What Niche Do Humans Occupy? (Mailbag Episode!)

We’ve reached the present! Before we take one look into the future in our final episode, all four Eons hosts have gathered to reflect on their survival experiences - and answer some of your questions.

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References:

[HOLDENPOPE]

I've said it a few times before on this channel, but I love how PBS, which was practically my childhood, is now something I can watch regularly on YouTube

[filmboyultimate]

I just want to throw this idea out there again, evolution of reef systems.

[kylemackinnon]

"What niche do humans occupy"
Social insect on the macro scale. I will be taking no questions.

[Gfoot]

Michelle: "avoid the cenozoic"

I'm trying, but it's all around me!

[corinnekoladay]

I'm in love with the idea that these presenters are all friends who can geek out with each other over ferns and pre historic ephemera---thank you for such brilliantly happy and positive, intelligent content!

[lostfelinepiesh]

I volunteer to be the first time traveler to attempt to rub the Smilodon belly, for science of course

[lilylandis]

My smile got so big when I saw all 4 of you together for this video🥺😁

[davesatxify]

man I wish i had teachers like y'all.

[ariochiv]

"All your niche are belong to us."

[mythplatypuspwned]

2:29 Is there any way to know if smilodons purred?
6:08 What is your favorite plant from each time period? Would you want to go see all the extinct ginkos?
11:54 In which geological era do we believe viruses began? Would there be a way to prevent us from getting sick in previous eras?
23:34 What do you think deep time forests or ecosystems would smell like? Would they smell like any smells today? And would they be stinky or pleasant?
29:19 What is deep time?
34:45 What if a group of people traveled back in time, could they establish a civilization with the dangers/resources of the period?
39:32 What extinct animal/plant would you want to try eating the most and what do you think they would taste like?
43:44 How do we know where the continents were at specific time periods throughout our current eon?
49:31 Which evolutionary niche does humankind occupy, and are we the first to occupy (aspects of) it?

[SiqueScarface]

36:50 This definition is quite spot on. Civilization is what happens in a civitas, a city. As soon as you build a place which is not just hunter/gaterer housing or subsistence farming, you have founded a civilization.

[eons]

We’re publishing the Eons podcast right here on YouTube during our off weeks!

As usual, we’ll be back with another regular Eons episode next week.

[sd]

"What does a mammal-bird taste like?" Tastes like chicken, most likely. (A number of mammals do.)

[Emelefpi]

Roaring is actually quite rare if you think about it. No animal really roars in the way that pantherine cats, and even then, only lions and tigers perform loud territorial roars, and both sound very different. Leopards make more of a grunting territorial call; not sure what territorial calls snow leopards or jaguars make.

The other principal group of carnivores today, (the canids) do not show any sort of similar vocalization to the felids. AFAIK, bears do not make loud territorial roars, and while they do *sort of* roar, it's nowhere near what tigers and lions do.

Also whenever animals are recreated by conventional or computer animation, the tendency to make all of them roar is a bit misleading IMO. For example, if hippos were long extinct, and all we had was their skulls, and we tried to recreate living versions of them, it's almost certain they'd be shown as loud roarers, based on their size and dentition. But as we know, hippos do not make loud roars at all, but rather short, somewhat comical grunts

Therefore, to me, it's really a mystery what smilodon and the other macharodontids actually sounded like, but being closely related to living felids makes me think there'd be some similarity. As to how much is something unfortunately we'll never know

[nebulan]

Gabriel talking about Quarians furthers the evidence that we are the same level of nerd

[elfinvale]

45:35 that scene and Amy's grief when they came back without vincent was so heartbreaking!!!

[freshoutofcrabs]

If your compost stinks you either have too much nitrogen, not enough carbon, or it's anaerobic and you need to turn it.

[Vaultresidents]

I think a major question in time travel should also be can you breath the air

[jennifercourtemanche]

The celebration of nerdom is a great way to start my day!

[Zeuseus]

The idea of Smilodons having Deep Bass Purrs makes me happy.