Watching the Triumph of Life (6). The Survivors documentary and learning about the evolution of animals in land and water habitats has been an exciting and interesting experience. The authors provide an in-depth view of animal evolution and factors that have influenced different animals to evolve or go extinct. Most importantly, the animal documentary affirms that survival of the fittest has been the rule for the jungle and water habitats for more than a billion years ago. Therefore, with the ability to cope with unexpected disasters, various animals have dodged natural and human-led disasters, including storms.
According to the documentary, the story of life and extinction is the story of evolution. For example, animals such as giraffes, lions and cheaters have evolved following the extinction of dinosaurs. The extinction of dinosaurs allowed these animals to thrive in the habitat due to immense accessibility to food and predators for the new inhabitants to hunt. The previous dinosaur preys have also multiplied significantly, creating a new life for plants and other animals to thrive through pollination and predation.
Additionally, with the extinction of animals such as dinosaurs and plants, the animal documentary suggests that fossils of erosion and rocks open the window to the past. Rock arrangements and fossils help humans deconstruct the features of extinct animals and habitats of the past world. The narrator assures us that fossils are the only way we can study and discover animals that ever existed, while most of life’s secrets are still hidden in the rocks. Therefore, with the continuous extinction of animals, fossils and rocks give a glimpse of the animals and their physical characteristics.
It is also notable from the documentary that as animals evolved and new animals populated a habitat, many animals were phased out due to intensive predation. However, to resist extinction, highly predated animals have developed new and evolved escape and predation techniques. For example, as stingrays and crabs evolved with strong and sharp claws, they increasingly predated animals with hard shells, such as clams. As a result, clams evolved with new escape techniques, such as burying themselves in the sand when stingrays approach. Therefore, with the evolution of animals and predation, techniques prey develop fight and escape techniques to survive and resist extinction.
Additionally, the animal documentary emphasizes the long-term survival of animals and the risks of extinction, especially among animals with a narrow variety of food supplies, such as cheaters. The narrator argues that if at one point gazelles outrun cheaters or if gazelles become extinct, cheaters will be at high risk of going extinct. However, animals such as aardvark are at no risk of extinction because they depend on ants, which are in great supply. Less choosy animals are also fit for survival. Animals such as crocodiles feed on birds, among other animals. Their habitat is also safe, helping them escape from fire and storms.
Lastly, the animal documentary mentions that human activities and natural disasters, such as landslides, have encouraged animals to evolve. They also congest habitats, encouraging other animals’ survival while discouraging others’ survival. For example, the narrator mentions that dodos lost their ability to fly when they landed in a safe habitat with plenty of food on the ground. He also mentions that human invasion of habitats exposes animals to risks of floods and fires among other risks.
In conclusion, the narrator assures that humans have the knowledge to save the animals remaining in land and water habitats. They should leverage to make life and nature bounce back. I also believe it is our responsibility to leverage resources and expertise in protecting and restoring various animal habitats to create a greater supply of food and water.
References
Flight2016. (2015, April 17). Triumph of life (6) the survivors – video dailymotion. Dailymotion. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4510s9
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