Taoyuan little fisherman

Chapter 249 Popular Science
Netizens were the first to react.

The appearance of the Helicopter shark is too evil, with a jaw full of slots, if you don't say anything, it will probably suffocate you to death, right?
"Did sharks grow casually these days?"

"Did this guy eat a chainsaw, why does he look like a joke?"

"I guess it must have been irradiated and mutated."

"Good guy, cartoons don't dare to draw like this, it's too creative."

"The shape of a whale, the appearance of a shark, and its own chainsaw, so what kind of species is it?"

"Old Wang, please popularize science."

Netizens swiped their screens frantically, unable to understand what they were talking about, but all this information was transmitted to Wang Tianhui's mind through the live broadcast system.

Wang Tianhui has been preparing for this moment all the way.

He touched the pointed forehead of the spiral tooth shark, and popularized science for the majority of netizens.

"Its name is Helicopterus, an ancient shark that first appeared in the Permian period 2.7 million years ago. It once dominated the earth for a short period of time, but 2.5 million years ago because of the biological structure in the ocean Changes, and gradually withdrew from the stage of history.

Its most distinctive feature is that it has evolved into a lower jaw. Don’t look like a chainsaw now. In fact, its teeth are arranged in a spiral shape, more like the mosquito coils we use in our lives. Interested students can search online. Fossil teeth of a Helicopteron shark. "

After Wang Tianhui popularized science, some netizens searched the Internet, and they found fossils of Helicopterus teeth, but they couldn’t find other fossils of Helicopterus. There are only conceptual drawings of what it looks like on the Internet, and even scientists don’t know what it is. What does it look like.

Some netizens asked: "Old Wang, why have only the tooth fossils of Helicopterus been found so far, and no complete fossils have been found like other creatures?"

Other netizens also have the same question.

Wang Tianhui explained: "You would never have imagined that the ancient monster that once ruled the ocean turned out to be a cartilage, right? No matter whether it is a spiral tooth shark or a shark today, they do not have hard bones. All the bones in their bodies are cartilage, similar to our noses and bones. Ear bones, so its body is very flexible.

The tooth is preserved not because it is a hard bone, but because of its special structure.

Shark teeth have a coating whose main component is fluorapatite, while the substance contained in human tooth enamel is hydroxyapatite. The hardness of the two is very close, and it is stronger than the cartilage on sharks.

After the shark dies, the cartilage will decay together with the muscle tissue, but the teeth, which are protected by a hard layer of fluoride, will remain, covered by sediment, and form the fossils we see over time. "

Another curious baby asked another question.

"Old Wang, since the Helicopterus once dominated the earth, it means that it is very powerful. How could such a powerful shark become extinct? We all know the dinosaurs that once ruled the earth, but this is the first time I have heard of the Helicopterus. .”

Wang Tianhui continued to explain: "When the spiral tooth shark appeared in the ocean, the most abundant creature in the ocean was ammonite, an ancient nautilus-like creature. Its appearance is surprisingly similar to the tooth structure of the spiral tooth shark. It is said that spiral tooth sharks exist specifically to eat ammonites.

But all this was changed by a mass extinction event that occurred between the Paleozoic Permian and the Mesozoic Triassic.

The Permian mass extinction occurred approximately 2.514 million years ago.

If calculated by the species that disappeared, 70% of the terrestrial vertebrates on the earth and up to 96% of the sea creatures disappeared at that time; this extinction event also caused the only mass extinction of insects, accounting for 57% of the families and 83% The attribute disappears.

After the extinction event lasted as long as 6 years, it took millions of years for land and sea biospheres to fully recover after this event, longer than the recovery time of other large extinction events.

Helicopterodon was lucky enough to escape the mass extinction and became the overlord in the ocean with almost no natural enemies. However, with the recovery of the marine ecosystem, ammonites gradually withdrew from the stage of history, and the reduction of food sources is the trend of Helicopterodonto. main cause of extinction. "

Netizens were overwhelmed by Wang Tianhui's amazing amount of knowledge.

"So that's what happened, this is the real living fossil."

"The omnipotent old king, I admire you so much."

"It's the first time I watched Lao Wang's live broadcast. I didn't expect Lao Wang to be an anchor with both talents and looks. I love it."

"Almighty old king, is there anything else you don't know?"

……

Not only the netizens who watched the live broadcast were impressed by Wang Tianhui, but even the scientists of the research institute were shocked by Wang Tianhui.

At the beginning, everyone didn't know him well, thinking that he was just like other anchors, only doing gimmicks to attract fans, but he didn't expect that he knew so much about Helicopterus, even as much as them.

After listening to his explanation, all the scientists in the research institute gave Wang Tianhui a little more appreciation.

"Wang Tianhui is a top student in our biology major at Nanhai University. During his live broadcast, he will give netizens a lot of science popularization knowledge, which is much more than us old guys who are bored in the research room all day long. The contribution to science popularization is much greater." Ding Simin saw Everyone's expressions changed, and they said with relief.

The highly respected Professor Sun nodded, with a smile on his face, "This young man is really amazing, he found a living Helicopterus shark, just talking about this matter alone, the contribution of all of us present is greater !"

Professor Sun has said so, and others are not stingy in their praise.

"If everyone understands the knowledge of biology and the importance of protecting creatures, there won't be so many modern creatures becoming extinct. Wang Tianhui's live broadcast is very necessary. I hope there will be more talented, loving and caring people like him in this society." for the youth."

"It seems that he has discovered the Helicopterus long ago, but he didn't use it to earn any fame or even money. Now he exposes it under unavoidable circumstances to protect it. This kid Wang Tianhui has worked hard."

"No, I'm so moved. I always thought that paleontological research was talking to cold stones. Now that I saw a living Helicopterus, I suddenly felt the urge to cry. Everything made sense."

"Thank you Wang Tianhui for allowing me to see ancient creatures that were extinct hundreds of millions of years ago. This life is enough."

The scientists of the research institute looked at the Helicopterus shark in the picture and listened to Wang Tianhui's popular science knowledge for netizens, feeling emotional.

"Old Ding, quickly ask Wang Tianhui, how did he discover the Helicopterus? How did it survive!"

After being moved, the scientists raised the most concerned issues.

Ding Simin typed on the computer and posted his question in the comment area.

(End of this chapter)