The Ancient Ocean exhibit demonstrates the birth of the Earth, the formation of ancient oceans and the evolution of marine organisms. Illustrations of the evolution of living organisms from the Precambrian period to the present are performed using virtual audio and visual (i.e.,"3-D" glasses) effects.
Images and illustrations portray the formation of the oceans, including their dramatic change from a barren void to the source of all life on Earth. Volcanic activities decreased gradually after heavy rains and storms, leaving behind the solidifying lava and magma which created the Earth’s crust. Strong, ultraviolet rays penetrated straight into the ocean, which initiated the growth of cyanobacteria, giving the ocean a bluish green color. Subsequently, multicellular organisms gradually came into existence.
Five hundred and forty million years ago, a group of multicellular creatures, neither animals nor plants, appeared in the sandy, shallow seabed. Soft in body and varied in shape (e.g., disk-like, leaf-like or segmented), they lived in relative harmony.
In the beginning of the Paleozoic era, 530 million years ago, many new species appeared abruptly in the warm, shallow seas. The ancestors of most extant animals appeared, and a complex undersea society rapidly developed.
Many creatures survived and proliferated during a time of drastic environmental change. Giant mollusks appeared and became the dominant species of the Cambrian Period. Arthropods, including trilobites, evolved into various species. “Mullokunmingia” was one of the first fish, and other fish began to appear in the early Ordovician period. After the evolution of fins, hard jaws, swim bladders, these fish could more effectively attack and kill their prey, and they became the dominant species in the Devonian seas.
Terrestrial reptiles survived numerous extinction events that exterminated numerous marine organisms and rapidly diversified due to their ability to adapt to a wide array of different environments. Some of them adapted to live in water again and became the dominant species in the sea. The marine reptiles evolved features such as giant, streamlined body shapes, huge mouths, and sharp teeth. They also developed various swimming styles and became strong predators during the Mesozoic Era.
Marine mammals first appeared in the Cenozoic Era. Their front limbs evolved into flippers, and their tails into flukes. Their body shapes became streamlined, and their nostrils migrated to the top of the head. They also developed echolocation.
Living fossils are species that appeared in the ancient seas, survived a series of extinction events, and are still alive today. Their physiological and ecological characteristics are very close to those of their ancient ancestors.
The giant kelp of West America can grow into underwater forests due to the cold, nutrient-rich ocean currents from the polar regions. They provide shelters for small fish, crabs and mollusks, all of which attract seals and sea otters.
Kelp forest ecosystems are composed of a variety of large algae, providing sufficient food and habitat in which numerous marine organisms both feed and breed. As such, they are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world.