Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also brings you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support.
Review
We all know that dinosaurs were the rulers of this planet before the advent of humans. However, because of a catastrophe, humanity was given the opportunity to conquer this planet.
But did you know that dinosaurs were not the earliest overlords on Earth, and there were several eras before dinosaurs, each with its own unique ecosystem and its own rulers? Today, let's take a look at what other amazing creatures have been rampant on the earth.
Odd shrimp
Before dinosaurs took over Earth, the planet had a long and colorful history, going through many different geological epochs.
Dinosaurs appeared at the end of the Triassic period, about 230 million years ago, at the beginning of the Mesozoic Era. The pre-Mesozoic Paleozoic era was a period dominated by invertebrates and fish, about 540 million to 250 million years ago.
During the Cambrian period of the Mesozoic Era, there was an unusually peculiar arthropod in the ocean, called the strange shrimp. Because it is very different from modern shrimp in appearance and living Xi, it is named "strange shrimp".
The odd shrimp was the largest, most predatory, and most eyesighted creature in the oceans at the time, and paleontologists believe it was the apex predator of the Cambrian explosion and the first overlord on Earth.
The life period of the odd shrimp spanned from the early to middle Cambrian period, between about 530 million and 505 million years ago. This period marked a critical turning point in the history of life on Earth.
Previously, life forms on Earth were mainly unicellular or simple multicellular organisms, but since then various complex multicellular organisms such as sponges, corals, brachiopods, trilobites, etc., have emerged. This phenomenon is known as the Cambrian Explosion and was a period of sudden and rapid expansion of biodiversity.
Fossils of the odd shrimp can be found in Cambrian sedimentary rocks around the world, including Canada, the United States, Poland, Australia, and China.
However, it is difficult to preserve the fossils of the shrimp because its body tissues are relatively soft, and only the mouth, forelimbs and eyes are relatively hard, so they are often found in a pile of fragments, which makes it difficult for scholars to identify the fossils of the shrimp.
Because of its unique body structure, which is very different from other arthropods, although the fossil of the strange shrimp was discovered in 1892, it was not until the 1980s that it was re-studied and restored, revealing its true appearance.
Odd shrimp is a flat shrimp that feels a bit like the pipi shrimp we often eat, but the largest can be more than two meters, and it is one of the behemoths of the ocean of that era.
Its head is equipped with a pair of large compound eyes, each with up to 16,000 lenses, allowing it to easily forage for food in the dark seas.
In front of the mouth is a pair of appendages that resemble shrimp tails that can be opened or closed to catch or cut prey. This peculiar mouth structure is also equipped with 32 overlapping tooth plates, and in the center is a ring of sharp teeth, large enough to bite through the shell of any animal.
There is a row of paddle-like appendages on both sides of the body that can quickly propel the shrimp forward in the ocean, and a large fan-like structure on the tail that coordinates the movement of the appendages, giving the shrimp greater speed and flexibility.
Shrimp are carnivores, and their main diet is those with hard shells, such as trilobites, shellfish, etc. Its bite power is the third highest among prehistoric animals, behind Tyrannosaurus rex and Dun's fish.
The forelimbs of the odd shrimp are used to catch and handle prey, which are then sent to the mouth to chew. The mouth can easily crush the shell of its prey, and devour all kinds of sea creatures like we eat melon seeds.
The digestive system of the anomalous shrimp can process many types of food, both organic and inorganic. Many trilobite fragments were also found in the fecal fossils of the shrimp, which also proved its predatory Xi from the side.
Shrimp are unrivaled in the Cambrian sea, and no natural predator poses a threat to them. Its size, speed, eyesight, bite force, and adaptability make it an excellent predator.
The presence of odd shrimp also had a profound impact on the biodiversity of the Cambrian, driving the evolution and adaptation of some organisms, such as the defensive structures and behaviors that trilobites evolved, and the concealment and camouflage abilities of other organisms. The reason why the shrimp became extinct is still inconclusive, and it may be related to environmental changes and competition between organisms at the end of the Cambrian period.
Dun's fish
From the late Silurian period to the end of the Devonian, the Dunkle fish stood proudly in the ocean, and the time span was about 440 million to 360 million years ago. Capable of reaching up to 10 meters long and weighing about 5 tons, this fish was the largest creature in the ocean at the time.
Its skull evolved into an exoskeleton, as if wearing a stiff helmet that could deliver ferocious ramming when hunting. The huge mouth of the fish can also easily bite through its prey, and its bite power is the second highest among prehistoric creatures, after the Tyrannosaurus rex.
The Dunkle belongs to the class Shieldfish, an ancient vertebrate that is very different from today's fishes. Its most striking feature is the head, which consists of a thick bony carapace, forming a powerful weapon that can be used for attack or defense.
Although the dunkle has no teeth, the mouth of its skull has a pair of sharp blades, which are part of its head, so it is technically more like its lips. With these giant blades, it was able to prey on almost anything in the oceans at the time.
Dun's fish is a carnivore, and its staple food includes ammonites, cargothroeth, and spine sharks. Its staggering bite force can reach more than 7,000 Newtons, enough to easily bite through steel or concrete. At the same time, it is also very good at sucking meat out of the carapace of its prey, or sucking small fish and shrimp directly from the seawater into its belly.
Although its physiology made it difficult to match in the oceans at the time, its large body, especially its heavy bone armor, also made it too slow to move in the water.
When other sea creatures evolved to be flexible, it was difficult for the dunkle to get enough food to support its huge consumption, so over time, the bulky fish retired from the stage of history.
epilogue
Through the study of fossils and the fossil record, scientists have revealed the rulers of the planet at different times, and the emergence and extinction of these creatures shaped the history of the evolution of life on Earth. The story of the odd shrimp and the dun's fish is just a small part of the magnificent history of this ancient planet.
Today, our knowledge of the creatures of the past provides us with important clues to solve the mystery of life on Earth, and also allows us to cherish and understand the diverse and amazing life of the present. Every living thing on Earth has a unique role to play, and together they make up our precious and diverse natural world.
Finally, due to the rules of the platform, you will only be considered a fan if you interact with me more. If you like my articles, you can click "Follow" and receive the article push as soon as you become a fan.