National Geographic Rhythms of Life

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00:00:05 From the first dawn of creation
00:00:15 our world, our lives,
00:00:17 and every living thing
00:00:24 a celestial cadence
00:00:34 of ebb and flow
00:00:42 of heat and cold
00:00:47 all set into motion by the epic
00:00:52 These are the rhythms of life itself.
00:01:38 Before there could be day or night
00:01:40 before there was a spring or fall
00:01:43 a star, our sun,
00:01:49 From the seething stuff of stars,
00:01:52 over time, the planets of
00:02:03 Four billion years ago, or more,
00:02:09 the planet called, Earth,
00:02:24 But for nearly a billion years,
00:02:26 it would be a home inhospitable
00:02:35 a red and angry globe
00:02:38 a churning mass of fire, poison gas,
00:02:45 At the core of the planet
00:02:59 For thousands upon thousands
00:03:01 this infant planet suffered the
00:03:06 as it formed and reformed itself.
00:03:18 From the very beginning,
00:03:22 But a night and day
00:03:32 Fueled by the forces of creation,
00:03:35 the earth raced through
00:03:37 spinning five times as fast
00:03:49 A few brief hours of starlight.
00:03:52 A few brief hours of sun.
00:03:54 Day followed night at a dizzying pace.
00:04:05 Earth and sun were not alone
00:04:08 But cosmic visitors
00:04:14 until one cataclysmic encounter
00:04:16 transformed the heavens
00:04:24 One theory tells of a cosmic accident
00:04:26 a huge asteroid
00:04:29 It may have been the birth of the moon
00:04:31 and so many of
00:04:36 But first, the moon would have been
00:04:40 circling the planet like
00:04:43 before coming together into
00:05:00 Too small to hold a
00:05:03 the moon itself has long been
00:05:09 Without wind or rain
00:05:12 its face bears everlasting witness to
00:05:24 On the earth below,
00:05:25 an atmosphere was brewing from endless
00:05:29 and water vapor,
00:05:31 expelled from beneath the crust.
00:05:36 Closer to the sun, the precious water
00:05:41 On a colder planet it would be
00:05:46 But on the earth,
00:05:49 falling back as rain upon the land.
00:05:54 And so the first oceans were born.
00:06:04 Over millions of years,
00:06:11 But these were not the cool,
00:06:24 The primal atmosphere provided
00:06:27 It had no blanket of ozone
00:06:41 Virtually unobstructed,
00:06:43 the sun's unforgiving rays seared
00:06:52 Much closer than now,
00:06:56 tugging at the seas with a force
00:07:04 The first tides were mountains
00:07:14 Torn by sun and moon, the surface
00:07:21 Still, there was sanctuary below.
00:07:26 In the ocean, the first building
00:07:31 They incubated in water heated by
00:07:35 and fed on a bubbling broth
00:07:38 straight from the heart of the earth.
00:07:49 But even the ocean's depths were not
00:08:00 In a galaxy still littered
00:08:04 asteroid strikes may have vaporized
00:08:11 More than once, life on earth
00:08:17 Yet the fire and rains of creation
00:08:21 and the oceans rose again.
00:08:25 Life has proven stubborn here.
00:08:31 Some three billion years ago, as the
00:08:36 new forms appeared, the heralds
00:08:45 In quiet, sheltered pools,
00:08:49 Colonies of single-celled organisms,
00:08:52 they thrived off abundant sunlight
00:08:55 And in their waste they left behind
00:09:02 This was the birth of photosynthesis,
00:09:04 a new, life-giving cycle
00:09:11 For countless millennia,
00:09:12 algae flourished in the brief days
00:09:20 And now the cosmic rhythms
00:09:25 Gradually, the moon and its tides
00:09:30 and the forces that bound planet and
00:09:38 The moon retreated to
00:09:41 still slipping imperceptibly
00:09:50 With the moon more distant,
00:09:53 Calmer waters bred more algae
00:09:57 And with the oxygen came ozone,
00:10:00 protection from the sun's
00:10:15 At last, the stage was set
00:10:25 Like the fire of a new sun, the spark
00:10:31 Still just single-celled plants,
00:10:34 but organisms far more complex
00:10:40 Within each was a genetic code
00:10:42 that reflected the rhythms
00:10:45 a biological clock
00:10:52 Daytime would be the time
00:10:56 Reproduction would be saved
00:11:05 Millions of years later,
00:11:07 this clock still synchronizes almost
00:11:21 From the depths of a steep-walled
00:11:23 in the South Pacific island of Palau,
00:11:26 a herd of underwater farmers
00:11:36 A swarm of jellyfish,
00:11:45 Without eyes, the jellyfish do not
00:11:49 They need it to grow their food
00:11:52 that flourish within their
00:12:02 Denied sunshine,
00:12:15 As the sun arcs overhead,
00:12:18 shadows of the surrounding walls
00:12:22 Just below, the jellyfish ferry their
00:12:26 keeping them always in the light.
00:12:33 When the sun sinks,
00:12:36 dropping down to the ocean floor
00:12:38 where the algae can find their own
00:12:47 Even without sight, the jellyfish will
00:12:57 In the surface waters of the oceans
00:12:59 most creatures take their cue
00:13:02 from the rhythm
00:13:04 Now, members of the night
00:13:17 Roused by light-sensitive cells that
00:13:21 these prickly browsers
00:13:24 Sea urchins find their prey
00:13:26 and their way around
00:13:36 Each night clouds of plankton rise
00:13:41 drawing out the coral who fish
00:13:51 A few, sharp-eyed fish operate by
00:13:57 Like a cat in the dark, the lionfish
00:14:07 The lionfish will slip into a crevice
00:14:12 eyes sensitive enough for half light
00:14:23 Daybreak brings the morning
00:14:33 Far more complex than jellyfish
00:14:36 most fish depend on sight to survive.
00:14:39 Without the sun they are virtually
00:14:43 to find their food,
00:14:53 A kaleidoscope of colors enhances
00:15:02 For the fish, stripe and hue holds
00:15:07 helping them to identify mates,
00:15:09 predators, and prey
00:15:18 Trailing twilight in its wake,
00:15:21 to harvest plankton when again
00:15:34 Sunlight fades, taking with it
00:15:38 and the day shift streams off the
00:15:47 And once again,
00:15:54 The line between light and darkness
00:15:58 as well as the creatures of the sea.
00:16:03 And even the land and sea themselves
00:16:05 breathe with the rhythms
00:16:15 Given off by day,
00:16:18 and condenses in the night air.
00:16:28 From earth, through plants,
00:16:30 and back to the earth again
00:16:33 the endless cycles of replenishment
00:16:46 The plants of this Australian
00:16:49 have been in tune with the rhythms
00:17:01 Here, an acacia tree wakes up
00:17:16 Like a sundial in the trees,
00:17:20 across the forest floor marks
00:17:29 A shifting pool of light holds
00:17:38 Sunbathers under the leafy canopy,
00:17:40 many plants collect much of their
00:17:51 A boastful bird takes this spotlight
00:17:55 In the dark, his finery is invisible,
00:17:58 Only by day can the male riflebird
00:18:08 His appearance, like a feathered,
00:18:12 has been calculated by evolution to
00:18:26 A vibrant, sunlit display,
00:18:30 as crisp as the snapping of a fan.
00:18:42 The last hours before sunset often
00:18:47 Once the sun fails,
00:18:48 most birds will lose their powers
00:18:53 They gorge in preparation
00:19:01 Color and flair are an advertisement
00:19:05 Their brightly hued fruit
00:19:08 and with the feast the cycle of life
00:19:16 For after eating,
00:19:17 the birds will spread the seeds
00:19:29 While most creatures of the air
00:19:32 others like fruit bats, are tuned to
00:19:49 All day they had been invisible,
00:19:53 saving their energy against
00:19:59 Now twilight signals to them,
00:20:03 The bats scramble and take control of
00:20:33 Millions crowd the sky,
00:20:54 Foraging in darkness,
00:20:55 the bats have turned to senses
00:21:04 They navigate the night by sound,
00:21:06 until they find a likely spot
00:21:12 By moonlight,
00:21:15 to attract visitors' perfume.
00:21:18 Little is more savory to these bats
00:21:20 than the scent of
00:21:24 And once they take their fill,
00:21:27 they carry seeds everywhere they fly,
00:21:30 assuring the future of
00:21:44 The rising moon offers
00:21:46 cooling relief from the heat
00:21:50 And many creatures bide their time
00:21:59 Other mammals have also learned
00:22:01 to maneuver through the midnight air,
00:22:33 With their built-in parachute,
00:22:35 a sugar glider can span the length
00:22:41 It may seem a bold leap of faith,
00:22:44 but they're only following
00:22:49 By smearing their scent
00:22:51 they blaze invisible trails
00:22:59 Their search for insects, sap,
00:23:02 carries the gliders into the night.
00:23:06 Like bats, they survey the dark
00:23:17 This evening harvest keeps
00:23:20 safe from the predators of day.
00:23:23 Instinct warns them to be back
00:23:26 before sharp-eyed hawks and eagles
00:23:34 For millions of years,
00:23:37 In prehistoric days dominated by
00:23:42 took advantage of the relative safety
00:23:57 But the days when mammals were forced
00:23:58 to hide from the coning of the light
00:24:07 Now, in rain forests round the world,
00:24:12 you'll find agile tree-toppers ready
00:24:14 and willing to celebrate their place
00:24:18 These proud primates,
00:24:22 inaugurate each day
00:24:24 staking their claim to the trees
00:24:41 Higher still cling their smaller
00:24:48 With few natural enemies
00:24:51 Grasping hands and feet give them
00:25:00 And evolution has given them
00:25:04 stereoscopic vision.
00:25:06 It gives them the ability to judge
00:25:13 And invaluable skill
00:25:15 when hurtling through the treetops
00:25:23 Somewhere deep
00:25:25 the human line diverged from
00:25:32 And even if we no longer get to
00:25:35 we still share common genes
00:25:38 and an attachment to
00:25:42 It's programming imprinted on us both
00:25:46 and its cold celestial partner.
00:25:57 Lunar rhythms cast long shadows
00:26:04 Though the mile-high tides of creation
00:26:08 the rise and fall of the oceans
00:26:19 From 240,000 miles away,
00:26:24 enough to carve the coastline
00:26:46 Four times a day,
00:26:49 always retreating, always returning.
00:26:58 It's a force both destructive
00:27:09 Many creatures thrive here, on the
00:27:19 On gentler shorelines,
00:27:22 it leaves behind a feeding ground
00:27:30 The lull between high tides
00:27:34 a race against the lunar clock.
00:27:37 These scavengers must
00:27:44 Sand-bubbler crabs pick food
00:27:47 sorting out trapped particles of
00:28:00 They leave behind
00:28:03 It's a temporary testament
00:28:18 Combing the territory
00:28:20 they scar the sand with their tracks,
00:28:23 each lone scavenger attending to
00:28:41 Other creatures march boldly forward
00:28:47 Soldier crabs sweeping the shore
00:28:55 Mostly males,
00:28:58 exhausting each plot of land
00:29:07 An army of crabs,
00:29:37 But no army can defend against
00:29:41 The crabs' parade grounds
00:29:43 by the time the tide marches back
00:30:03 As water replaces land, those
00:30:11 Here the moon is mistress.
00:30:13 She sets the rhythm of life
00:30:16 low tide is time to eat;
00:30:26 Wading birds make the best of life
00:30:29 Stilts for legs let them follow the
00:30:44 Beyond the sandy shore,
00:30:47 through the clutching fingers,
00:30:57 Here in the muddy flats,
00:31:01 preparing for the tide's return.
00:31:10 For these engineers,
00:31:13 is to batten down the hatches
00:31:23 They'll wait out the flood submerged
00:31:35 Like wading birds, the mangroves
00:31:55 The rhythm of the tides beats
00:32:06 For whenever the tide is low,
00:32:08 the shore's inhabitants
00:32:11 by sunlight, moonlight,
00:32:20 Behind this constant ebb and flow
00:32:24 a cadence that for many,
00:32:34 This is the lunar cycle,
00:32:36 the month-long dance of earth,
00:32:40 that paints the changing faces
00:32:46 Twice each month,
00:32:47 the sun and moon conspire
00:32:55 At the new moon and at the full,
00:32:57 the gravity of both our star
00:33:01 lifting the tide to its
00:33:07 In between,
00:33:14 This monthly cycle of tides touches
00:33:17 in a place deeper then the daily
00:33:23 A pair of male parrot fish swirl around
00:33:29 Their competition is a sure sign
00:33:35 This dance heralds the
00:33:38 When the full moon tide begins to ebb,
00:33:47 With the tug of the ebb tide,
00:33:51 Thousands of fish, male and female,
00:33:55 casting clouds of eggs and
00:34:09 One breed's spawn is another's feast.
00:34:12 Predators join the tumult,
00:34:17 But the spawning fish know
00:34:19 They have fertilized tens of
00:34:23 Millions will escape, pulled out to
00:34:31 At high water, the surf storms back
00:34:34 sweeping schools of tiny fish
00:34:43 A silvery cloud flashing on
00:34:53 For many, this will be
00:35:02 Trapped in quiet,
00:35:04 they make easy prey for hunters
00:35:16 Moon, fish, and birds all whirling
00:35:24 This black-naped tern lives a life
00:35:30 On the shore, females have laid
00:35:34 and some have already begun
00:35:39 While one bird minds the nest,
00:35:52 These seabirds time their breeding
00:35:56 washed into the lagoon
00:36:04 Now is the time to eat heartily.
00:36:19 Soon the chicks will hatch.
00:36:28 And soon the moon will come
00:36:31 the tides again filling the shallows
00:36:35 All in time to feed newly-hatched
00:36:42 Although barren herself,
00:36:44 the moon prompts the sexual life
00:36:47 both above and below the surface.
00:36:57 Just after the full moon, the corals of
00:37:14 In a week, the tides will reach
00:37:17 And over 200 different
00:37:20 will launch their seed into
00:37:38 In the still water,
00:37:42 time for eggs and sperm
00:37:46 and create a new generation.
00:37:49 Sea worms,
00:37:52 cast off their tails,
00:38:03 Writhing bags of sex cells,
00:38:05 the castoffs dance among a veritable
00:38:13 These celebrations are orchestrated
00:38:17 the distant dance of the solar system.
00:38:33 Like the moon,
00:38:36 in rhythms slower than
00:38:43 Around this star journeys the earth
00:38:48 initiating the cycle of the seasons,
00:38:52 from south to north, and back again.
00:38:57 Even at the poles,
00:39:00 with the shimmering aurora,
00:39:06 In the Antarctic,
00:39:07 the cycle of the seasons becomes one
00:39:11 Here six months of sunlight are followed
00:39:16 summer followed by winter.
00:39:20 Even in the extremes of Antarctica,
00:39:26 Throughout the dark
00:39:28 each male emperor penguin
00:39:32 Hardly moving, never hunting,
00:39:44 In temperatures reaching 70 below,
00:39:48 they huddle together for warmth
00:40:01 In a land where evening lasts for six
00:40:08 Finally the penguin chicks will hatch,
00:40:11 they will be desperate for food.
00:40:19 Males can lose nearly half their body
00:40:24 But help is on the way.
00:40:27 Mother's coming.
00:40:32 For months, they have been feeding
00:40:44 Nature's biological clock is
00:40:47 The females seem to sense the exact time
00:40:52 for they have a huge trek
00:40:56 Even tired and hungry, the males
00:41:01 Temperatures on the ice
00:41:03 Babies left exposed too long will die.
00:41:19 The guard successfully changed,
00:41:23 to head to the sea,
00:41:29 The chicks will be fed by mother
00:41:31 and kept warm until the sun
00:41:45 Ever and always,
00:41:47 depends on the swing of the earth
00:41:51 and as it reels on its tilted axis.
00:42:03 As the earth spins through the year,
00:42:05 the sun's strongest rays sweep across
00:42:15 Near the equator,
00:42:16 the angle of the sun's rays
00:42:20 Still, it's enough to give the tropical
00:42:24 the cycle of drought and flood,
00:42:31 September in Australia.
00:42:36 The air above the baking northern
00:42:39 With it comes cloud banks full of
00:42:45 The wheeling clouds bring drama,
00:42:55 They are not rainmakers,
00:43:05 The monsoons are still months away.
00:43:16 Even so, deep in their nature,
00:43:18 plants and animals seem
00:43:33 A new cloud stirs-plant suckers rising
00:43:46 What looks like the bark of a tree
00:43:50 a frill-necked lizard,
00:43:53 For months it rations energy,
00:44:12 Wallabies are rainy day lovers.
00:44:14 While they wait for the wet season,
00:44:30 Now even the plants take a chance
00:44:34 greening with fresh leaves.
00:44:40 Soon, all their preparations
00:44:49 The wet, the season of the rains
00:45:28 From deep in their shadowy castles,
00:45:30 colonies of termites rouse
00:45:37 One storm brings another,
00:45:46 They take to the air by the millions,
00:45:48 in the quest to found new colonies
00:45:56 And as always, the rhythms of one
00:46:04 Wide-eyed possums in the trees,
00:46:08 end the fasting of the dry months
00:46:25 At the end of their migration,
00:46:30 Many will fail to ever find a mate
00:46:41 With the coming of daylight, there
00:46:48 Conservative no more, the
00:46:51 storing up protein for
00:46:56 But it may face competition
00:47:03 Undaunted, the lizard takes his fill,
00:47:20 The green ants do it differently,
00:47:31 Both species tend to the harvest with
00:47:39 Little disturbs the teamwork of ants.
00:47:42 They scavenge night and day,
00:47:49 At the peak of the rainy season,
00:47:51 the storms are now more than
00:48:01 But their only choice
00:48:18 Like the rhythm of the tides,
00:48:22 shape life for every plant
00:48:36 Not one of them can stop the rain,
00:48:41 no more than the fish command
00:48:50 One creature only dares
00:48:59 the bold and restless dreamer
00:49:01 hunter, builder, man.
00:49:11 But even in our cars and castles,
00:49:21 Dawn and the sun summons us to work.
00:49:29 We swarm like schools of fish
00:49:32 flashing to feed and mingle
00:49:49 Beneath the canopy of urban forests,
00:49:52 we hunt and gather
00:50:07 And dusk still calls us home again
00:50:10 a flock of birds
00:50:24 But over the millennia,
00:50:25 we have learned
00:50:27 with fires of our own design.
00:50:31 We strain against the boundaries,
00:50:33 reshaping the border
00:50:39 We create our own complex orbits,
00:50:41 drawn to the sky
00:50:56 Yet finally,
00:51:00 man is still just a player
00:51:05 Hour by hour, year by year,
00:51:08 the cosmic clock
00:51:14 Seasons turn.
00:51:15 Tides rise and fall.
00:51:18 One generation passes on to the next.
00:51:23 Nothing lasts forever,
00:51:30 Night by night,
00:51:33 the earth will slow on its axis.
00:51:37 The moon will drift yet further away.
00:51:43 Days will lengthen,
00:51:48 Billions of years from now,
00:51:49 the seemingly endless cycles
00:51:53 as the fires of creation at last
00:51:57 Yet ours is but one small star,
00:52:02 in a universe beyond measure.
00:52:05 Perhaps there are other
00:52:07 unseen by our eyes,
00:52:09 yet as grand and majestic