The Mystery of Earth's Disappearing Giants | IN OUR NATURE

“In Our Nature” is a NEW special limited series on It’s Okay To Be Smart!
↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓

Seemingly distant ecosystems, even half a world apart, are connected in surprising ways. In this special limited series, Emily Graslie and Trace Dominguez join me as we explore the universal rules of life that tie together Earth’s living systems. In episode 6, we investigate a mystery. Millennia ago, while much of the Earth was covered in ice, enormous animals lived on every continent except Antarctica. Species like ground sloths, mammoths, gomphotheres, sabertooth cats, even wombats the size of cars! Today, Africa is the only continent where these megafaunas still exist. Why? What happened to the rest of Earth’s giants?

In Our Nature is a special miniseries produced by It’s Okay To Be Smart for PBS. Stay tuned for more episodes coming this summer, here on our YouTube channel!

Original Production Funding provided by: Anne Ray Foundation, a Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropy

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[Pwndbythnb]

Millions of years into the future archeologists would be able to find human fossils, not in tar pits, but in LA traffic.

[hundred_dios]

I wish this series to get the deserved attention and traction which it should.. A lot of effort have gone into this and we can see it. Thank you for making this beautiful series.

[tonyhinderman]

Wow that last interaction is so important 20:40
"I could discover a new species today!"
"You probably already did and you just didn't know it"

[ManahManah]

I can only imagine what that was like. I took my daughter to our local zoo a few weeks ago and they have a wide open African section with plains where you can see Elephants, Rhinos, and other animals. I’ve been around elephants before so I know how large they are, but they have one that was right under 18 feet tall from foot to top of the head. It made the others look like children. I have never seen one that size.

[scheru]

"We actually have a time capsule! And it's in the *last* place you would expect!"

"La Brea tarpits?"

"LA BREA TARPITS!"

[emonahmadi]

This is what everyone should be watching. This is something that we really need understand

[Dragonheroadimus]

“Extinctions are caused by multiple coincidences”

The entire Anthropocene : (Mr Blue Sky)

[EfHaichDee]

So what you're saying is that my current strategy of crying myself to sleep every night over the terrible catastrophe that is climate change's impact on the world, and the lack of significant change being made to try and prevent it *isn't* a valid response to the problem? Well then, where do I sign up?

[francoislacombe]

Calling 50, 000 years the deep past is like calling knee high water the deep ocean.

[obiomajronyekwere]

Im kinda sad they dont teach this stuff in school all these creatures look amazing atleast maybe a face up view would've been cool its grwat we got this series thos

[Cosouli]

Very entertaining and interesting, I felt like a kid watching PBS again. Many documentaries nowadays just don’t feel as fun to watch and learn anymore.

[joshstephens]

Early humans probably targeted predators as well, whether intentionally killing them or fatally wounding them when defending a kill, or by targeting nuisance individuals.

[Hamzoloo]

It'd be fascinating to experience life back then. The mysteries of our world never disappoint

[christianventurina]

I'll definitely an easy dinner if i ever go back in time then :>

[rakeshsahoo]

I'm literally crying 😭. Thank you for this amazing series, this makes me curious about that we human as a specie affected these vast and complex systems in a short span of time and what will be the future of these eco systems 100s of years from now. It's so sad that even with massive efforts most of these species gonna extinct in near future but we can't lose hope and respects to these scientists for their great contributions towards savings these vast ecosystems. Love you guys, already waiting for the next episode.

[shadowgirl]

been rewatching the series just patiently waiting for this new ep

[deonmurr]

Hay guys, thanks for letting me get smarter for free. 🥰 I'm to poor for regular school but u guys are my brain food XF

[GoodNewsEveryone]

I used to work there (I cleaned things in the fossil lab)... one thing we were constantly trying to get people to understand it that it was NOT like quicksand.... it was more like a glue trap, fairly shallow with animals stuck on top. The seeps would continue to seep and cover over it, but the semi-soft ground and bubbling would churn things (over long periods of time) so you actually don't get stratification. The pits are only pits today because they have been excavated and then the seeps re-filled the pits left by excavation. NOW, those are like quicksand, but they would not have been like that prior to excavation. We always told guests it was likely a combination of factors as far as the megafauna.

[ku]

I've had a similar discussion before, my friend was saying it was all because of human hunting, and I said then why is Africa the only place that still has large animals, yet humans have been there longer than anywhere else? Not saying we weren't a huge factor, but we can't be the only factor

[Roguefem]

I LOLed at the giant ground sloth holding a Starbucks cup. xD xD xD