When Life on the Land Began

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For four billion years the earth was devoid of life, so how did it emerge? Five hundred million years ago life emerged from the water. The growth of forests which reached down to river banks meant back-boned animals such as fish, started to venture onto dry land. A fossil near Elgin in Scotland appears to be the oldest example of an animal which made the leap. This is a programme from the BBC World Service Archive and was originally broadcast in 1999.