03:43And check out this one!
03:46It also had a bristly tail and different markings on its body.
03:50Thanks to the fossils they found,
03:52researchers have been able to reconstruct the appearance of this dinosaur,
03:56giving it so many details.
03:59Not only did dinos look like birds,
04:01but they also behaved similarly to them.
04:04For example, they sat on their nests to protect their eggs
04:08and most likely used their feathers for displays.
04:12There was a discovery in Canada that revealed one type of dinosaur
04:16had a fleshy crest on its head, like a rooster's comb.
04:20Scientists think this crest was likely used as a way to attract a mate
04:24or show off to other dinosaurs.
04:27Then, there's the scariest of them all in the dinosaur kingdom,
04:31the T-Rex.
04:33Can you imagine this one in a birdie version?
04:37Also, you may have seen pictures of T-Rex with its big sharp teeth
04:41and its jaws wide open,
04:43kind of always ready to bite into its prey.
04:46But these images might be completely wrong.
04:50Some recent research tells us
04:51these top predators might have had something
04:54that we take for granted
04:55in almost all land animals today.
04:58Lips.
05:00Now, think about it.
05:01When you look at a crocodile or an alligator,
05:04you don't see any lips covering their teeth.
05:06So, everyone has always assumed
05:09that their prehistoric relatives,
05:11theropod dinosaurs,
05:12were the same way.
05:13Well, not quite.
05:16Researchers looked at fossilized dinosaur skulls
05:19and compared them to modern reptiles
05:22and found out these dinosaurs
05:24likely had soft tissue around their mouths
05:27that functioned like lips.
05:29Scientists learned this
05:30while studying small passageways
05:32in the upper jaws of dinosaur skulls,
05:35something called foramina.
05:37Foramina allows blood vessels and nerves
05:40to reach the soft tissues around the mouth.
05:42In lip reptiles, like lizards,
05:44these foramina are arranged in a line
05:47along the edge of the jaw near the teeth.
05:50Scientists examined the enamel of the teeth, too.
05:53When enamel dries out,
05:55it wears down more easily.
05:56The researchers found that
05:58the side of alligator teeth
06:00that is continuously exposed
06:02erodes more like the wetter side
06:04facing the inside of the mouth.
06:06However, in theropods like T. rex,
06:09the teeth have an even wear pattern.
06:11This tells us teeth were kept covered and moist.
06:16Based on this,
06:17scientists believe theropods
06:19with long, sharp teeth,
06:20like T. rex,
06:21could also close their mouths
06:23with their teeth inside.
06:25The teeth of theropods
06:27and monitor lizards
06:28are similar in size,
06:29and monitor lizards
06:31can close their mouths completely.
06:33Therefore,
06:34it's likely that theropods
06:35also had lips
06:36that allowed them
06:37to fully close their mouths.
06:39However,
06:40it's not known
06:41if they wore lipstick.
06:45Interestingly,
06:46the study also revealed
06:48a neat row of jaw foramina
06:50in a pretty cool extinct
06:51early cousin of crocodilians.
06:54Also,
06:55lips may have been present
06:56in the earliest archaeosaurs,
06:58a group of reptiles
06:59that gave rise to dinosaurs
07:01and crocodilians.
07:03Now,
07:03this might not seem like a big deal,
07:05but it truly changes
07:07how we think
07:07about how these dinosaurs ate.
07:10If they had lips,
07:12it's possible
07:13that they could have
07:14controlled their bites
07:15more precisely,
07:16and maybe even chewed their food
07:18instead of just tearing it apart.
07:21Some still believe differently,
07:23saying T. rex
07:24and other theropods
07:25had flat scales
07:26like crocodiles
07:27all the way down
07:28to the edges of their jaws.
07:30So,
07:31I guess the mystery
07:31of dinosaur lips continues.
07:35Now,
07:35you might be wondering,
07:36did sauropod dinosaurs
07:38like the titanosaur
07:39have feathers too?
07:42Some scientists believe
07:43all dinosaurs,
07:44including sauropods,
07:46had feathers.
07:47Just as you can see,
07:49all mammals
07:49have at least some hair.
07:51But big mammals,
07:53like elephants,
07:54have limited hair.
07:55So,
07:55it's possible
07:56that sauropods
07:57didn't have many feathers.
07:59Since feathers
08:00are something
08:00you'll stumble upon
08:01in a fossilized shape,
08:02the chances
08:03of finding those
08:04of sauropods
08:05or similar dinosaurs
08:07are definitely lower.
08:09Plus,
08:10there's a chance
08:11big dinosaurs
08:11that lived in warm weather
08:13didn't have feathers at all.
08:16Many of these
08:17feathered dinosaur fossils
08:19have been found in China.
08:20These fossils
08:22have helped us understand
08:23the transition
08:24from feathered dinosaurs
08:25to birds.
08:27Because birds
08:28could be the only animals
08:29that survived
08:30and are around today
08:31that are directly related
08:33to dinosaurs.
08:34Ooh,
08:35I wonder what happened here.
08:37It could be
08:38that some kinds
08:39of theropods
08:39started hiding
08:41in trees more
08:41while searching
08:42for food and protection.
08:43So,
08:44their bodies evolved
08:45to become even smaller
08:47to survive harsh conditions
08:48and dangerous predators
08:50lurking after them.
08:52But still,
08:53it's a transition
08:54from the most
08:55incredible predator
08:56the animal kingdom
08:57has seen
08:58to squawking chickens.
09:00Talk about
09:01how evolution
09:01mostly moves
09:02animals forward.
09:04Hey,
09:04stop it.
09:05I didn't mean it.
09:08Let's go
09:09with the widely
09:10accepted theory
09:11that a massive asteroid
09:12hitting our planet
09:13wiped out
09:14the dinosaurs.
09:15It does make you wonder
09:17why mammals
09:18made it, though.
09:19One idea
09:20is that mammals
09:20were better prepared.
09:22Back then,
09:23they weren't
09:23the most popular
09:24creatures on Earth,
09:25but they were
09:26pretty diverse.
09:27They bred themselves
09:29into a huge range
09:30of species,
09:31and it might have
09:32saved them.
09:33Some said mammals
09:34survived because
09:35they were smaller,
09:36so they needed
09:37fewer resources.
09:39As they had to
09:40constantly hide
09:41from dinosaurs,
09:42they managed to survive
09:43in difficult environments,
09:45way before the hit.
09:46But let's say
09:47the asteroid
09:48never came,
09:49and it never damaged
09:50the environment
09:51the dinosaurs thrived in.
09:52It's safe to say
09:54our fauna would look
09:55different today.
09:56Take the mighty
09:57titanosaur.
09:58It's considered
09:59the biggest land animal
10:00to ever exist,
10:02some reaching lengths
10:03of about seven
10:04standard cars
10:05lined up.
10:07It had a neck
10:08so long
10:08that it would have
10:09needed a two-story
10:10home just to fit.
10:12It also had
10:13a plant-based diet,
10:14so it ate from the ground,
10:16but from very tall
10:17trees, too.
10:18There was nothing
10:19much left to eat
10:20for, say,
10:21the little
10:21Jeremiah,
10:22a mammal that lived
10:24roughly at the same time,
10:25but was as small
10:27as a popsicle stick.
10:29Let's take this
10:30thought experiment
10:31a bit further
10:32and imagine
10:33we have a time machine
10:34that could transport
10:35today's mammals
10:36to the time
10:37of the dinosaurs.
10:38Some scientists say
10:39they have gotten bigger,
10:41so there's a chance
10:42they could survive,
10:43right?
10:44They're also
10:45much more evolved
10:46in terms of their
10:46diets and skills.
10:48Others say
10:49definitely not,
10:50they couldn't survive,
10:51mostly because
10:52they're too small
10:53to compete
10:54with dinosaurs.
10:55An adult T-Rex
10:56was just about
10:57the size of a bus.
10:59It probably
11:00wouldn't waste
11:01its time
11:01trying to capture
11:02food that's
11:03human-sized,
11:04for instance.
11:04They'd probably
11:05be on the lookout
11:06for prey
11:07the size of a car
11:08or even bigger,
11:09like an elephant,
11:11and it most likely
11:12wouldn't take them
11:13long to win the fight.
11:15Sure,
11:15a T-Rex
11:16might munch
11:17on something smaller,
11:18too,
11:18but only if
11:19it's really hungry
11:21and has no
11:21other alternative.
11:23If we had
11:24no choice
11:25but to send
11:26some mammals
11:26back in hopes
11:27they could survive,
11:29what would be
11:29our best bet?
11:31Some say
11:32the chimpanzee
11:33could be a good
11:34candidate,
11:35as these primates
11:36build their sleeping
11:37nests higher up
11:38in trees.
11:39This might have
11:40kept them safe
11:41from the carnivore
11:42dinosaurs living
11:43on land.
11:44There's no real
11:45evidence of dinosaurs
11:46being able to fly,
11:47but we do know
11:48there might have
11:49been some reptiles
11:50that took to the sky
11:51for transportation,
11:53like pterosaurs,
11:55the flying lizard.
11:56These ones like
11:57to eat fish
11:58and smaller animals,
11:59but who's to say
12:00they wouldn't pick up
12:01a chimpanzee
12:02given the opportunity?
12:04Another good candidate
12:05might be the hyena.
12:08Today,
12:08the spotted hyena
12:09is the most common
12:11big carnivore
12:11in Africa
12:12and it's highly adaptable.
12:14They can snatch up
12:15all sorts of prey
12:17by themselves
12:17or even in larger units.
12:19They can digest
12:21most parts of their prey,
12:22including the skin
12:23and bones.
12:25These animals
12:26aren't picky eaters
12:27and they wouldn't mind
12:28chewing on parts
12:29that other creatures
12:30would gladly skip on.
12:31Not to mention,
12:33they'll eat fruits too
12:34if needed.
12:35Hyenas are overall
12:37healthy and sturdy animals,
12:38with some studies showing
12:40they hardly ever
12:41get health problems.
12:42But, like any other animal
12:45on this planet,
12:45the hyenas
12:46also have their weaknesses.
12:48We still don't know
12:50why these creatures
12:51can't be found
12:52in Europe anymore.
12:53But, some research suggests
12:55they found it hard
12:56to coexist with humans
12:57and wolves.
12:59Also,
13:00they're not very adapted
13:01to living in forests.
13:04Orcas might have been able
13:05to rub elbows
13:06with the dinosaurs too.
13:07These creatures
13:08also don't have
13:10any natural predators,
13:11which earned them
13:12the nickname
13:12the wolves of the sea.
13:14That's because
13:15they go out
13:16looking for prey
13:17the same way wolves do,
13:18in groups.
13:20Orcas may be related
13:22to dolphins,
13:23but we can hardly
13:24call them friendly,
13:25as there have been
13:26cases of them
13:26sinking ships
13:27on purpose.
13:30They're highly intelligent
13:31animals that spend
13:32time together
13:33and are very organized.
13:35They also do this thing
13:37where they often
13:38take down more prey
13:39than they're prepared
13:40to eat.
13:41It may be because
13:42they see this experience
13:44as training.
13:45Other theories suggest
13:47orcas are so intelligent
13:49that they look for food
13:50in advance,
13:51even though they're
13:52not hungry yet.
13:53It might also be
13:55because whenever
13:56they want something
13:57to munch on,
13:57they're looking for
13:58the best quality food
14:00there is.
14:01The reason why
14:02they might not survive
14:03in the dinosaur era,
14:04though,
14:04is the global temperature.
14:07Back in the Mesozoic era,
14:09our planet was
14:10seriously hotter,
14:11several degrees warmer
14:12than it is today.
14:14Orcas prefer living
14:15in colder waters,
14:16but you'll find them
14:17in all oceans
14:19and most seas.
14:21Ostriches are
14:22the no-brainer answer.
14:24Look at them!
14:25They're practically dinosaurs.
14:27They even have
14:28a long-lost dino cousin
14:30that lived
14:30in the Cretaceous era,
14:32called the Struthiomimus.
14:34Its name translates
14:35to ostrich-like
14:37because of its
14:38similar powerful
14:39and speedy legs,
14:41agility,
14:41and even feathers.
14:42On the downside,
14:44they might not be able
14:45to take down
14:46larger dinosaurs.
14:47The vegetation
14:48back in the Mesozoic era
14:50would have been
14:50different too.
14:52Conifers used
14:53to dominate land,
14:54and ostriches
14:55are known
14:56to be pretty picky eaters,
14:57so they might have
14:58had a difficult time
14:59finding food back then.
15:02There are plenty
15:03of reasons
15:03to send felines
15:05through that time machine too.
15:07In the Jurassic period,
15:08for example,
15:09there were plenty
15:10of slow-moving prey
15:11to eat
15:12and tons of hiding spots
15:14in the thick bushes.
15:15Felines are sneaky animals,
15:18have precise vision,
15:19and are extremely good
15:21at climbing.
15:23Some pack a punch
15:24for their size,
15:25making them fierce fighters.
15:27Lions are good contenders
15:28because of their speed
15:29and teamwork.
15:31They might be able
15:32to take down
15:33some decent-sized dinosaurs,
15:34like the Europosaurus,
15:36when working together.
15:38Leopards are really good
15:40at climbing trees,
15:41so they could snatch prey
15:42and enjoy it above the ground,
15:44where they might be safe
15:45from bigger predators.
15:47What might be their downfall
15:49is, again,
15:50the temperature difference.
15:51It was considerably
15:52hotter back then.
15:54Today's large mammals
15:55aren't equipped
15:56to deal with that extreme heat.
15:58Lions might be the kings
16:00of the savannah now,
16:01but it would be too hot
16:03even for them.
16:04If they ever want to grab
16:05a spiky-tailed herbivore
16:07for lunch,
16:08like the Tugyandrosaurus
16:09or Stegosaurus,
16:10they might be in
16:11for a surprise.
16:13One hit from their
16:14extremely powerful tail
16:15could cause
16:16some serious damage,
16:18not to mention run-ins
16:20with raptors,
16:21like the frightening
16:23Saurophaghanics.
16:24The single most likely animal
16:26that might survive
16:27being roommates
16:28with the dinosaurs
16:29is the platypus.
16:31This quirky Aussie creature
16:33is one of those
16:34rare egg-laying mammals.
16:37It's a fan of freshwater
16:38and as close to a living relic
16:40as an animal can be.
16:42Scientists were able
16:44to trace its origin back
16:45as far as 120 million years ago.
16:49For food,
16:50it wields its sensitive beak
16:52to catch shrimp
16:53and worms underwater.
16:54When it dives,
16:56skin flaps cover
16:57its eyes and ears,
16:58so it becomes blind
17:00and deaf,
17:01but it still uses that beak
17:03like a high-tech radar.
17:05A grown platypus
17:06can even feast
17:07on half its body weight
17:08in a single night.
17:10Scientists have known
17:11for a while
17:12it shares many traits
17:13with reptiles,
17:14like its shoulder bones
17:16or the fact
17:17that it lays eggs.
17:18Other creatures
17:20that coexisted
17:21with the dinosaurs
17:21still exist today,
17:23just not mammals.
17:25Snakes made their way
17:26into our fauna
17:27in those prehistoric times too,
17:29as well as cockroaches
17:30and bees.
17:32Some species of sharks
17:33are even considered
17:34to predate the dinosaurs.
17:36And if we look
17:37at our entire
17:38planetary history,
17:39we'll see
17:40they survived
17:41four out of five periods
17:42of mass extinction.
17:45Horseshoe crabs
17:46have the nickname
17:46living fossils
17:48because their evolution
17:49was much slower
17:50than any other animal
17:52that we know of.
17:53Not because they're
17:54not smart,
17:55but simply because
17:55they found their
17:57perfect form
17:58much sooner.
17:59So they didn't need
17:59to make a lot of changes.
18:01They have a very
18:02rudimentary immune system,
18:04but it seems
18:05to work wonders.
18:06No wonder they stayed
18:07pretty much the same
18:08for over 400 million years.
Comments