okay power up the what if time machine
because today
you're traveling back to witness the
most radical changes ever known in
earth's history
you'll watch our planet give birth to
strange new animals
and see continents taking shape
we're going to the time that defines our
existence
the paleozoic era
but
how would your body react to the new
climate
what kind of creatures would you eat
and
how hot would the planet get
this is what if and here's what would
happen if you live in the paleozoic era
the paleozoic era began 530
million years ago
when the earth woke up from an ice age
the era lasted for
289 million years but
you might not even last five minutes in
this climate
but hey if you're as resilient as the
life in these waters
you just might stay alive
in these oceans
life has the perfect space to begin
and like all great things
it started small
if this time trip will teach you
anything it's that nothing lasts forever
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what if or click the link in the
description that's k-e-e-p-s dot com
slash what if
you may want to start this plan now
because
soon you're going to see some things
that could make you rip your hair out
good luck trying to find a meal
543 million years ago all life on earth
lived below a thick layer of mud on the
sea floor
but don't get out your lobster bib yet
the only things you'll find here are
microbes
oh so chewy
your menu won't be getting any bigger
for a few million years
until the cambrian explosion
the big event that would kick-start life
on earth
the cyanobacteria would pump more oxygen
into the atmosphere making it easier for
you to breathe so take a deep breath and
enjoy life on this doomed content
[Applause]
during the ordovician period
485 million years ago you would watch
north america and europe merge to become
the super continent known as gondwana
now grab your parka because as this land
mass moves over the south pole
a massive ice age would spread across
the globe
under the water jawless fish would roam
the sea dominating the ocean
algae and sponges would begin living on
coral reefs and back on land the first
plants would take root
but 80 percent of the life in shallow
seas would die
as sea levels plummet when the new ice
age begins
[Music]
starting about
444 million years ago you would see the
glaciers melt
this event would create a climate
similar to what we have now the ocean
would be full of sea scorpions the size
of dogs so look out these opportunistic
predators may confuse you
with dinner
[Music]
in the devonian period
three continents blanketed the planet
419 million years ago much of earth's
land mass remained water
you would need to live near the
shoreline to harvest the resources you
need to stay alive
since trees would be covering the world
for the first time
you could build shelter and even start a
fire
and with the soil rich in nutrients you
could begin to farm plants
but while you would rule the land as an
apex predator the ocean would belong to
the early sharks
and
they look hungry
travel back
358 million years ago and you would see
life near the equator would thrive while
the rest of the world would experience
deadly temperature changes
the first reptiles would start appearing
look out for that ophicadon
they can grow almost three meters tall
even dragonflies can have wingspans of
75 centimeters
well one of those could feed you for a
while
okay all the changes we saw have led to
this event
the permian period
about 299
million years ago almost every land mass
on earth had merged into the super
continent known as pangaea
this massive land stretched from pole to
pole with vast deserts in the center
the wild temperature changes would kill
amphibians but don't worry
you wouldn't be alone here
the ariops would tower over you standing
two meters tall
this lizard-like creature devoured its
prey whole
if you keep out of its way you might
enjoy the new oxygen levels thanks to
more trees sprouting up everywhere
but you would see a violent end to this
period
whether it's meteors exploding volcanoes
or methane clouds
96
of all life on earth would die out
the highest extinction rate ever known
now if you made it through
get back in the time machine
okay you made it through one of the most
defining eras in the history of this
floating rock
but now what if your time machine broke
down and you were stuck in the devonian
period
well grab a shovel and gather round
because
that's a story
for another
what if
[Music]
you