When Life Moved To Land & The Disastrous Consequences | GEO GIRL

When bacteria, algae, fungi, non-vascular plants, vascular plants, seed plants, invertebrate animals, & vertebrate animals moved to land, there were major climatic consequences that led to the first 2 Mass Extinction Events in Earth's history. Before terrestrial environments could be inhabited, life had to conquer transitional environments, like continental shelves. The stromatolites invaded continental platforms by the Late Archean Eon almost 3 billion years ago. Eukaryotic algae joined the cyanobacteria in these mat communities around 1.3-1 billion years ago. Fungi then moved further inland by around 1 billion years ago (depending on who you listen to). The timing of land fungi evolution is still debated but in any case it happened before plants moved to land. After bacteria, algae, and fungi had invaded land, plants joined in first as small, creeping non-vascular forms like mosses. The rapid expansion of non-vascualr plants over land caused the first Mass Extinction Event in the Late Ordovician Period. In the Silurian, after the Devonian, invertebrates began invading land as well, first as millipedes, wingless insects, scorpions & spiders. Seedless vascular plants invaded terrestrial habitats in the mid Devonian, and seed plants, which could get further from water bodies and cover dry regions, finally invaded land in the late Devonian, along with vertebrates which were transitioning from fish to amphibian with forms like Tiktaalik and Ichthyostega. Unfortunately, the spread of vascular plants in the Devonian had climatic consequences which caused the second Mass Extinction Event, the Late Devonian Extinctions. References: Geomicrobiology: https://amzn.to/2WAloTR Fungi & Plant Timing paper (2): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1061457 (Heckman et al., 2001) Fungi Timing paper (3): https://doi.org/10.3852/09-016 (Lucking et al., 2009) Plant Timing paper (4): https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab106 (Su et al., 2021) Moss Affects Weathering paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1390 (Lenton et al., 2012) Earth System History: https://amzn.to/3v1Iy0G Your inner fish by N. Shubin (Tiktaalik book): https://amzn.to/3cpw3Wb GEO GIRL Website: https://www.geogirlscience.com/ (visit my website to see all my courses, shop merch, learn more about me, and donate to support the channel if you'd like!) Studying for an exam? Schedule Tutoring with me: https://GEOGIRLTutoring.as.me/ Hey there, Earth enthusiast! Check my favorite Earth-friendly products: Bamboo toilet paper: https://shrsl.com/3cvku Bamboo paper towels: https://shrsl.com/3cvkw Compostable tableware: https://shrsl.com/3cvkz Compostable trash bags: https://shrsl.com/3cvl0 Bamboo cutlery + straw! : https://shrsl.com/3cwfl Eco-Friendly Tote (great for grocery shopping!): https://shrsl.com/3cwfp Reusable straws + cleaning brushes (my fav!): https://shrsl.com/3cwft Eco-friendly laundry detergent: https://shrsl.com/3cwgo Directly offset your carbon footprint with Wren: https://shrsl.com/3d0t2 (Just click link, press get started, take the free C footprint quiz, then choose how much you want to reduce your footprint by donating to the C sequestration projects they're funding!) Non-textbook books I recommend: Oxygen by D. Canfield: https://amzn.to/3gffbCL Brief history of Earth by A. Knoll: https://amzn.to/3w3hC1I Life on young planet by A. Knoll: https://amzn.to/2RBMpny Some assembly required by N. Shubin: https://amzn.to/3w1Ezm2 Oxygen by N. Lane: https://amzn.to/3z4FgwZ Alien Oceans by K. Hand: https://amzn.to/3clMx1l Life's Engines: https://amzn.to/3w1Nhke Tools I use as a geologist/teacher/student: Geology field notebook: https://amzn.to/3lb6dJf Geology rock hammer: https://amzn.to/3DZw8MA Geological compass: https://amzn.to/3hfbdLu Geological hand lens: https://amzn.to/3jXysM5 Camera: https://amzn.to/3l6fGRT Carbon-neutral pencil bag: https://shrsl.com/3cvjv Carbon-neutral backpack: https://shrsl.com/3cvkc 0:00 Definition of ‘Land’ 1:06 Bacterial & Algal Transition 4:28 The Land Fungi Debate 7:32 Non-Vascular Plant Transition 11:40 Vascular Plant Transition 14:20 Seed Plant Transition 15:59 Invertebrate Animal Transition 16:59 Vertebrate Animal Transition 20:19 Major Land Animal Evolutionary Steps 21:39 Timeline of Land Migrations 23:00 Related videos & references Disclaimer: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission, but there is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week! And as always, let me know your topic suggestions in the comments down below!