1 00:00:12,887 --> 00:00:17,085 (STEVE LEONARD ) Our world is a remarkable place... 2 00:00:17,247 --> 00:00:20,683 the only known living planet, 3 00:00:32,047 --> 00:00:37,758 We share the earth with millions of different kinds of plants and animals, 4 00:00:37,927 --> 00:00:40,043 Where did they all come from? 5 00:00:47,807 --> 00:00:50,002 For a few days each year, 6 00:00:50,167 --> 00:00:56,037 this remote beach on the edge of the Pacific Ocean can shed some light on the answer, 7 00:00:58,087 --> 00:01:02,080 Dawn reveals an epic struggle, one that's been going on 8 00:01:02,247 --> 00:01:04,966 since the time of the dinosaurs. 9 00:01:08,527 --> 00:01:12,805 It's a battle fought by all living things. 10 00:01:14,927 --> 00:01:20,843 Only the individuals best suited to the world in which they live have a chance of surviving. 11 00:01:21,007 --> 00:01:24,682 It's what we know as survival of the fittest. 12 00:01:30,127 --> 00:01:33,164 And at no point in these babies' lives 13 00:01:33,327 --> 00:01:37,843 is this more critical than when they leave the nest, 14 00:01:42,167 --> 00:01:44,920 Hungry predators are waiting, 15 00:02:01,327 --> 00:02:06,481 Although they may look the same, each baby is different from the next, 16 00:02:06,647 --> 00:02:09,207 The tiniest variation in size and shape 17 00:02:09,367 --> 00:02:11,801 can determine who lives... 18 00:02:12,367 --> 00:02:14,927 ..and who dies, 19 00:02:19,847 --> 00:02:22,884 Some are weak... 20 00:02:23,047 --> 00:02:26,244 ..others strong, 21 00:02:38,967 --> 00:02:42,676 Anything that boosts the baby's chances of surviving, 22 00:02:42,847 --> 00:02:49,719 such as a sturdier shell or longer flippers, will be passed on to its young in its genes, 23 00:02:50,647 --> 00:02:57,644 And over time, these inherited changes can lead to the evolution of a new species, 24 00:02:58,687 --> 00:03:02,680 These babies are the genetic veterans of a battle for survival 25 00:03:02,847 --> 00:03:06,123 that's been going on since the first turtles evolved. 26 00:03:11,807 --> 00:03:15,641 Here, only a few make it to the water's edge, 27 00:03:22,887 --> 00:03:27,483 This is natural selection - the way life evolves - 28 00:03:27,647 --> 00:03:34,120 and it's been shaping new kinds of creatures throughout the whole of life's great journey, 29 00:03:48,687 --> 00:03:51,076 Every living thing on the planet today 30 00:03:51,247 --> 00:03:57,925 is the survivor of an unbroken chain of events spanning nearly four billion years, 31 00:03:59,207 --> 00:04:02,005 Where did it all begin? 32 00:04:03,767 --> 00:04:06,486 In the sea - 33 00:04:06,647 --> 00:04:10,720 home to the most extraordinary variety of creatures - 34 00:04:10,887 --> 00:04:13,799 and I'm going to meet them, 35 00:04:13,967 --> 00:04:16,527 Blue whales! 36 00:04:20,487 --> 00:04:23,047 Flying fish! (LAUGHS) 37 00:04:24,207 --> 00:04:26,277 The bizarre... 38 00:04:27,967 --> 00:04:30,527 ..and the brainy... 39 00:04:30,687 --> 00:04:33,440 You are beautiful. (LAUGHS) 40 00:04:33,607 --> 00:04:36,121 ..and the downright scary! 41 00:04:38,807 --> 00:04:41,037 You'll get your chance in a bit. 42 00:04:47,687 --> 00:04:53,922 It's time to start my journey and explore the living seas, 43 00:05:07,567 --> 00:05:10,718 The sea is life's laboratory, 44 00:05:10,887 --> 00:05:16,120 where many solutions to the challenges of living were first developed and tested, 45 00:05:17,807 --> 00:05:22,278 It might be hard to believe, but every living thing today 46 00:05:22,447 --> 00:05:25,245 can trace its ancestry back to the sea, 47 00:05:28,367 --> 00:05:31,165 And that includes us humans, 48 00:05:31,327 --> 00:05:34,319 for this journey is also a personal story, 49 00:05:34,487 --> 00:05:39,481 as many of our own features first evolved down here. 50 00:05:43,407 --> 00:05:50,199 Even today, our own heads and bodies hint at our aquatic origins. 51 00:05:54,527 --> 00:05:59,999 This is you or me just 24 days after conception, 52 00:06:03,007 --> 00:06:07,842 Every one of us was bathed in a warm salty sea of amniotic fluid 53 00:06:08,007 --> 00:06:10,840 inside our mother's womb, 54 00:06:12,607 --> 00:06:18,159 Here on the embryo's head are gill slits called pharyngeal pouches, 55 00:06:18,327 --> 00:06:20,795 Fish embryos have them, too, 56 00:06:20,967 --> 00:06:23,162 In fish they DO turn into gills, 57 00:06:23,327 --> 00:06:28,765 but in humans, they become parts of the face, ear and jaw, 58 00:06:30,087 --> 00:06:34,603 This long tail is another echo of our evolutionary past, 59 00:06:45,687 --> 00:06:52,877 We humans are a tiny shoot on one branch of a giant family tree - the tree of life, 60 00:06:53,047 --> 00:06:59,520 We're just one of tens of millions of living tips, each representing different species, 61 00:06:59,687 --> 00:07:05,842 and the way they all connect reveals how each and every life-form is related, 62 00:07:06,647 --> 00:07:11,675 But why did this dazzling diversity start in the sea and not on the land? 63 00:07:13,447 --> 00:07:19,920 Let's travel back to life's very beginning, 3.8 billion years ago, 64 00:07:35,647 --> 00:07:39,606 Back then, planet Earth was an unpleasant place, 65 00:07:43,887 --> 00:07:47,197 The atmosphere was thin, there was no oxygen, 66 00:07:47,367 --> 00:07:51,963 and no protective ozone layer to shield the earth from the sun, 67 00:07:52,127 --> 00:07:55,836 Unfiltered ultraviolet rays beat down on the young planet 68 00:07:56,007 --> 00:07:58,805 in a strength that would be lethal to us. 69 00:08:09,567 --> 00:08:14,846 Over time, massive volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts destabilised the land. 70 00:08:30,847 --> 00:08:35,318 Compared to this mayhem, the forming seas were a relative safe haven... 71 00:08:36,407 --> 00:08:41,117 ..so it must have been somewhere underwater that life first evolved. 72 00:08:42,327 --> 00:08:44,966 Exactly how life began remains a mystery, 73 00:08:45,127 --> 00:08:48,961 but there are some clues in this chemical soup. 74 00:08:50,607 --> 00:08:56,557 The seas were awash with organic molecules - the building blocks of all life, 75 00:08:56,727 --> 00:09:01,801 These were formed naturally in the primordial soup of the forming oceans, 76 00:09:16,487 --> 00:09:22,483 Somewhere in this cauldron, the recipe for our own DNA appeared, 77 00:09:24,687 --> 00:09:29,363 With this, the first sparks of life were ignited, 78 00:09:32,767 --> 00:09:34,758 Meet the ancestors, 79 00:09:34,927 --> 00:09:38,397 Simple cells like these were the first living things, 80 00:09:38,567 --> 00:09:42,116 the predecessors of all future life on Earth, 81 00:09:44,447 --> 00:09:49,316 Over time, these cells diversified and spread around the world, 82 00:09:49,487 --> 00:09:53,639 but one group would have a devastating impact on the planet, 83 00:10:00,807 --> 00:10:05,562 Here, off western Australia, these ancient microbes still exist today, 84 00:10:05,727 --> 00:10:10,357 Called stromatolites, they secrete strange pillars made of lime, 85 00:10:12,527 --> 00:10:16,202 It's like a scene from three billion years ago, 86 00:10:28,287 --> 00:10:30,278 They might look harmless now, 87 00:10:30,447 --> 00:10:35,840 but back then these microbes almost snuffed out all life for ever, 88 00:10:40,087 --> 00:10:43,841 By generating huge amounts of a new toxic gas, 89 00:10:44,007 --> 00:10:47,682 they triggered a global pollution crisis, 90 00:10:49,927 --> 00:10:55,684 That new gas's name was oxygen, and it utterly destroyed primitive cells, 91 00:10:55,847 --> 00:10:58,486 poisoning them by the billion, 92 00:11:00,687 --> 00:11:03,997 Extinctions swept the planet, 93 00:11:11,887 --> 00:11:15,197 But a few cells survived and thrived on oxygen, 94 00:11:15,367 --> 00:11:17,597 They inherited the earth, 95 00:11:17,767 --> 00:11:20,600 From now on, oxygen would power all new life, 96 00:11:20,767 --> 00:11:25,363 from the tiniest cell to the biggest creature of all time, 97 00:11:30,287 --> 00:11:33,962 That is the greatest oxygen-breather of them all. 98 00:11:34,127 --> 00:11:38,200 The largest animal that's ever existed - the blue whale. 99 00:11:44,687 --> 00:11:50,842 They can be as long as a 737 passenger jet, and weigh as much as 30 bull elephants, 100 00:11:51,007 --> 00:11:55,637 Their massive lungs are 400 times bigger than my own, 101 00:12:01,287 --> 00:12:07,044 And when they return to the surface for air, they blow a water spout 12 metres high, 102 00:12:16,487 --> 00:12:21,277 Every year, migrating blue whales gather here off the coast of California 103 00:12:21,447 --> 00:12:25,838 to feed on tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill, 104 00:12:38,407 --> 00:12:40,557 Blue whales have huge appetites, 105 00:12:40,727 --> 00:12:47,326 They can take in 50 tons of water in one gulp, and eat 40 million krill a day, 106 00:12:52,887 --> 00:12:58,439 Here in Californian waters, there are more than 2,000 of these giants, 107 00:12:58,607 --> 00:13:03,362 This is the greatest gathering of blue whales anywhere in the world, 108 00:13:05,167 --> 00:13:08,682 But how could evolution take such a gigantic leap? 109 00:13:08,847 --> 00:13:13,045 Cold a blue whale really evolve from a single cell? 110 00:13:13,207 --> 00:13:16,483 With teamwork and co-operation, yes. 111 00:13:28,847 --> 00:13:32,362 Co-operating cells - it sounds a simple solution, 112 00:13:32,527 --> 00:13:37,317 but the journey of life took almost three billion years to get there, 113 00:13:41,487 --> 00:13:47,676 Among the first sea creatures to benefit from cells pulling together were jellyfish, 114 00:14:12,887 --> 00:14:18,280 These ancient animals were the first to have muscle fibres and a simple nervous system, 115 00:14:18,447 --> 00:14:22,326 which allowed the first co-ordinated movement, but unlike us, 116 00:14:22,487 --> 00:14:25,479 the jelly doesn't know its front from its back, 117 00:14:25,647 --> 00:14:28,878 It just reaches out in all directions, 118 00:14:37,407 --> 00:14:42,800 With the jellyfish, there was no front end, no brain and no great sense of direction. 119 00:14:42,967 --> 00:14:45,800 The alternative strategy was to grow a head, 120 00:14:45,967 --> 00:14:49,323 and with that, life could now move forward. 121 00:15:03,647 --> 00:15:08,767 Would you believe this is one of the most important creatures in the journey of life - 122 00:15:08,927 --> 00:15:12,124 the first ever to grow a head - the flatworm, 123 00:15:22,687 --> 00:15:26,680 And amazingly, it's the foundation of our basic body plan, 124 00:15:26,847 --> 00:15:30,601 We share the very same head-sprouting genes, 125 00:15:38,367 --> 00:15:42,076 Flatworms also evolved the very first eyes, 126 00:15:43,607 --> 00:15:49,045 Just a cluster of cells, they can't do much more than tell light from dark... 127 00:15:49,687 --> 00:15:55,319 ..but at least the worm has some idea what's coming when it's travelling head first, 128 00:15:56,847 --> 00:15:59,725 And this new information needed processing, 129 00:15:59,887 --> 00:16:06,076 It might be small and very simple, but this is, nevertheless, the first brain, 130 00:16:12,087 --> 00:16:18,526 So it's thanks to the flatworm that our brains are in our heads and not in our backsides, 131 00:16:21,687 --> 00:16:25,282 If the evolution of the first brain was a milestone event, 132 00:16:25,447 --> 00:16:28,439 then so too was the evolution of the first anus. 133 00:16:28,607 --> 00:16:33,601 Imagine having to get rid of digested food through your mouth - not very pleasant - 134 00:16:33,767 --> 00:16:37,521 but that's exactly what flatworms and jellyfish have to do. 135 00:16:44,367 --> 00:16:48,565 The flatworm has an extendable stomach with just one opening, 136 00:16:48,727 --> 00:16:53,596 and the snag with that is it can't eat and excrete at the same time, 137 00:16:53,767 --> 00:16:57,680 While some worms stayed flat, others became round, 138 00:16:57,847 --> 00:17:02,159 They developed an internal tube - the through gut, 139 00:17:03,687 --> 00:17:08,681 In through the mouth, along the digestive tract and out through the anus, 140 00:17:12,367 --> 00:17:14,801 This meant worms could feed non-stop, 141 00:17:14,967 --> 00:17:21,076 and the through gut was such an efficient system that since then everyone has had one, 142 00:17:33,207 --> 00:17:38,759 Bizarrely, some animals today have evolved an entirely different use for their guts, 143 00:17:41,967 --> 00:17:43,639 This is a sea cucumber. 144 00:17:43,807 --> 00:17:47,880 It doesn't look like much, but when it's attacked by a predator, 145 00:17:48,047 --> 00:17:51,084 it does something rather extraordinary. 146 00:17:53,767 --> 00:17:55,678 Just holding it can set it off, 147 00:17:57,927 --> 00:18:00,122 Ugh! Here we go. 148 00:18:00,287 --> 00:18:03,404 Ugh! God, that is foul! 149 00:18:04,287 --> 00:18:10,237 The sea cucumber throws up not only its stomach contents, but its entire intestines, 150 00:18:11,207 --> 00:18:15,041 A predator would rather leave it alone and just eat its entrails. 151 00:18:18,087 --> 00:18:24,686 The sea cucumber can still eat by absorbing nutrients through its skin, and that's not all, 152 00:18:24,847 --> 00:18:29,967 Incredibly, this guy will grow an entirely new set of guts in just a few weeks. 153 00:18:30,127 --> 00:18:31,526 All right, wee man. 154 00:18:32,167 --> 00:18:35,762 Throwing up each time you're threatened is a bit extreme, 155 00:18:35,927 --> 00:18:41,365 Other soft-bodied creatures would need a more practical form of protection to survive, 156 00:18:48,687 --> 00:18:52,123 Around 570 million years ago, 157 00:18:52,287 --> 00:18:56,724 there was a major breakthrough when life chanced upon a winning formula - 158 00:18:56,887 --> 00:18:58,878 the softies turned hard, 159 00:19:06,287 --> 00:19:09,882 The first shells probably developed by accident, 160 00:19:10,047 --> 00:19:14,757 Early snails began to store mineral waste from their diet on their backs, 161 00:19:15,327 --> 00:19:18,000 This hardened into shells, 162 00:19:26,687 --> 00:19:30,157 And as these shells became thicker or more spiny, 163 00:19:30,327 --> 00:19:33,239 they also became predator-proof, 164 00:19:40,807 --> 00:19:44,083 This scallop can clam up if it sees danger coming,,, 165 00:19:45,447 --> 00:19:50,726 ,,but its simple eyes haven't detected this slow-moving scallop-eating starfish, 166 00:19:53,007 --> 00:19:58,320 Once it feels the danger, though, the scallop has a surprising reaction, 167 00:20:08,727 --> 00:20:12,117 (FLAMENCO MUSIC, CASTANETS) 168 00:20:16,087 --> 00:20:23,163 It's a great escape, but with its heavy shell, the scallop soon runs out of steam, 169 00:20:25,967 --> 00:20:29,084 Their armour has always weighed snails down, 170 00:20:29,247 --> 00:20:34,241 but half a billion years ago, some escaped the dangers of the seabed altogether, 171 00:20:34,407 --> 00:20:35,840 So how did they do it? 172 00:20:37,127 --> 00:20:39,925 The solution - a buoyancy aid, 173 00:20:45,287 --> 00:20:47,676 Snails filled their shells with gas, 174 00:20:47,847 --> 00:20:52,762 It was the rise of the super-snails - the nautiloids, 175 00:21:01,447 --> 00:21:07,204 Later, their cousins rolled up their shells and became the ammonites, 176 00:21:15,767 --> 00:21:17,723 Ammonites were so successful 177 00:21:17,887 --> 00:21:22,722 that they would become the most numerous fossil for over 300 million years. 178 00:21:22,887 --> 00:21:26,004 They ranged from tiny critters like this one... 179 00:21:26,887 --> 00:21:28,798 ..to monsters... 180 00:21:30,087 --> 00:21:32,317 ..like this. 181 00:21:33,087 --> 00:21:38,081 This shell would have contained a giant two-metre-long slug with tentacles, 182 00:21:40,767 --> 00:21:43,156 These ridges worked as stabilisers, 183 00:21:43,327 --> 00:21:48,003 keeping it on an even keel as it bobbed along looking for food, 184 00:21:55,087 --> 00:21:57,601 It was the age of the ammonites. 185 00:21:57,767 --> 00:22:02,204 This fossil graveyard near Lyme Regis was formed by just one shoal. 186 00:22:02,367 --> 00:22:06,599 It's part of a huge fossil bed that stretches for several miles inland. 187 00:22:07,087 --> 00:22:11,080 It gives you an idea of just how prolific these creatures were. 188 00:22:17,647 --> 00:22:21,606 But a built-in float wasn't the only answer to a bulky shell... 189 00:22:24,087 --> 00:22:27,636 ..because evolving down another branch on the tree of life 190 00:22:27,807 --> 00:22:32,801 was a flexible, lightweight suit of armour, as worn by the very first bugs, 191 00:22:34,047 --> 00:22:39,838 And so the arthropods evolved - animals with an external, jointed skeleton. 192 00:22:40,007 --> 00:22:45,684 Their hard bodies fossilised well, and this is the most famous of them - the trilobites. 193 00:22:48,087 --> 00:22:52,638 This is just one of the thousands of species of trilobites that existed 194 00:22:52,807 --> 00:22:55,116 over hundreds of millions of years. 195 00:23:06,647 --> 00:23:12,438 Its flexible armour allowed body segments to be specialised for different tasks... 196 00:23:14,887 --> 00:23:18,721 ..and with jointed limbs, they could move fast, 197 00:23:20,287 --> 00:23:26,920 But the trilobite's real trump card was its eyes - the first to see in detail, 198 00:23:27,087 --> 00:23:29,965 This was an evolutionary bombshell, 199 00:23:32,687 --> 00:23:37,124 For the first time, predators and prey could see each other coming, 200 00:23:37,287 --> 00:23:41,803 Eyes became both a hunting tool and the first line of defence, 201 00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:45,084 With them arose super-bugs, 202 00:23:55,007 --> 00:24:00,684 The eye generated a deadly race as each was driven to outdo the other, 203 00:24:05,687 --> 00:24:10,397 The rush to stay ahead sparked an explosion of new life, 204 00:24:20,007 --> 00:24:25,764 This competition has led to some extreme bugs and some extreme eyes, 205 00:24:26,927 --> 00:24:30,840 These are the most sophisticated of any creature on the planet, 206 00:24:31,007 --> 00:24:34,204 and they belong to the mantis shrimp, 207 00:24:38,687 --> 00:24:43,442 Whereas our vision just uses three colour pigments - red, blue and yellow - 208 00:24:43,607 --> 00:24:46,838 mantis shrimps use at least eight, 209 00:24:52,087 --> 00:24:56,160 Mantis shrimps need such hi-tech equipment to hunt their prey, 210 00:24:56,327 --> 00:25:00,923 and more importantly, to avoid each other in this colourful coral world, 211 00:25:07,887 --> 00:25:12,836 For the mantis shrimp is armed with nature's most earth-shattering weapon... 212 00:25:14,847 --> 00:25:17,315 a claw turned club, 213 00:25:20,527 --> 00:25:22,677 It's a smash-and-grab attack, 214 00:25:31,687 --> 00:25:36,841 I'd be rather pleased to think we'd evolved from such an impressive creature, 215 00:25:37,007 --> 00:25:38,565 but no such luck, 216 00:25:38,727 --> 00:25:42,083 By comparison, our ancestor's a bit embarrassing, 217 00:25:42,247 --> 00:25:44,124 (STEVE) # Nobody knows 218 00:25:44,287 --> 00:25:47,165 # But wherever I'm a-going, I'll go 219 00:25:47,967 --> 00:25:50,959 # Said Charlie-oh # 220 00:25:52,847 --> 00:25:56,522 Unlike the super-bugs with their hard exoskeletons, 221 00:25:56,687 --> 00:25:59,838 or even the super-snails with their hard shells, 222 00:26:00,007 --> 00:26:01,838 I'm hard on the inside. 223 00:26:03,287 --> 00:26:07,439 I have an internal skeleton based around my backbone. 224 00:26:09,167 --> 00:26:12,159 My backbone gives my body a strengthening rod, 225 00:26:12,327 --> 00:26:14,761 Without it, I'd be like a sack of spuds, 226 00:26:14,927 --> 00:26:18,317 It was another crucial milestone on life's journey, 227 00:26:18,487 --> 00:26:22,958 marking the rise of a whole new group - our lot, the vertebrates, 228 00:26:23,127 --> 00:26:28,440 In the millions of years that the trilobites and ammonites were cruising the seas, 229 00:26:28,607 --> 00:26:31,804 little vertebrates were busy evolving away. 230 00:26:38,527 --> 00:26:45,239 And this is it - the ancestor of all the backboned animals, including we humans - 231 00:26:45,407 --> 00:26:49,764 a sea squirt, nothing more than a bag of jelly, 232 00:26:58,367 --> 00:27:02,918 The incredible thing is, 80% of its genes are inside us too, 233 00:27:03,087 --> 00:27:05,840 including those that form the human heart, 234 00:27:06,007 --> 00:27:08,282 but where's the backbone? 235 00:27:12,487 --> 00:27:17,641 The key to that inheritance is found inside its tiny young, 236 00:27:18,687 --> 00:27:22,839 It's these little squirts that have a tail with a flexible rod inside - 237 00:27:23,007 --> 00:27:25,840 the earliest hint of a backbone, 238 00:27:37,727 --> 00:27:42,039 With this flimsy backbone, the first true vertebrates emerged, 239 00:27:42,207 --> 00:27:45,563 amongst which were the jawless fish, 240 00:27:46,687 --> 00:27:52,319 These jawless hagfish are deep-sea creatures that live way beyond our reach, 241 00:27:52,487 --> 00:27:55,559 Here, more than a mile below the ocean surface, 242 00:27:55,727 --> 00:27:58,878 they're scavenging on the carcass of a dead whale, 243 00:28:04,127 --> 00:28:06,800 They might look more like worms than fish, 244 00:28:06,967 --> 00:28:11,802 but 500 million years ago, jawless wonders like these ruled the seas, 245 00:28:28,287 --> 00:28:31,723 Today, they sometimes rise up to the shallows, 246 00:28:31,887 --> 00:28:37,519 and in Sweden's cold dark fjords, they come face to face with fishermen, 247 00:28:48,847 --> 00:28:53,398 And if they're caught by a predator, just watch what they can do, 248 00:28:54,287 --> 00:29:00,044 Their primitive backbones are so flexible, they can literally tie themselves in knots. 249 00:29:01,087 --> 00:29:04,921 And a slip knot can sometimes be a life saver, 250 00:29:05,087 --> 00:29:08,397 Being made of flexible cartilage rather than bone, 251 00:29:08,567 --> 00:29:11,445 that spine's a whole lot bendier than mine, 252 00:29:11,607 --> 00:29:12,926 There we go. 253 00:29:13,087 --> 00:29:15,681 A nice little granny knot there. 254 00:29:20,367 --> 00:29:24,246 And if tying a knot isn't enough to escape a predator's grasp, 255 00:29:24,407 --> 00:29:27,126 the hagfish has another trick up its sleeve, 256 00:29:27,287 --> 00:29:30,120 Ugh! Look at that. 257 00:29:31,367 --> 00:29:34,086 That is incredible! 258 00:29:34,247 --> 00:29:37,239 It's a really unique defensive mechanism. 259 00:29:37,407 --> 00:29:41,480 The hagfish secretes mucus from glands either side of its body, 260 00:29:41,647 --> 00:29:45,117 and this mucus starts to swell when it contacts water. 261 00:29:45,287 --> 00:29:50,236 It also contains these high-tensile fibres that form a shield of slime. 262 00:29:52,847 --> 00:29:57,238 One hagfish can jellify a whole bucket of sea water, 263 00:29:59,087 --> 00:30:05,356 But despite these extraordinary adaptations, jawless fish had soon had their day, 264 00:30:05,527 --> 00:30:07,518 About 400 million years ago, 265 00:30:07,687 --> 00:30:13,398 they were sidelined by the results of a new and deadly development, 266 00:30:13,567 --> 00:30:18,846 Somewhere out there, a brand new kind of fish was evolving, 267 00:30:19,887 --> 00:30:24,119 Its front two gill arches gradually grew and encircled the mouth, 268 00:30:24,287 --> 00:30:27,563 becoming the first biting jaws, 269 00:30:33,687 --> 00:30:37,726 Such early jawed fish became the sharks, 270 00:31:16,087 --> 00:31:18,885 Once primitive fish had developed jaws, 271 00:31:19,047 --> 00:31:22,926 an extraordinary range of teeth evolved to fit them, 272 00:31:24,687 --> 00:31:28,805 Sharks' teeth are adapted to the diet of their owner, 273 00:31:28,967 --> 00:31:34,917 The sand tiger has narrow pointed teeth for seizing slippery fish and squid, 274 00:31:35,887 --> 00:31:38,037 Other teeth, like the seal shark's, 275 00:31:38,207 --> 00:31:43,235 are multi-pointed for feeding on the ocean floor, picking up crabs and shellfish, 276 00:31:44,007 --> 00:31:49,001 The snaggle-tooth's varied diet needs a tooth like a hunting knife, 277 00:31:49,167 --> 00:31:52,318 while the tiger shark's are more like chainsaws, 278 00:31:52,487 --> 00:31:55,843 used to tackle turtle shell and fish bone, 279 00:31:56,887 --> 00:32:01,802 These belong to the biggest meat-eating shark - the great white, 280 00:32:01,967 --> 00:32:04,481 They slice through the meat of sea mammals, 281 00:32:05,447 --> 00:32:08,757 The biggest teeth of all belonged to the Megalodon, 282 00:32:08,927 --> 00:32:14,320 a bus-sized meat-eating monster that was 12 times bigger than a great white shark. 283 00:32:14,487 --> 00:32:19,925 Its jaw was colossal - over two metres wide with hundreds of teeth. 284 00:32:20,087 --> 00:32:22,760 It could have swallowed me whole. 285 00:32:24,767 --> 00:32:31,206 Good job it's extinct! Just imagine a jaw this size at the business end of a hungry shark, 286 00:32:31,367 --> 00:32:35,918 It's no wonder Megalodon could eat more than a ton of meat in one go, 287 00:32:41,367 --> 00:32:45,076 Some of its relatives are the sharks we all recognise, 288 00:32:45,247 --> 00:32:48,080 but others evolved along a different track, 289 00:32:48,247 --> 00:32:50,317 Some even lost their teeth, 290 00:32:52,767 --> 00:32:54,758 These are stingrays. 291 00:32:54,927 --> 00:33:01,560 Here off the coast of the Cayman Islands, they gather in huge numbers to feed. 292 00:33:02,607 --> 00:33:04,438 Agh! 293 00:33:04,607 --> 00:33:07,360 Pretty enthusiastically as well! Ow! 294 00:33:07,527 --> 00:33:10,087 Easy now, boys. 295 00:33:10,247 --> 00:33:12,363 Rays are sharks' cousins, 296 00:33:12,527 --> 00:33:17,282 but their body plan has flattened out to make the most of life on the seabed, 297 00:33:17,447 --> 00:33:23,443 They are absolutely incredible-looking creatures, and the way they move is beautiful. 298 00:33:25,087 --> 00:33:29,399 These rays eat fish, and they know I've got a juicy morsel in my hand, 299 00:33:30,047 --> 00:33:32,436 Agh! (LAUGHS) 300 00:33:37,847 --> 00:33:41,681 You have to be a little bit careful when you're feeding them, 301 00:33:41,847 --> 00:33:44,441 because that mouth has a nasty suck on it. 302 00:33:44,607 --> 00:33:47,519 They don't have much in the way of teeth, 303 00:33:47,687 --> 00:33:51,157 but they've got this bony plate that acts as a grinder, 304 00:33:51,327 --> 00:33:55,206 and it can grind your fingers as well, as I've found out. 305 00:34:00,927 --> 00:34:06,479 These rays usually hunt crabs and fish that they can detect hidden in the sand, 306 00:34:11,007 --> 00:34:12,884 Agh! 307 00:34:13,047 --> 00:34:18,917 They get very, very friendly when you don't feed them. Ooh! OK. Easy, petal. 308 00:34:25,847 --> 00:34:29,317 Stingrays have an array of fine-tuned senses, 309 00:34:29,487 --> 00:34:34,038 It's something all the shark family have taken to a whole new level, 310 00:34:34,207 --> 00:34:39,122 And to show you how good they've become, I'm going to run a little experiment, 311 00:34:39,287 --> 00:34:40,925 This should do the trick, 312 00:34:41,087 --> 00:34:44,318 (ROARING) 313 00:34:49,127 --> 00:34:53,279 In the open ocean, surprisingly, sound is usually the first cue 314 00:34:53,447 --> 00:34:56,325 that alerts a predator to a potential meal, 315 00:34:57,247 --> 00:35:01,035 It travels four times faster in water than in air, 316 00:35:01,207 --> 00:35:02,959 (ROARING) 317 00:35:04,087 --> 00:35:09,366 Sharks like this Caribbean reef shark can hear a commotion from at least a mile away, 318 00:35:11,687 --> 00:35:13,643 They have excellent hearing, 319 00:35:13,807 --> 00:35:17,402 but instead of having ear flaps on the outside like we do, 320 00:35:17,567 --> 00:35:21,401 a tiny duct carries sound waves into their inner ear, 321 00:35:24,487 --> 00:35:27,081 Next comes the sense of smell. 322 00:35:28,447 --> 00:35:32,326 Blood and fish oil can be detected from 400 metres away, 323 00:35:32,487 --> 00:35:36,366 so this box of fish bits should generate some interest. 324 00:35:38,087 --> 00:35:44,720 Just a single drop of blood in 25 million drops of water is enough to turn a shark's head, 325 00:35:44,887 --> 00:35:48,436 but to pinpoint exactly where the smell is coming from, 326 00:35:48,607 --> 00:35:51,440 it has to zigzag to pick up the trail, 327 00:35:51,607 --> 00:35:55,998 At 100 metres, now the shark knows where I am, 328 00:35:56,167 --> 00:35:58,840 thanks to a sense humans don't have at all, 329 00:35:59,007 --> 00:36:01,760 It can't see me, but it can feel me 330 00:36:01,927 --> 00:36:05,761 through the pressure waves that I'm creating in the water, 331 00:36:09,167 --> 00:36:12,125 These waves are picked up by the lateral line - 332 00:36:12,287 --> 00:36:16,166 detectors that run down its body from head to tail, 333 00:36:16,327 --> 00:36:20,286 It's a kind of extrasensory perception all fish have, 334 00:36:28,527 --> 00:36:34,443 It's only now, at around ten metres, that the sharks can actually see me, and I see them. 335 00:36:34,607 --> 00:36:37,838 In daylight, their vision is about as good as mine. 336 00:36:38,007 --> 00:36:42,523 Now they're checking me out with those big eyes. 337 00:36:44,567 --> 00:36:48,480 The structure of the eye suggests sharks may be far-sighted - 338 00:36:48,647 --> 00:36:51,207 they see better at distance than close up, 339 00:36:53,567 --> 00:36:56,957 But once they get this close, another sense kicks in - 340 00:36:57,127 --> 00:37:00,278 they can detect electricity, 341 00:37:02,207 --> 00:37:08,680 Tiny receptors on the snout can register as little as half a billionth of a volt, 342 00:37:08,847 --> 00:37:12,237 That's the electric field around a live fish's body, 343 00:37:12,407 --> 00:37:15,285 or in this case, in our metal feeding pole, 344 00:37:15,447 --> 00:37:18,803 I'll leave this bit to the professionals, 345 00:37:21,487 --> 00:37:24,763 Whoa! Easy, gentlemen. 346 00:37:26,927 --> 00:37:32,206 In the final seconds of attack, the shark goes in blind to protect its eyes, 347 00:37:32,367 --> 00:37:35,325 closing them just before it bites, 348 00:37:39,647 --> 00:37:44,038 In clear blue water like this, thankfully, the sharks can see what I am, 349 00:37:44,207 --> 00:37:49,839 otherwise, they may have to use their other senses, namely, touch and taste - 350 00:37:50,007 --> 00:37:53,079 and it's all done with the mouth. 351 00:37:58,607 --> 00:38:01,280 It's this combination of sensory systems 352 00:38:01,447 --> 00:38:05,486 that makes the shark such an effective hi-tech predator. 353 00:38:08,087 --> 00:38:11,079 You might think that such sophisticated animals 354 00:38:11,247 --> 00:38:14,080 would out-compete everything else in the sea, 355 00:38:14,247 --> 00:38:17,762 but the journey of life has never been straightforward, 356 00:38:22,767 --> 00:38:25,076 Several times over the millennia, 357 00:38:25,247 --> 00:38:30,162 meteors have shattered the world order and sparked mass extinctions, 358 00:38:37,767 --> 00:38:44,286 But from these extinctions, new opportunities and new creatures arose, 359 00:38:47,687 --> 00:38:51,157 Even the long-established ammonites didn't make it, 360 00:38:51,327 --> 00:38:55,002 but in the shelter of the deep, their relatives survived, 361 00:38:55,167 --> 00:38:58,637 and they could now branch out in a whole new direction, 362 00:39:00,287 --> 00:39:02,278 The super-snails rose up, 363 00:39:02,447 --> 00:39:08,636 and ultimately became the latest in the cephalopod dynasty - cuttlefish, octopus, 364 00:39:08,807 --> 00:39:11,241 and squid, 365 00:39:15,767 --> 00:39:17,758 Today, just once a year, 366 00:39:17,927 --> 00:39:21,761 millions of opalescent squid gather to breed, 367 00:39:51,527 --> 00:39:55,236 At just a year old, it's the last act in their short lives, 368 00:39:55,407 --> 00:39:59,320 Once the eggs are laid, most will die, 369 00:40:00,967 --> 00:40:04,084 Grow fast, spawn, and die young - 370 00:40:04,247 --> 00:40:07,603 a winning formula in the seas of life, 371 00:40:14,047 --> 00:40:18,165 Cephalopod means "head-foot" - not a bad description, really, 372 00:40:22,567 --> 00:40:26,719 This whopper is the giant Pacific octopus - 373 00:40:26,887 --> 00:40:29,242 all head and feet, 374 00:40:31,647 --> 00:40:35,083 It's a gentle giant with an alien physiology - 375 00:40:35,247 --> 00:40:38,398 blue blood, three hearts and nine brains, 376 00:40:38,567 --> 00:40:44,802 That's one big central brain plus eight mini brains - one in each arm, 377 00:41:01,207 --> 00:41:04,438 If cephalopods were really to compete in the seas, 378 00:41:04,607 --> 00:41:07,963 brainpower would be their big advantage, 379 00:41:16,887 --> 00:41:21,438 These are Caribbean reef squid - little cuties, 380 00:41:25,927 --> 00:41:31,957 When a barracuda's on the scene, they can think themselves out of a tight spot, 381 00:41:34,647 --> 00:41:40,483 They change their appearance to match their surroundings - both in texture and colour - 382 00:41:40,647 --> 00:41:45,482 an instant transformation that is directly controlled by the brain, 383 00:41:47,367 --> 00:41:51,724 To the predator, it seems that they've simply disappeared, 384 00:42:14,287 --> 00:42:18,917 The squid also communicate to tell each other when the danger's passed, 385 00:42:19,087 --> 00:42:23,126 They have an entire language based on skin tones, 386 00:42:30,207 --> 00:42:35,520 For modern cephalopods, brainpower has overcome the need for a protective shell, 387 00:42:35,687 --> 00:42:38,565 They're simply smarter than the average fish, 388 00:42:44,447 --> 00:42:48,326 So why didn't the seas become dominated by clever cephalopods? 389 00:42:48,487 --> 00:42:53,197 That's because just when it looked like brain might triumph over brawn, 390 00:42:53,367 --> 00:42:55,562 fish chanced upon a master-stroke, 391 00:42:55,727 --> 00:43:00,881 That master-stroke was a skeleton made of a new material - bone, 392 00:43:04,927 --> 00:43:09,478 With it, new bony fish diversified like never before, 393 00:43:29,367 --> 00:43:32,359 The bony skeleton was a landmark development, 394 00:43:32,527 --> 00:43:37,965 providing stronger structural support, greater protection, more effective gills, 395 00:43:38,127 --> 00:43:40,800 and improved agility, 396 00:43:45,087 --> 00:43:50,161 Then, for even more subtle manoeuvres, fish evolved two pairs of matching fins 397 00:43:50,327 --> 00:43:53,364 joined to both sides of their body by bones, 398 00:43:53,527 --> 00:43:58,396 This really was a winning combination, and its legacy would stick, 399 00:44:05,527 --> 00:44:12,399 Guess what? It's why we humans have a pair of arms and a pair of legs, 400 00:44:18,087 --> 00:44:21,443 But even bony skeletons have drawbacks, 401 00:44:21,607 --> 00:44:24,121 Have you ever tried racing into the sea? 402 00:44:24,287 --> 00:44:27,040 It's virtually impossible to run through, 403 00:44:27,207 --> 00:44:30,995 and that's because water is 800 times denser than air. 404 00:44:32,687 --> 00:44:35,997 And once you're in, it's either sink or swim. 405 00:44:36,167 --> 00:44:38,806 If bony fish were ever to dominate the seas, 406 00:44:38,967 --> 00:44:41,845 they'd have to overcome the same two problems - 407 00:44:42,007 --> 00:44:47,559 how to move fast in a dense liquid, and how to stay afloat despite heavy bones. 408 00:45:00,407 --> 00:45:05,356 To stop sinking, fish needed the equivalent of buoyancy tanks on a submarine, 409 00:45:08,567 --> 00:45:13,004 Less gas, and we sink; more, we rise. 410 00:45:13,887 --> 00:45:20,998 But whereas a sub uses compressed air, a fish carries its gas supply in its bloodstream, 411 00:45:25,687 --> 00:45:30,886 The answer was for fish to come up with an onboard float - the swim bladder, 412 00:45:31,047 --> 00:45:35,518 a large, gas-filled sac that inflates and deflates as needed, 413 00:45:40,687 --> 00:45:45,556 Gas diffuses back and forth between the swim bladder and the bloodstream, 414 00:45:45,727 --> 00:45:49,197 letting fish float effortlessly at any depth, 415 00:45:50,287 --> 00:45:55,645 Despite being heavy-boned, the fish is, in effect, weightless, 416 00:46:09,287 --> 00:46:13,599 Brilliant! But there is one big flaw in this ingenious system. 417 00:46:13,767 --> 00:46:17,919 Diffusion of gas between the swim bladder and the blood takes time, 418 00:46:18,087 --> 00:46:21,443 so there's a lag period when making buoyancy changes. 419 00:46:21,607 --> 00:46:24,997 For a fast-swimming fish, that's too slow. 420 00:46:27,087 --> 00:46:31,877 So speedsters like the bonito have abandoned swim bladders completely, 421 00:46:32,047 --> 00:46:34,959 but with nothing to stop themselves sinking, 422 00:46:35,127 --> 00:46:39,040 they've got to pay the penalty and keep swimming all the time, 423 00:46:50,367 --> 00:46:56,966 Not all bony fish like life in the fast lane, Others have turned to a more sedentary life, 424 00:47:02,807 --> 00:47:05,605 Take this weirdo, for example, 425 00:47:08,687 --> 00:47:13,124 It's a frogfish, and it's come up with a novel use for its bones, 426 00:47:13,287 --> 00:47:19,840 That's no wiggly worm but a flashy lure operated by a modified fin bone, 427 00:47:28,847 --> 00:47:33,159 All these damselfish see is a juicy mouthful, 428 00:47:38,847 --> 00:47:44,843 Not only is the frogfish a master of deception, he's also perfectly camouflaged, 429 00:47:45,927 --> 00:47:48,885 This shrimp is unlikely to see him until he moves, 430 00:47:49,047 --> 00:47:53,006 and by then, it's too late, 431 00:47:53,167 --> 00:47:57,797 No matter how quick its reactions, they just can't be quick enough, 432 00:47:57,967 --> 00:48:01,357 because the frogfish jaws move faster than muscle, 433 00:48:02,567 --> 00:48:06,321 How? Well, that's down to bones again, 434 00:48:09,767 --> 00:48:14,283 It's a trap-jaw, pre-set under full tension, 435 00:48:14,447 --> 00:48:19,760 When triggered, the trap snaps open, increasing the mouth volume ten times, 436 00:48:19,927 --> 00:48:22,395 sucking the prey inside, 437 00:48:32,527 --> 00:48:34,916 But when it comes to bone structure,,, 438 00:48:35,567 --> 00:48:39,321 ,,these small fry are the most extreme of all, 439 00:48:39,487 --> 00:48:44,083 For the first two weeks of their lives, they look like any other baby fish... 440 00:48:44,967 --> 00:48:48,516 ..then something begins to go awry, 441 00:48:55,007 --> 00:48:59,285 The face distorts, and one eye starts to shift, 442 00:48:59,447 --> 00:49:03,520 moving across to meet the other on the opposite side of the head, 443 00:49:03,687 --> 00:49:07,566 It's the beginning of a bizarre transformation, 444 00:49:13,527 --> 00:49:19,045 The makeover takes less than a week, and the results are fixed for life, 445 00:49:23,287 --> 00:49:27,963 This flatfish is now perfectly adapted to life on the sea bed, 446 00:49:28,127 --> 00:49:32,120 Its body shape and colouring mean it can keep a low profile - 447 00:49:32,287 --> 00:49:37,077 handy for hiding from predators or creeping up on prey, 448 00:49:38,927 --> 00:49:43,000 But if you don't have what it takes to hide out on the ocean floor, 449 00:49:43,167 --> 00:49:46,045 safety in numbers is your best bet, 450 00:49:48,647 --> 00:49:53,402 Living in a shoal is a great way to minimise the chances of being eaten, 451 00:50:02,007 --> 00:50:04,680 Throughout their evolutionary history, 452 00:50:04,847 --> 00:50:08,999 shoals of bony fish have come under fire from all sides, 453 00:50:11,327 --> 00:50:15,036 They've survived the age of the plesiosaurs... 454 00:50:24,207 --> 00:50:26,960 ..and a blitz of aerial attacks ever since, 455 00:50:36,887 --> 00:50:41,563 And all that time, they've also been hunted from below, 456 00:51:23,367 --> 00:51:27,076 This is predation pressure at its most extreme, 457 00:51:27,247 --> 00:51:32,924 Any fish that can avoid this kind of onslaught will have genes worth passing on, 458 00:51:41,687 --> 00:51:47,159 And pushed to the limit, some fish eventually sought refuge out of the water,,, 459 00:51:48,447 --> 00:51:51,325 ..with spectacular results, 460 00:51:52,367 --> 00:51:56,201 (SHOUTS) Look at that! That is fantastic! 461 00:51:56,367 --> 00:51:58,244 (HE LAUGHS) 462 00:51:58,407 --> 00:52:04,516 Flying fish. That has got to be the most extreme form of escape known to any fish. 463 00:52:04,687 --> 00:52:07,281 Look at them go. There's loads of them! 464 00:52:14,407 --> 00:52:19,435 There's another. That's incredible! Look at the distance. 465 00:52:20,167 --> 00:52:22,556 Look at him go. Whoo! 466 00:52:22,727 --> 00:52:26,800 Flying fish have evolved extraordinarily long pectoral fins. 467 00:52:26,967 --> 00:52:30,403 They don't flap, and they're used to glide instead. 468 00:52:31,367 --> 00:52:33,005 Ooh, mid-air collision! 469 00:52:34,127 --> 00:52:39,963 They seem to be able to steer once they're up and into the air. Oh, beautiful back turn! 470 00:52:41,927 --> 00:52:47,001 It's the tail that does it, driving them along like an outboard motor. 471 00:52:48,167 --> 00:52:52,319 It's so powerful that once in the air they glide for up to 100 metres. 472 00:52:55,047 --> 00:52:57,686 For a predator, it's a vanishing act. 473 00:53:01,407 --> 00:53:04,285 Look at that thing fly! 474 00:53:14,087 --> 00:53:17,159 Flying fish - who would have thought it? 475 00:53:17,327 --> 00:53:20,319 Perhaps the most extraordinary bony fish of all, 476 00:53:20,487 --> 00:53:24,275 It just goes to show anything can happen in the pressure cooker 477 00:53:24,447 --> 00:53:26,403 that is the crowded seas of life, 478 00:53:30,127 --> 00:53:32,880 It might well have been predation pressure 479 00:53:33,047 --> 00:53:36,198 that forced some fish out of the water permanently, 480 00:53:38,367 --> 00:53:44,681 The descendants of the bony fish colonised the land and hit a new jackpot, 481 00:53:44,847 --> 00:53:49,238 After some three and a half billion years of evolution in the oceans, 482 00:53:49,407 --> 00:53:54,435 they evolved air-breathing lungs, and walked out of the sea as landlubbers, 483 00:53:55,687 --> 00:53:59,600 Reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals like us - 484 00:53:59,767 --> 00:54:03,043 all these land animals share a common ancestor - 485 00:54:03,207 --> 00:54:04,640 a fish. 486 00:54:08,847 --> 00:54:13,523 But that's not the end of life's long journey through the seas, 487 00:54:13,687 --> 00:54:17,680 Ultimately, some land mammals developed a taste for sea food, 488 00:54:17,847 --> 00:54:20,680 and returned to the oceans to hunt. 489 00:54:39,687 --> 00:54:43,077 Over time, their legs gradually became flippers, 490 00:54:43,247 --> 00:54:45,238 and from an ancestor like this, 491 00:54:45,407 --> 00:54:49,605 they would become the most charismatic creatures in the seas, 492 00:54:50,567 --> 00:54:56,358 Today, the result of that evolutionary chain of events are the cetaceans - that's whales... 493 00:54:58,087 --> 00:55:00,078 ..and dolphins! 494 00:55:00,247 --> 00:55:01,965 Fantastic. 495 00:55:13,847 --> 00:55:19,080 These are bottlenose dolphins, the most widespread dolphins in all of the seas. 496 00:55:19,247 --> 00:55:21,238 People just love them. 497 00:55:21,407 --> 00:55:26,003 I think we identify more with this animal than any other sea creature. 498 00:55:26,167 --> 00:55:28,158 Yes, we do, don't we! 499 00:55:30,727 --> 00:55:35,084 For their size, dolphins have the second biggest brain on the planet - 500 00:55:35,247 --> 00:55:37,442 only a human's is bigger. 501 00:55:37,607 --> 00:55:39,359 Sorry, guys, I beat you. 502 00:55:39,527 --> 00:55:41,518 Yes. 503 00:55:43,567 --> 00:55:47,082 We're just starting to find out how clever they really are, 504 00:55:47,247 --> 00:55:53,322 Using sign language, we are now able to communicate with trained dolphins like these, 505 00:55:53,487 --> 00:55:58,163 Some can understand more than 2,000 different sentences, 506 00:56:14,967 --> 00:56:19,961 I'm sure we identify and admire the dolphins because they're so intelligent, 507 00:56:20,127 --> 00:56:25,042 but perhaps we should identify more with the smaller, colder sea creatures. 508 00:56:25,207 --> 00:56:30,839 It's directly because of them and the way they evolved that we are the creatures we are - 509 00:56:31,007 --> 00:56:35,205 that we're multi-cellular, that we've got eyes, a backbone, 510 00:56:35,367 --> 00:56:38,279 an internal skeleton, two pairs of limbs, 511 00:56:38,447 --> 00:56:41,803 a jaw, a heart, a digestive system, 512 00:56:41,967 --> 00:56:46,961 a sense of smell, touch and taste, a head and a brain. 513 00:56:47,127 --> 00:56:54,317 It's all down to three and a half billion years of evolution in the spectacular seas of life. 514 00:56:58,767 --> 00:57:00,120 (HE LAUGHS) 515 00:57:20,167 --> 00:57:22,397 Next week on the "Journey of Life", 516 00:57:22,567 --> 00:57:26,560 I'm going to discover how life conquered the hostile land 517 00:57:26,727 --> 00:57:31,926 in a story which leads from the sea to the desert,