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The Age of Mutant Plants

Season 9 Episode 10 | 11m 06s

Around 252 million years ago, as the Permian Period transitioned into the Triassic, there wasn't much life on Earth left. Landscapes had been torched an entire ecosystems had collapsed. But the fossil record is full of something else, too -- mutant plants -- found worldwide and spanning thousands of years. But what was it about the Great Dying that caused a global age of mutant plants?

Aired: 09/14/26
Extras
Get ready for the all-new season, coming January 17, 2027 at 9/8c.
The cast play a game of "What's in the vet bag?" with sentimental props from the series.
Miss Scarlet returns for Season 7, the final season, on January 17, 2027 at 8/7c.
Celebrate the legacy of Gene Wilder, the actor behind Willy Wonka and Young Frankenstein.
Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus join The Tabernacle Choir for an epic holiday celebration.
A beloved Christmas hymn gets a bold new twist in this festive organ and percussion showcase.
Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus narrate the Nativity story in this cherished tradition.
Sebastian Arcelus joins a joyful Christmas tradition in this vibrant Latin American holiday carol.
Julián Mansilla and Leandro Curaba partner with The Tabernacle Choir in this moving tango.
Sebastian Arcelus recounts Apollo 8’s Christmas message in this moving holiday reflection.
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During the Permian Period many tetrapods, or four-limbed vertebrates, took to life in the trees.
Around 300 million years ago sails were all the rage, but we're still not sure what they were for.
Life begins to rebound after the destruction of the mass extinction ending the Permian Period.
An apocalypse ended the Permian Period 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 80% of species.
The first saber-teeth and tusks evolve in the Late Permian and our ancestors, the cynodonts, appear.
For millions of years after the Great Dying microbes ruled the Earth.
An extinction in the Middle Permian decimates life, from a fossil reef to our ancient relatives.
The first herbivorous vertebrates evolve on the side of the amniote family tree leading to mammals.
Seed plants and amniotes adapt to dry climates, helping them thrive on Pangea in the Permian Period.
How did Homotherium evolve to be so successful? The answer may lie in the rise of the Tibetan plate.