Chern(gl)obyl Warming

    There has been an earth-rattling outcry about the presence of global warming, and what some would consider to be the inevitable demise of the human species, should we neglect our poisonous presence and make amends to heal the planet we have so greedily distressed. However, where some see the degradation of the planet, and the heartstrings-pulling drama of the extinction of certain species, I must say, I see the possibility of a rebirth of creatures long since left to the textbooks, and the imagination of children.

    What manner of creature am I referring to? Well, for starters let us take a brief look at Titanoboa. This undeniably massive snake arrived shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs, during the Paleocene epoch, roughly 60 to 58 million years ago. To say that Titanoboa was large would be a gross understatement. This reptile extended to the astounding, and greatly unnerving lengths of 40 to 50 feet, and weighed around 2,500 lbs. That's 600 - 700 lbs. heavier than a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle.    

    It goes without saying that a reptile of this size could not even begin to wage a fair fight against the relatively cool temperatures of today. During Titanoboa's existence the average temperature would be around 90 °F, which would be considered a dangerous high by today's standards, and a testament to the reality of global warming.

    But is global warming a sign of the end of times, as so many scientists declare, alongside gathered bands of politicians, celebrities, and activist groups? Were it not for the extreme temperatures of yesteryear--with yesteryear being over 60 million years ago--we would not have the monstrous fossils belonging to such imagination-stirring creatures as Tyrannosaurus.

    However, when debating the consequences of global warming there is one thing to consider: What would the new world of tomorrow, under the constant radiating heat of our Sun, look like? Granted I could regale of scenes involving a charred cityscape, torched human remains, and a desert wasteland easily befitting a Mad Max backdrop. Has the planet ever looked like that before, and if so, how far back would we have to go to see what the global-warmed lands of tomorrow might look like? Well, like any good telling of events, the proper place to start is... the beginning.

    So when is the beginning? Enter the Hadean era, around 4600 - 4000 million years ago. This is the first geologic period, this is when Earth was in its infantile state. The name Hadean derives, expectedly, from the Greek word Hades, and for good reason. The planet surface was engulfed in volcanic ash, lava, unbearably hot temperatures, and lethal levels of  carbon dioxide, among other lung-unfriendly gases spread about the surface in a molten-hot miasma. It can be granted that as a specie, we could not, over several generations, create enough pollution to organize such a powerful and destructive alteration of the atmosphere as what the planet itself is capable of, so perhaps we should stop being such a prat about it?

    After the Hadean Period we shift levers on our time machine and move to, say, the Carboniferous Period. (Goodness we've passed by a HUGE amount of time, haven't we. Sorry Cambrian and Ordovician, and the many others bypassed; this isn't an episode of "This is Your Life!" for planet Earth, you know. I haven't that much time on my hands.
    Anyhow, during this period the mean surface temperature is around 57 degrees Fahrenheit. During this time the planet saw a plethora of rather over-sized insects. One example might be pulmonoscorpius, which, as the name might imply, was a prehistoric scorpion that grew to around 28 inches long. However, the most interesting thing about the Carboniferous period is when you compare it to its predecessor, the Devonian. What is so interesting about the Devonian is that, based on what we find in the rocks, there was likely not a considerable amount of glacier coverage. From what is seen in micro fossils and minerals of the time, the average temperature value was 86 degrees Fahrenheit, and, interestingly enough, a steep drop in CO2 levels.

    Strange. A low amount of carbon dioxide, but a relatively warm temperature? The Devonian period could also be referred to as the age of fish, as this is time when we see a vast array of micro and macro sized marine life. Marine life such as: bryozoa, hederelloids, microconchids, and corals. There's also a number of sharks, like Cladoselache and Eusthenopteron, to name only a very small few. Then, of course, there's the intimidating Dunkleosteus; a massive prehistoric fish measuring 33 feet long, weighing 4 tons, blessed with crushingly unfriendly jaws, and matched with what could only be considered a most unwelcoming smile of teeth.

 

    When we shift from the Devonian to the Carboniferous we see a drop in carbon dioxide levels (2,000 ppm to 800 ppm). What is also interesting to note is that the O2 levels have also changed dramatically, from 15% volume (75% of modern level) to 32.5% (163% of modern level). While much of the Carboniferous period was warm, it did start to cool towards the end, and with this cooling and drying of the climate, there is the eventual collapse of tropical rainforests.

    It isn't until we skip into the beginning of the Triassic period that we see just how unfriendly ole planet Earth can be on its tenants. In the transition from Permian to Triassic, the planet saw a jump in CO2 levels, as well as a jump in temperature; from 2 degrees Celsius, to 3 degrees Celsius higher than today. CO2 ppm changed from 900 to 1,750 (current ppm level is around 399, for reference). This was also the period were mass extinctions took place at both its beginning, and end. But, on a brighter note, this is also the period where we see the rise of the dinosaurs. So there's that.

    Now let's put the time travel machine into high gear and race forward. We zoom through the Jurassic period, the Age of Reptiles, when the supercontinent Pangaea begins to break apart into two colossal landmasses, Laurasia and Gondwana. Birds make their appearance and share the skies with other vertebrates like the pterosaurs. The oceans brim with the fantastic reptile sea-life of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. 

    We push the time machine lever forward even more and jettison into the Cretaceous period. The CO2 ppm has dropped from 1,950 to 1,700. However, the mean surface temperature has risen from 17 degrees Celsius to 18.

    The time machine rattles violently, but we drive on into the Paleogene period. The landmasses begin to take on an all too familiar shape, as we begin to see the Earth as it is today. The dinosaurs are gone, the ocean life has changed. CO2 ppm has dropped fantastically from 1,700 to 500, though the mean surface temperature has remained relatively constant at 18 degrees Celsius.

Jurassic Period

Paleogene Period

    The time machine crackles violently as we make it to the end of our journey, the Quarternary period, and the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era. The face of the planet is drastically different from anything we've seen before, with the most interesting addition to the world's ecology being humans. One of the many flashy meters on our time machine reads "CO2 ppm 399 with a mean surface temperature of 14 degrees Celsius." 

    It's quite clear from looking at a map comparison how far the planet has come in terms of ocean to land configuration. What's more, Earth's history has shown us that even though CO2 levels can be low, temperatures can still be on the rise, and that ole Earth can unflinchingly shrug from its shoulders a vast array of large and small animals without giving a second thought. 

Cambrian Period (541 - 485 million years ago)

Today

    There have been numerous mass extinctions, many of which occurred long before the tragedy that befell the dinosaurs, and many more that took place well after them. No specie lasts forever on this ever-changing planet, and neither will we, when our time comes. But all is not dark in the realm of global change, for if we look to those species that have survived to see numerous Eras come and go, we should smartly take note that the reason for their survival was evolutionary change, not planetary. If we wish to see what the future of Earth will look like, and the many new and strange species it will unfold, then we must learn not to change the evolution of the planet, a task which is daunting, and, for now, impossible, but to evolve ourselves. Otherwise, as history has shown, another surface walker will come to sit upon our throne, and likely reign with a similar false sense of superiority over a planet that only just recognizes their existence upon its ever-changing surface.