About this episode
We pull from geochemical models and paleobiology studies to explore the late Paleozoic oxygen surge—when atmospheric oxygen spiked to tens of percent and giant insects and vast forests thrived. Learn how dense air made flight easier and allowed diffusion-based respiration to scale up, only for fungi and climate to pull oxygen back down and push life toward more efficient lungs and cardiovascular systems. A vivid tale of environmental upheaval driving extraordinary biological innovation—and what it might mean for our own bodies today.
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