500 Million Years Ago, Earth’s Oceans Looked Like This

Swim through the seas of the Cambrian explosion, more than 500 million years ago, when animal life was brand new. From the Chengjiang delta to the Burgess Shale, meet Anomalocaris, five-eyed Opabinia and spiny Hallucigenia up close. 00:00 — Sixteen Flaps a Side 03:59 — Warm Water, Bare Land 10:11 — The First Eyes 16:00 — Twelve Million Years Later 22:23 — Five Eyes and a Hidden Row of Legs 28:22 — Anomalocaris in Open Water 34:19 — Why Armour, Why Now 40:05 — A Relative the Length of Your Thumb SELECTED SOURCES • Erwin et al. (2011). The Cambrian conundrum: early divergence and later ecological success in the early history of animals. Science. • Schoenemann et al. (2017). Structure and function of a compound eye, more than half a billion years old. PNAS. • Conway Morris & Caron (2014). A primitive fish from the Cambrian of North America. Nature. • Bicknell et al. (2023). Raptorial appendages of the Cambrian apex predator Anomalocaris canadensis are built for soft prey and speed. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Based on current scientific research. Where the evidence is uncertain or reconstructed, we say so. Inside Prehistory takes you into the ancient Earth as it actually was — vivid, evidence-based documentaries that put you inside the moment and keep moving. If you'd like to come along on the next journey, consider subscribing.