CHAPTER TWO
1
Michael still had her SBP image floating around in his mind as he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to focus his thoughts more clearly. She was certainly very attractive in a way most appealing to him, which was something the SBP usually got right. But that wasn’t what concerned him. He knew he would have to make adjustments in his work schedule. Luckily, he could do most of his job from home, and his next expedition to New York City would take place long before any new arrival to his would-be family could come along. Then of course, there was always the chance of rejection by either party. Part of him thought it would be better for both of them if she found him unacceptable. That way neither of them would feel any repercussions from the decision. While Owen did not suffer any loss of position in his field as a sports commentator, Michael felt it could affect his ability to go on digs, and as for her, he thought even the folks at the SBP should realize it would take a very special person to put up with him. He did not believe himself to be the ideal candidate for a husband or a father. Letting out a dejected sigh, he opened his eyes.
“Michael Angel.”
“Eve Adams.”
The vision transplanted from his thoughts into his mind now stood directly in front of him. Eve’s SBP notification image could not have prepared Michael for how this alive and radiant beauty would affect him. Her sunlight-blonde hair seemed to glisten in the bright morning light shining behind her, while blue, soulful eyes beamed out from a cheerfully rosy countenance. Surprised by the twenty year olds’ abrupt presence, Michael took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing with the formalities of the occasion.
“It is a real pleasure to meet you,” Michael said holding out his hand.
“I am very pleased to meet you, too,” Eve replied taking his outstretched hand as she leaned forward and gave him a quick, friendly hug.
Separating, Michael noted how light and bouncy on her feet she was, wearing a floral print sundress, cut-off just below the knee. Girlish in appearance, projecting a bright outlook on life, she kept a deep, subtle intellect to herself.
“How was your trip over?” Michael asked. “I could have sworn I arrived here before you, and I didn’t see you on the early shuttle.”
“I drove over from the Capital Building. Earlier this morning, I had to attend the final training seminar for my position at the Foreign Affairs Office in Alpha City.”
“Alpha City is only ten miles from where I live.”
“Guess we won’t have to worry about a long distance courtship,” Eve said with a girlish giggle, then added. “I mean…..I don’t want to be presumptuous or anything. At least I can offer you a ride back home.”
“You are very kind, thank you. I do not like to take things for granted, either. I was hoping we could take some time to get to know each other before making any final decisions.”
“That is a very thoughtful and practical approach to our purposeful rendezvous,” Eve agreed, adding with a motion of her hand toward the museum. “Which I trust is to your liking. I know it is a ways to travel to meet someone, but I thought you would feel more relaxed in a familiar environment.”
“Oh, this is just great. I try to get back here whenever I get the chance. It has been one of my favorite places since the first time I came here as a grade-schooler, just like the ones taking the tour today.”
“If you would like, we can join them. From what I read in your profile you can teach them a thing or two, yourself.”
“Now you sound like my roommate, Jacob. He is also under the impression I know more than I really do. I have just always had a strange fascination with history. It seems like a good place to look for answers.”
“Because that is where the answers to some of life’s most important questions remain. I truly believe your work has real value in helping preserve what most people want to forget. Everyone seems content to live in a Utopian haze, which there is nothing wrong with being happy. The world is a much better place than it has ever been. But we still need to remember the tragic cost it took to get here.”
“I am so relieved to hear you feel that way, too. I do not know many people who understand it like you do,” Michael said as a calm feeling replaced the nervous butterflies he felt fluttering in his stomach.
“Shall we, then,” Eve said holding out her hand to Michael.
Taking her hand, Michael smiled as he felt the force of life pulsating through her flesh, giving him a positive energy aura of pure joy. Feelings he had never known before swept through his body, causing him to laugh at an amusing memory as they started up the pathway to the museum entrance.
“What is so funny?”
“Nothing, it’s silly. A line I remembered from an old movie is all.”
“What? Tell me.”
“Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Eve smiled wider than she had since first laying eyes on Michael. She squeezed his hand tighter as they approached the museum entrance. “I think you might be right. Who’s Louie?”
The interior design of the museum was even more impressive than its exterior. The triple-dome structure split into three sections, offering an expansively wide space for every exhibit featured and educational program available. The middle dome served as the entrance and held a Learning Center, complete with a computer guided history tour. The other two sections were dedicated to opposite perspectives of world history, with the right dome displaying modern technology, science, and art, while the left dome was an exhibition of surviving ancient artifacts, which included everything from dinosaur bones, famous artworks, mechanical marvels of the past, and much, much more.
Still holding hands, Michael and Eve entered the museum stepping into the lobby portion of the middle dome where a triangle-shaped directory set, pointing inward. The back of the triangle designated the location of the Learning Center, just inside the entrance, with the sides of the triangle pointing the way to the other exhibits. Another large banner hung over their heads, also heralding the upcoming Centennial. They detoured off into the Learning Center, which was comprised of two sections. The first was an academic aptitude testing area that granted the children a way to plan a proper course of action for achieving their future goals in life. It gave them the responsibility of selecting the subjects they wanted to study. A smaller banner indicated today was Career Day.
The schoolchildren had just finished choosing their career goal paths. The system allowed the children to seek out the profession or vocation they were best qualified for and to avoid the ones they weren’t. It helped them to make informed decisions by examining their strengths and weaknesses, while providing guidance for the educational needs of every child.
“Wow, this brings back memories,” Michael said.
“Me, too. My indecisive mind always frustrated my teachers. I could never settle on a specific goal. They used to say I wanted to know everything about nothing in particular. While also telling me, learning as much as you can about anything and everything is not a bad thing, but it will leave you unfocused. Least that is what they believed. Me, I’m not so sure.”
“I guess that explains why you took all those psychology and philosophy courses, plus you are fluent in five languages, when most people can’t be bothered to learn a second. I can see why some might question your motivations, but not me. Sometimes I think people can’t see beyond the nose on their face. I am glad you are not one of those worker-bee drones, refusing to think for themselves, and always do whatever their told.”
“I believe we all have a purpose in life, and we are all meant to do something with our lives. Something that not only serves the self, but a greater good as well, which is the only way you will find true happiness.”
“I take it that is what led you to the Foreign Affairs Office.”
“Helping integrate foreign exchange students to our culture, while preparing teachers traveling abroad to others, has been a real uplifting and inspirational experience for me. I feel li
ke I am playing a part in re-educating the world.” Eve said.
Michael understood the sense of pride she took in her work, much in the same way he felt about his contributions to society, compelling him to tell her how simpatico he felt they were.
“While I am sure you must get plenty of obligatory and sincere compliments about how beautiful you are,” Michael stated frankly as Eve shyly blushed, knowing the truth in his words, she was beautiful, there was no denying it, but sometimes she wished she was just average so…“I have to admit, I am really in awe of your mind.”...people would desire her for her…wait, what did he just say…mind. “You see the world in a different way than most people do. You don’t want to settle for a life full of complacent conformity. We are a lot alike in that way. Maybe there is something to this SBP system, after all. I never thought I would meet someone who sees things like I do.”
With a burst of emotion stirred up inside her by his words, Eve embraced Michael, wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave him a quick, passionate kiss on the lips. Taken slightly aback by Eve’s unexpected show of affection, Michael looked blank-faced at her for a moment. Sensing her building embarrassment, he responded in kind and kissed her back for a longer duration and just as passionate. Even though it lasted only a couple of seconds more, to both of them, it felt like a moment locked in time, forever suspended in blissful joy.
After separating from their strong embrace, a chorus of giggles greeted Michael and Eve, coming up from the schoolchildren staring at them. Now both of them felt embarrassed by their involuntary display of affection. Michael looked at Miss Laurence, whose forced smile seemed to indicate a clarifying response had better be forthcoming, to which Michael replied, “SBP.”
“Aren’t new beginnings just wonderful, children,” Miss Laurence said as her smile became more genuine. “Perhaps when you come of age you will all be worthy of the chosen honor.”
A museum tour guide came over from another section of the Education Center to lead the way to the next exhibit. She was a sixteen-year-old college student doing an internship at the museum, a position serving more as a hostess due to the almost fully automated function of the facility. Her uniform harkened back to a retro look of a Nineteen Sixties airline stewardess, complete with a nametag reading: JANET.
“I hope everyone was able to make an informed decision on the path to furthering your educations. I remember how invaluable Career Day proved to be for me,” Janet said to the children before guiding them onward. “Now if you will just step this way, I am sure the next stop on our journey will be a memory you will carry with you for the rest of your lives.”
As the schoolchildren headed over to the next stop on the tour, Eve reached down and took hold of Michael’s hand once more.
“Want to tag along?”
“Sure, why not.”
2
Tour guide Janet led everyone over to a large platform stage, where she stopped in front of four huge letters mounted on the wall. Embossed in a golden glow, the letters spelled out C-H-A-D. Janet ushered the spectators forward with a guiding arm as they made their way up the three steps of the platform stage. She then pressed a small red button located on top of what looked like a microphone on a stand, but was really a start button. Once freed from her appointed duty, Janet left to go on break.
The stage came alive with the lights of the universe projected on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Galaxies and stars engulfed everyone on stage, making them feel weightless as if floating in space. For the children, it must have felt akin to when fantasy and reality mixed into one for the first time, when early 20th century theater patrons saw that iconic locomotive engine come barreling straight at them from up on the big screen.
Looking around at the schoolchildren’s awestruck faces, Michael leaned over and whispered into Eve’s ear. “I feel like a kid, again.”
“Me, too,” Eve replied, squeezing his hand tighter.
A single star reflecting high up on the ceiling instantly got much brighter than the rest. The illuminated star beamed out in a resplendent, radiating light shining down on the captivated audience. Next, a deep, loud voice echoed out all around them. “Prepare to have your minds enlightened by the wonderful world according to CHAD.”
With the blazing velocity of a streaking comet, the brightest star came crashing down to the stage, where it imploded into a sparkling, white glitter before taking shape and form as an animated, 3-Dimensional old man. Looking like a cross between Albert Einstein and the Monopoly Man, the four-foot cartoon caricature stood in the welcoming stance of a circus ringmaster, with his two short arms outstretched, top hat in hand, and coattails streaming behind. Despite his bushy, white mustache and frosty, spiked hair, the animated man exuded a veritable presence of life.
“Good morning, schoolchildren, Miss Laurence, and I see we have some old friends joining us on this lovely day with Michael and Eve. Glad you could come back for a visit,” the animated old man’s voice sprang out at a friendly, peppy volume as he marched back and forth making his introductory presentation.
Michael and Eve reflexively waved hello at the mention of their names, then giggled at themselves for doing so.
“And I am CHAD—a Complete History Archives Database. That is who and what I am, children. Because you see, right up here in this little noodle,” CHAD explained while pointing to his animated head before continuing with his boastful march. “I hold the most comprehensive, the most abundant, the most accurate…well, let me just say it—the complete recorded knowledge of history since the beginning of time. And today, children, we are going to explore the origins of our existence to learn how the greatest mystery of life, is life itself. We will begin with an in-depth look at the creation of life to see how it evolved into us. Then, we will take a look at what we did with this gift, building great cities and civilizations, before our greed for wealth and power destroyed it all. We arrogantly believed that we were superior to every other living creature, including some of our own kind.”
CHAD paused for a moment to let his audience take in his words of wisdom, which had a prideful exuberance to them.
“Now no one knows what came first in what I like to call the chicken or the egg scenario. Or more to our topic of discussion—did God create the universe and everything in it? Or did man create god to give a divine purpose to his existence? There is no way to know for sure. Until you die, that is. But, then you cannot tell anybody about it. So what I can tell you are the things we are ninety-nine percent certain of, but may never be able to prove. Once, it was a widely held belief God created the whole shebang in six days, rested on the seventh, and the earth was only as old as the Bible said it was—about six thousand years or so, depending on which version you read. Of course, no one ever said how long a day was. Could it have been a billion years? We do not know. No one does, which is where the controversy of inflexibly closed minds began, right at the start of time, itself. Arguing a day was only twenty-four hours, no more, no less.”
At the end of CHAD’S remarks, the stars all blinked out of existence. Pitch black darkness engulfed everyone on stage, bringing about a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” from the children. The darkness lasted for nearly a minute. Then, a distant, emerging white star let there be light, once more.
“The most accepted scientific explanation for the sequence of events leading to the creation of the cosmos supports the concept that the universe has been continuingly expanding from an extremely hot, dense state for close to thirteen billion years.” CHAD continued while pointing up to the glowing white light.
“What created this initial hot, dense state or its origin—could it be a form of intelligent design or what we refer to as God crafting the beginning of all things—may never be known. What we can clarify through scientific method is the evolution of the universe from that point on in what has come to be known as The Big Bang Theory.”
As if on cue, the distant star exploded.
“In the earliest phases of the
Big Bang, the universe was expanding and cooling with a rapid progression and contained an incredibly high energy density, combined with extreme temperatures, and immense pressures. About a microsecond into the expansion, a bang within the bang caused a cosmic inflation in which the universe grew exponentially.”
CHAD explained as waves of expanding space moved across the cosmos away from the initial explosion, followed instantly by a second explosion carrying newly forming galaxies past the astonished observers, who could feel phantom fluctuations in the air rushing by them.
“Afterwards, the universe was made up of elementary particles of quark-gluon plasma—matter and antimatter. But with temperatures so high, the random particles were constantly being created and destroyed in collisions. Then an unknown reaction occurred, called baryogenesis, resulting in a very small excess of matter over antimatter. As the universe continued to grow in size and fall in temperature, the quarks and gluons combined to form baryons of protons and neutrons, but none of their antiparticles remained. The same process happened with electrons and positrons, after which photons dominated the universe. A few minutes into the expansion, when the temperature was about a billion Kelvin, neutrons combined with protons to form the universe’s deuterium and helium nuclei in a process called Big Bang nucleosynthesis. About 379,000 years later, the electrons and nuclei combined into atoms of mostly hydrogen. The leftover radiation continued throughout space as cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, which has helped scientists to pinpoint when the universe began. Dense regions of matter were gravitationally attracted to nearby matter and over a long period of time grew even denser, forming gas clouds, stars, galaxies, and other astronomical structures observable today.”
With his words visualized in 3-D images floating around the fascinated onlookers, CHAD offered some clarifying statements on the differences of opinions that impeded the process in attaining scientific knowledge of our creation.
“The Big Bang Theory was first proposed in 1927 by Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian physicist and Roman Catholic priest, who called it the hypothesis of the primeval atom. It wasn’t widely accepted for many years—mostly due to conflicting opinions, religious implications, and the lack of advances in telescope technology. And while we do not have time to explore the important research done by the many brilliant minds of their day, or else we would be here until you all graduated, please feel free to access our database for a complete history of time to learn how, depending on when you lived, if you would have been persecuted for your pursuit of scientific knowledge.
“After the Big Bang, a large rotating cloud of interstellar dust and gas composed of hydrogen and helium, called a solar nebular, formed our solar system.”
Once again brought to life, CHAD’S words were in miraculous detail.
“Approximately nine billion years later, the solar nebular started to contract—more than likely induced by shock waves generated from an exploding supernova—impelling it into an accelerated, rotating momentum that caused it to flatten into a proto-planetary disk. Most of the concentrated mass in the middle heated up and mixed in with collisions of large debris to create proto-planets orbiting the center of the nebular. Through an increase in its rotational speed and the force of gravity, the solar nebula’s center created a tremendous quantity of kinetic energy, causing a nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium, which contracted and ignited a T Tauri star—our sun. As gravity drew in matter and condensed around the new star, the proto-planets separated into rings, including the third rock from the sun; Earth. Shortly after the formation of its initial crust, another proto-planet struck proto-earth, ejecting part of earth’s mantle into space to form the moon. After the impact, the planet was thrown off its axis, producing the tilt responsible for the earth’s four seasons—unique to our planet.”
“Isn’t it amazing?” Michael whispered to Eve.
“It looks so real,” Eve replied.
Watching the sun, earth, and moon form, they stood alongside the amazed schoolchildren, whose bright, shiny faces reflected the wonderment in their eyes.
“In over its 4.5 billion year history, the earth has gone through many extreme geological and biological changes. Mankind has only come to dominate it for the past ten thousand years or so. Using this geologic time scale, you can see the many different stages in the earth’s development.”
The earth’s surface transformed into the geological scale with a detailed timeline diagraming the planet’s progression from creation to present, broken down into a system of chronological measurements known as eons, eras, and periods.
“During the Hadean, earth’s first eon, the surface underwent an intense period of meteor showers, called the Late Heavy Bombardment. It began over four billion years ago and lasted until the end of the eon, two hundred thousand years later.”
The earth transformed back to its early state to illustrate the meteorite showers pulverizing the surface.
“At the start of the Archean eon, 3.8 billion years ago, like a baby in a womb, the earth was covered with oceans, partly from degassing volcanoes, but mostly from impacting comets containing ice. The impacts enriched the earth with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane, ammonia, and water. As the planet cooled, rain clouds formed and created oceans. Primordial life began to evolve in the early Archean eon. Molecules gained the ability to copy themselves, forming replicator cells, called prokaryotes. Through the process of photosynthesis, which converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds using energy from sunlight, the cells were able to increase their metabolism and obtain more sustenance from the same food source.
“In the Proterozoic eon, remnants of early continental crust, known as cratons, grew into continents of large land masses. Released into air overtime, oxygen, a waste product of photosynthesis, enriched the upper atmosphere to form the ozone layer, which freed lifeforms from the water and allowed them to colonize the surface of the ocean and eventually land. Previously, ultraviolet radiation would destroy all life not protected by the water, and without the ozone layer, the development of more complex lifeforms, like prokaryotes into eukaryotes and multi-cellular forms, might never have happened. Around 2.3 billion years ago, the earth suffered the first of many vast ice ages so severe they created snowball earths, frozen over from both poles to the equator. This was more than likely a result of increased oxygen in the atmosphere causing a decrease in methane, a strong greenhouse gas, weakened by the high oxygen concentration.”
The earth morphed into a giant ice ball, captivating the schoolchildren in awe as they absorbed the valuable knowledge like sponges soaking up water. Michael and Eve followed along reminiscent of a couple watching their favorite old movie.
“Throughout earth’s history, continental drifts related to plate tectonics helped cause the formation and break-up of many supercontinents. Rodinia, the first supercontinent, formed about a billion years ago. Around the same time, the first multi-cellular plants formed when single cell lifeforms merged and became dependent on each other to survive. Within another hundred million years, the first animals evolved from the same process and probably resembled something similar to today’s sponges. There were two more snowball earths during this time, along with some intense volcanic activity that resulted in the breaking up of the supercontinent. Rodinia broke up a hundred million years later, with most of the continental mass uniting around the South Pole by the end of the eon.
“Most of the time life evolved slowly, however, every once in a while there were unexpected dispersions of new species or mass extinctions. These bursts of evolution were usually the aftermath of dramatic shifts in the environment from meteor impacts, climate change, or other natural disasters. The start of the Paleozoic era, five-hundred-forty-two million years ago, was such a time as the Cambrian explosion witnessed the appearance of many new species, unprecedented in its time before or since. The development of hard body parts—shells, skeletons, or exoskeletons in arthropod animals akin to Mollusks—made fossil preservation possible and them easier t
o identify than their ancestors.”
“What is the difference between eons and eras?” the dark hair girl who mentioned the Shiteflowers back at the Prophet Warrior monument asked.
“A very good question, Sally, one few ask. As a matter of fact, last time someone asked that particular question he was your age. Perhaps you would be kind enough to edify our little band of knowledge seekers, Michael.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed by the sudden attention, Michael found his voice and presented his wisdom on the subject.
“Eons are at least half a billion years or more, and there are four of them. Eras are several hundred million years each, and there are twelve in total.”
“Very good, Michael, I can tell you have been keeping up with your studies. Because you see, children, during our time together, I can only give you the scientific conclusions of the most accepted evidence available. Of course, there will always be differences of opinion on how to interpret the data. This is why you must always remember to think for yourselves, do your own research, check the facts, and even draw new conclusion from improved data not available in the past. Great minds are born every day, and it is up to you to seek your own destiny and to make a difference.” CHAD offered them an equally important lesson as the one they were already learning, before continuing with the tour.
“The earliest vertebrate animals appeared during the Cambrian period, with the first fish evolving about five-hundred-thirty million years ago. When the first animals migrated to land, is not exactly clear. Evidence suggests arthropods, invertebrate animals with segmented body parts and jointed appendages, colonized land some eighty million years later. With the ozone layer acting as a protective shield, organisms making it to land were more likely to survive by developing the ability to adapt to their new environment. In between the Cambrian and the succeeding Ordovician period, a mass extinction took place that wiped out many of the new lifeforms. But over the next one-hundred-fifty million years, more diverse species arose that were better suited to their surroundings. The first four-legged animals, called tetrapods, evolved from fish, probably through a process of limbs forming from fins. Considered to be the origin of amphibians, it allowed them to breach the surface and breathe air. They eventually conformed to terrestrial life, only returning to the water to lay eggs, but overtime developed an amniotic egg, laid on land. When plants obtained the ability to generate seeds, they spread out across the land, turning the earth into a tropical swamp inhabited by enormous insects and early reptiles. Pangaea, the last supercontinent, also formed during this period.
“At the end of the Paleozoic era two-hundred-fifty million years ago, the most severe extinction event took place as volcanic eruptions persisted for over a million years, wiping out ninety-five percent of all lifeforms.” CHAD paused a moment to note the children’s astonished faces. “I can see by the looks in your innocent, young eyes it is difficult to understand how life could have ever survived on our volatile planet. Trust me, life will always find a way. It perseveres under the most traumatic circumstances, and sometimes-even flourishes as the dinosaurs did.
“During the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs split off from their archosaurian ancestors in the Triassic period. They eventually became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for the next one-hundred-sixty million years. Primitive dinosaurs were small bipedal predators that continued to evolve after two more extinction events, which also spared pterosaurs (flying dinosaurs) crocodylomorphs, turtles, and some small shrew-like mammals restricted by size and niches. After the second extinction event in the early Jurassic period, two-hundred million years ago, dinosaurs evolved into diverse and varied groups. As the supercontinent Pangaea started to break up, it spread them out worldwide.
“Dinosaurs would soon be present on every continent, comprised of many different terrestrial habitats, called faunas. Although known for the large size of some species, most dinosaurs were human size or smaller. They could be herbivores or carnivores. Some were bipedal and some quadrupedal, while others could switch between either body postures.”
As CHAD described the distinctions of species, a cavalcade of computer-generated prehistoric beasts (some big, some small) paraded across the stage in front of the awestruck audience.
“Herbivorous sauropods, like the popular Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus, were gigantic even by dinosaurs’ standards.” Two of the massive creatures strolled by, dwarfing the amazed onlookers. “Some dinosaurs—the Triceratops, Protoceratops, and Stegosaurus—developed elaborate skeleton modifications with horns, crests, and or bony armor used to attack or defend against predators.” All of which followed the sauropods.
“Avian dinosaurs, like the pterodactyls, became the dominant flying vertebrates.” Two of the winged species soared over the stage. “Fossil records indicate birds evolved from dinosaurs around one-hundred-fifty million years ago, and most paleontologists regard them as their only ancestors living today.
“And of course, the favorite of many dinosaur enthusiasts since the discovery of their fossilized remains, the king of the carnivorous predators, the Tyrannosaurus—more commonly known as the T. Rex—became the most recognizable of the monstrous creatures due to the fierce nature of the beast.” A loud roar echoed out, shortly followed by a second as two of the large predators made their way across stage.
“Dinosaurs get their namesake from the Greek words deinos saurs, which roughly translates to ‘terrible lizard’, a term coined by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1842. For many years, people thought dinosaurs were dumb, sluggish, coldblooded animals. But after further review, it became the consensus of scientific opinion they were active, intelligent creatures, exhibiting behavior of social interaction, possibly traveling in herds for protection from predator pack-hunters, like the velociraptor. Also, the discovery of ancient nesting grounds indicates care of young after giving birth, along with new evidence showing some might have been warm-blooded and thrived in cooler climates.
“In the Cretaceous period, flowering angiosperm plants became a major part of the ecological system, replacing previously dominating gymnosperm plants. This metamorphosis in plant life caused a great upheaval in the dietary needs of most herbivores unable to adapt to the new food source. Their failure to diversify doomed them to extinction—like the Stegosaurus, which appears to have died off around then. Even if they managed survive the new conditions, their efforts would have been in vain as the rest of their brethren soon followed them.
“The death knell for the dinosaurs exploded with the same sudden fury in which life began with the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event wiping out their species sixty-five million years ago. A general consensus was reached that an impact event from a meteorite, approximately six miles wide, struck the earth somewhere near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. And while the meteor impact is believed to be the primary cause, other factors may have contributed, like severe climate change and a failure to adapt to the new plant life that was already putting a strain on the dinosaurs’ harmony with nature.”
As CHAD finished his sentence, a comet blazed across the stage trailing the path of the dinosaurs in a fiery ball of flames and crashed into the animated horizon they were heading.
“Afterwards, life on the planet would have been extremely difficult as vast amounts of particle matter and vapor ejected into the air blocked out the sun and prevented photosynthesis. Whatever caused their extinction (except for the birds), the only other survivors were varied species of lizards, snakes, crocodilians, and some small mammals—who’s time to dominate was on the new horizon.”
Once again, the stage faded into darkness as the startled spectators felt the blackness creeping in all around them. Signaling the dawn of a new day, a rising sun appeared on the horizon bringing life back to the battered planet.
“At the start of the Cenozoic era, life on earth was marked by great changes in the climate, flora, and fauna as the continents continued to drift toward their current positions. The planet appeared much different than toda
y. Still connected to Greenland, Europe was in the process of separating from North America—joined to Asia by a land bridge. The continental movement continued to play havoc on the environment creating warmer temperatures worldwide and giving rise to thick tropical jungles (including the first rain forest), along with ice-free Polar Regions. Without any dinosaurs to graze upon the land, the flora grew denser as modern plant species like Cacti and Palm trees appeared. The flowering florae co-evolved with the insects pollinating the plants as they fed on them. Birds also evolved considerably during this time changing to roughly modern species, like perching birds; cranes, hawks, pelicans, herons, owls, ducks, pigeons, loons, and woodpeckers, including some large, carnivorous, flightless birds—long since extinct. Even though reptiles were more widely distributed over the globe with the climate giving way to warmer seas and producing an abundance of marine life, this period is most notable for being the time when mammals evolved from relatively small creatures into a larger group of diverse animals dominating the land.”
As CHAD described what was happening, the stage divided into two sections. The wall in front of them turned into a map of the world illustrating the continental movement, while the floor, ceiling, and the open space around them transformed into the changing landscape showing the continuing evolution of life on the planet.
“When mammals first appeared in the Triassic period, they were small rodent-type creatures living in insect-rich underbrush or high-up in the trees. These survivors of the mass extinction, considered primitive, archaic mammals, had not yet developed specialized teeth or limbs and also had a low ratio of brain to body mass. Around fifty-five million years ago, the first modern mammals evolved, however, dwarf forms still reigned. The most successful and diverse group were placental mammals, whose members included hoofed animals of various species (consisting of both carnivores and herbivores) and long thin-legged primates with feet and hands capable of griping things, in addition to the growth of differentiated teeth for chewing. Woodlands spanned from pole to pole, including polar forests with palm trees as far north as Alaska, giving way to numerous habitats capable of supporting the new faunas. Then a cooling period began over the next twenty million years, bringing about the Earth’s seasonal changes. It marked a transitional time from the archaic world of tropical forests to a more modern ecosystem, culminating with a major extinction event around thirty-five million years ago, called the Grand Coupure or Great Break. Most likely caused by one or more meteor impacts, it coincided with an abrupt climate change after South America broke off from Antarctica, allowing the Antarctic Circumpolar current to flow freely, rapidly cooling the continent. Tropical and sub-tropical forests died off as seasonal woodlands, open plains, desert regions, and the expansion of grasslands took their place. The turnovers in flora made it possible for animals to grow larger than earlier groups, including horses, camels, rhinoceroses, along with more modern marine fauna like whales and sharks.”
CHAD’S words continued to be recreated as the amazed viewers watched the floor transform from tropical forests to deserts, open plains, and vast seasonal woodlands, corresponding with the evolution of life on land and at sea and in the air. Early primates, horses and other hoofed animals, along with the new marine life, morphed into more evolved states.
“Over the next thirty million years, Brown algae, called kelp, provided a fresh food source for marine fauna, supporting new sea life from otters, to sea lions, to seals, to early dolphins, plus a variety of fish. With the continents still drifting toward their present positions, mountain building took place, creating wondrous ranges like the Andes and Alps. The continental drift also formed a land bridge linking North America to South America, called the Isthmus of Panama, making possible a great land migration of formerly isolated species. Mammals became more identifiable by regions they came to dominate with the appearance of dogs, raccoons, beavers, deer, pigs, bears, elephants, cows, hyenas, antelopes, giraffes, kangaroos, and now extinct saber-toothed cats, wooly mammoths, and mastodons. The creation of the Isthmus of Panama also led to extreme changes in the climate. With the warm equatorial ocean currents being cutoff, the extremely cold arctic and Antarctic waters lowered the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean, signaling the beginning of repeated glacial cycles, known as Ice Ages. It is believed as much as thirty percent of the earth’s surface was covered in ice, with the glacial effect being global.”
The map of the world displayed the connecting link between North America and South America forming as the stage gave way to migrating prehistoric beasts making their way over a frozen landscape. The room temperature actually dropped to a chilly degree, allowing the spectators a tangible perception.
“During this time, there were about a hundred species of apes living all over the globe, varying in sizes, diet, and anatomy. Molecular evidence indicates around six million years ago humans branched off from their last common ancestor, the chimpanzee—to whom their DNA is ninety-eight percent identical. The first recognizable hominid genus, Homo habilis, appeared about two million years ago in Africa. Many species of the genus Homo evolved that are now extinct, except for one. The first humans to walk upright and gain the ability to control fire was Homo erectus, who evolved around eight-hundred-thousand years ago and migrated throughout much of the world, giving rise to many different variations of prehistoric man. Around four hundred thousand years ago, Neanderthals were the first humans to show signs of spirituality by burying their dead with tools, food, and other artifacts. Homo sapiens evolved in Africa about two-hundred-thousand years later and began migrating out between seventy and fifty thousand years ago, eventually replacing other existing hominids in Europe and Asia.”
A vivid 3-D recreation of the standard scale of the evolution of man appeared, showing the earliest homo genus, Hablis, all the way to and ending with Homo sapiens.
“The Latin translation for Homo sapiens essentially means ‘human intelligence’, which is only appropriate considering the great steps forward they took over their predecessors. An expansion of the skull accommodated for a larger brain size, leading to the development of elaborate stone utensil use, along with the evolutionary growth of opposable thumbs making the crafting and handling of tools possible. Until around forty thousand years ago, human technology progressed stepwise with each Homo species starting at a higher level than the previous one. At that time, a Great Leap Forward occurred as modern humans developed sophisticated hunting techniques, like trapping animals in pits or driving them off cliffs. They fashioned clothes out of the hides using bones for needles and buttons. Other examples of exhibiting human behavior included early forms of art expressed in cave paintings, jewelry crafting, and stone figurines, possibly used for spiritual worship. There is also evidence of organized living spaces, exploring less hospitable areas, and even engaging in barter and trade.
“Using mitochondrial DNA, researchers have concluded that all species of the Homo genus are descended from a single woman in Africa, dubbed mitochondrial Eve.” CHAD winked over to Eve, who blushed at the mention of her name.
Michael whispered in Eve’s ear as he squeezed her hand he had been holding since tour began. “Guess I have been matched to someone with superior genes. Do you think my DNA might be as impressive?”
Finding the astute nature of Michael’s statement too hard to suppress, Eve inadvertently blurted out a silly girlish giggle she meant to keep to herself. “Pardon, me,” she said after realizing everyone was looking at her.
“That is quite all right, my dear. Life often holds a strange irony that applies to all our lives.” CHAD said as the ancient female of name appeared before them and started mingling among the different geneses of beguiled primitive men. “The Out of Africa theory has been a hotly debated area of paleoanthropology for maintaining the concept that mankind first evolved in Africa before migrating out into the rest of the world. However, unless this is your field of study, we can leave those questions for other scientific minds to ponder. We will just continue
with the most accepted theory, since it is not relative to our purpose here, today. Because, in the end. It does not matter where humans evolved to become the dominant life form on the planet. The main point is we did evolve. We survived.
“The ice age ended between twelve and ten thousand years ago depending on the regions affected by the climate. With the continents in place, the rising sea levels doomed many species that were unable to adapt to their environment to extinction. Large mammals—mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats—died off worldwide, replaced with coldblooded animals, migratory birds, and smaller, swifter mammals, while North America experienced the elimination of native horses and camels.
“Along with the prehistoric mega-fauna, all species of hominids became extinct during this period, except Homo sapiens, who have proven to be the most resilient of survivors.”
Many of the prehistoric beasts faded away with the less fortunate species of humans as modern mammals and Homo sapiens continued to thrive.
“Throughout over ninety percent of their history Homo sapiens lived in small, nomadic groups of hunter-gathers. They sought sustenance by gathering plants and hunting animals, more than likely living in an egalitarian society. Then with the development of language, mankind gained the ability to remember more and communicate complex information, easing the transition into the Agricultural Revolution, which also led to the end of man’s first society.
“In the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East between 8,000 and 7,000 BC, humans began the systematic husbandry of plants and animals, including the domestication of dogs used for either herding or hunting. Agriculture soon spread to neighboring areas and even developed independently in other regions as needs dictated, until most humans lived as farmers in permanent settlements near life-sustaining bodies of water.”
The stage converted from campsites and cave dwellings to agricultural farming communities with growing crops and grazing livestock.
“Food surpluses allowed communities to expand and governing classes to form, creating divisions of labor, which resulted in a dramatic surge of social inequality. As landowner’s increased their possessions, a hierarchal society arose to exert a firm control over those who came to depend on it. Agriculture became the lifeblood of cities that grew out of the earth to become the heart in the center of the surrounding countryside. Feeding off of harvested crops and raised livestock, cities provided trade goods, manufactured products, security for its citizens’ livelihood, and protection from hostile forces. With more free time to pursue higher knowledge, many people benefited from the opportunity by creating and cultivating revolutionary inventions to help make their lives easier, instead of applying all ones efforts to avoid becoming part of the food chain.”