4.5 billion years. No one can truly comprehend how large that number is, let alone imagine something taking that long. However, that is earth. Just 4.5 billion years of heat and gas that somehow churned out us. There is so much ambiguity shrouding what we are and how we came to live in this modern world. Sometimes though, mother earth herself leaves little breadcrumb trails to help us figure out our past. 

Let’s start from the beginning. Until about 540 million years ago, life looked like a test tube filled with plankton. Just a bunch of single cellular organisms floating around, vibing out, and not doing a ton. That all changed with the Cambrian Explosion! From plankton came giant sauropods tall enough to reach the tallest trees, huge mastodons roaming the ancient plains, and then finally you and I. “How is it we know all of this, Wray”? I am so glad you asked, my dear reader! The fossil record is our saving grace! Sometimes when an animal or plant dies, minerals from its surrounding environment can precipitate into the once living organism and leave a remarkable trace that tells us so much about its life. Fossils are Mother Nature’s books, her bedrock is the library. Sometimes it is how our ancient friends are buried that gives us that information, other times it’s who they are buried next to! The tricky part is revealed when it comes time to read said books. Through modern day ecological observations, we can make assumptions about how and why an organism might have lived, acted, and ultimately died. Certain animals have been discovered buried with many others of its kind, indicating it may have been a herd or pack animal. By modern studies, we can see how pack animals interact with each other and their environment, then apply it to these ancient creatures and see if the shoe fits. 

Earth has patterns, and regardless of how complex or difficult they might be to comprehend, they are observable. Pieces of our history can be glued together by just looking out your window. How did ancient herbivores graze the land? Much like their bovine counterparts on the ranch you drive past on the highway. Ecology and Geology are different, believe me I am the first person to tell you that. Truly though, we can learn a great amount about one field with the help of the other. While we may only play a small role in the story of Earth, it is still our story to tell.

stay well,

wray