The Tiny Creatures That Changed the World: The Kitten Raft Hypothesis

🌊The Cambrian period saw the rise of the first groups with hard body parts like armored exoskeletons.

🔬Picocyanobacteria, the smallest and most abundant photosynthesizers on Earth, play a major role in carbon dioxide absorption and the marine food chain.

🛶The kiten raft hypothesis suggests that ancient microbes rafted out to sea on bits of dead arthropods, enabling them to adapt to the harsh open ocean environment.

🔍Phylogenetic analysis supports the timing of the kiten raft hypothesis, showing that genes related to kiten use appeared deep in picocyanobacteria evolution around 500 million years ago.

🌍The spread of picocyanobacteria throughout the oceans boosted the planet's primary productivity and played a crucial role in shaping the biosphere.

What is kiten?

—Kiten is a tough material rich in carbon that makes up the exoskeletons of early arthropods.

What are some examples of arthropods?

—Insects, crustaceans, and arachnids are examples of modern relatives of the early arthropods with armored exoskeletons.

Why are picocyanobacteria important?

—Picocyanobacteria are the smallest and most abundant photosynthesizers on Earth. They absorb carbon dioxide and play a vital role in the marine food chain.

What is the kiten raft hypothesis?

—The kiten raft hypothesis suggests that ancient microbes rafted out to sea on bits of dead arthropods' exoskeletons, allowing them to adapt to the open ocean environment.

How did the spread of picocyanobacteria impact the planet?

—The spread of picocyanobacteria throughout the oceans greatly increased the planet's primary productivity and played a crucial role in shaping the biosphere.

00:00About 535-520 million years ago, a new kind of biological litter began to collect in the ancient oceans of the Cambrian period.

01:22The Cambrian period saw the rise of the first groups with hard body parts like armored exoskeletons.

02:30Picocyanobacteria, the smallest and most abundant photosynthesizers on Earth, play a major role in carbon dioxide absorption and the marine food chain.

03:35The kiten raft hypothesis suggests that ancient microbes rafted out to sea on bits of dead arthropods' exoskeletons, enabling them to adapt to the harsh open ocean environment.

05:16Phylogenetic analysis supports the timing of the kiten raft hypothesis, showing that genes related to kiten use appeared deep in picocyanobacteria evolution around 500 million years ago.

07:52The spread of picocyanobacteria throughout the oceans boosted the planet's primary productivity and played a crucial role in shaping the biosphere.