The Ocean Through Time

Life began in the ocean around 3.5 billion years ago and as evolution progressed, many species went extinct -- and some left behind fossils -- as others appeared. And even now, the ocean hasn't stopped changing as evolution continues and humans leave their mark.

FEATURES

Article

Climate Change at the Poles

At the ends of the Earth, life thrives despite extreme conditions. In the Arctic and Southern Oceans, organisms have evolved adaptations to cope with year-round cold and six months of darkness. But the tough...

Shark Teeth Tell Great White Shark Evolution Story

For the last 150 years, paleontologists have debated the origins of the great...
Slideshow MORE STORIES Slideshow MORE AUDIO / VIDEO

Foraminifera

Microscopic, single-celled organisms called foraminifera have a fossil record...

Archaeologists Study Early Whaling Community in Quebec, Canada

CREDIT: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Basque Whalers Background Having...

LATEST POSTS

Charles Darwin's Ocean Upwelling

Feb 12, 2015
Charles Darwin is so well known he almost needs no introduction. The 19th-century naturalist and geologist spent his life documenting and collecting...

The Whale Graveyard Whodunit

Mar 1, 2014
Often it's the tiniest organisms that do the most harm. One example is...

The Design of a Beautiful Weapon

Sep 3, 2013
This summer, many of you have likely enjoyed feasting on crabs, be they blue...

LEARN MORE

Ediacaran Fossils: One Species at a Time

When the cod fishery collapsed in Newfoundland in the early 1990s, the hopes of the local fish harvesters collapsed with it...

More The Ocean Through Time

STORIES

Previous
Next

AUDIO / VIDEO

Previous
Next

IMAGE GALLERIES

Previous
Next
Subscribe to The Ocean Through Time