History of Life On Earth

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Lesson 1

History of Life on Earth


SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the student is expected to:
• enumerate the different theories about the origin of life;
• identify types of fossils;
• identify the dates and sequence of the periods in the geologic time scale;
• describe the characteristics of the major groups of organisms present
during a time period;
• identify the major events in each major period; and
• describe causes of mass extinctions

1.1 Theories on the Origin of Life on Earth

Definition 1.1 Origin of Life

In the scientific investigation on the origin of life on earth, there are two
dilemmas: first, the conditions in which life may have initially occurred are
unidentified and second, the phenomena of life is so complex we do not understand
all of its properties. Therefore, the concept of the “unknown” in the origin of life can
still be used to explain such dilemmas. Since some scientific methods are still
considered faulty, we are can still consider the hypothesis being proposed by
Creationism or special creation that life began at the spontaneous creation by a
superior supernatural entity that is beyond a mere metaphysical being.

1.1.1 Creationism
- a belief that the universe and the various life were created by a supreme
being out of nothing. It is a response to modern evolutionary theory,
which explains the emergence and diversity of life without recourse to
doctrine of God or any other divine power.

1.1.2 Panspermia
– suggests that life could have existed on another planet and moved to
Earth. The rocks would travel between less than 100 years to 16,000 years and
more to get to earth.

1.1.3 Abiogenesis
– Suggested that life evolved from inanimate objects
• Models of Abiogenesis
1. Spontaneous Generation
– The obsolete idea of spontaneous generation is described
as the formation of living organism without arising from similar
organism. The idea was that certain organism like flies, for example,
could come from non-living matter or that maggots could arise from

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dead meat. This belief was popular during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries.
– This popular belief was later on disproved by an Italian poet
and Naturalist Francesco Redi and demonstrated a simple
experiment.

– The most popular experiment that had attempted to refute


this theory is the classical experiment of Louis Pasteur which in turn
became the foundation of microbiology. He wanted to find out if a
sterile nutrient broth could spontaneously generate microbial life.

2. Primordial Soup
– proposed by the scientist Alexander Oparin and John Haldane which
states that life began in a warm pond/ocean from a combination of
chemicals that forms amino acids, which then make proteins. This is
supposed to happen at least 3.8 billion to 3.55 billion years ago.
– According to Oparin and Haldane the early atmosphere of the earth
is composed of water vapor, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and
ammonia. Intense UV radiation and successive lightning provides
energy in the early conditions of the earth which highly favored the
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synthesis of organic compounds forming the so called
“Primitive Soup or Primordial Soup”
– the synthesis of organic compounds on early earth
was tested and proved by two scientist Stanley Miller
and Harold Urey through an experiment by simulating
the conditions of the earth in the lab.
– The formation of the amino acids in the
experiment signifies the possible formation of
the building blocks of protein in which living
organisms are mainly composed of.

1.1.4 Endosymbiosis
– a theory that attempts
to explain the origins of
eukaryotic cell organelles such
as mitochondria in animals and
fungi and chloroplasts in plants.
– having single circular
DNA without histones, being
double membrane, having their
own ribosomes to make
proteins and replication through
binary fission of mitochondria
and chloroplasts in a eukaryotic cell are some of the evidence that proves this
theory.

1.2 Age of the Earth

Definition 1.2 Earth


4.2
4.3 The Earth is said to be around 4.6 billion years old and that the first life forms
4.4
appeared at around 3.8 billion year ago.
4.5 DNA Technology

1.2.1 Fossils
– are evidences of organisms that lived in the past. They can be actual
remains like bones, teeth, shells, leaves, seeds, spores or traces of past activities
such as animal burrows, nests and dinosaur footprints or even the ripples created
on a prehistoric shore.

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I. Types of Fossils
a. Carbon Film - Carbon impression left on sedimentary rocks)
Ex. Leaf impression on the rock
b. Original Remains - Preserved by nature (frozen in ice, dried,
desiccated inside caves, etc.)
Ex. Woolly Mammoth
c. Petrified – organic materials that are converted into stone
Ex. Petrified trees
d. Trace Fossils– Record of movements and behaviors of the
organisms
Ex. Trackways, toothmarks, burrows and nests

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II. Dating Fossils
a. Relative Dating – Based upon the study of layer of rocks. It
does not tell the exact age as it only compares fossils as older
or younger depending on their position in rock layer. Fossils
in the uppermost rock layer/strata are younger while those in
the lowermost deposition are oldest.
b. Absolute/Radiometric Dating – Determines the actual age
of the fossil with the use of radioactive isotopes carbon-14 and
potassium-40. This is done by considering the half-life or the
time it takes for half of the atoms of the radioactive element to
decay. The decal products of radioactive isotopes are stable
atoms that’s why this type of dating is considered to be more
accurate.

1.3 History of Life Earth

Definition 1.3 Geologic Time Scale


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5.2 The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system of chronological dating that
5.3
relates geological strata (stratigraphy) to time. It is used by geologists,
5.4 DNA Technology
paleontologists, and other Earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships
of events that have occurred during Earth's history.

1.3.1 Divisions of the Geologic Time Scale


I. EON- largest division of the geologic time scale; spans hundreds to
thousands of millions of years ago (mya)
II. ERA- division in an Era that span time periods of tens to hundreds of
millions of years
III. PERIOD- a division of geologic history that spans no more than one
hundred million years
IV. EPOCH- the smallest division of the geologic time scale characterized by
distinctive organisms

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1.3.2 History of Life on Earth
I. Hadean Eon – It began with the formation of the Earth about 4.6 billion
years ago. At first there was just cloud of gas and dust and then the Sun
formed, and gradually the planets formed.
II. Archean Eon – This eon marked a time when the Earth’s climate started
to stabilize. Earth cooled down from its molten state and the first
photosynthetic prokaryote known as the cyanobacteria appeared.
III. Proterozoic Eon – a geological eon spanning time from the appearance
of oxygen on Earth’s atmosphere to just before the proliferation of
complex life on Earth.
*The first three Eon is also known as the Precambrian Time. It ended with “Cambrian
Explosion” which refers to the dramatic burst of evolutionary changes in life on Earth
and marked the start of the last Eon. The great increase in diversity of animal forms was
caused by the accumulation of Oxygen in the atmosphere from photosynthetic organisms.
Among the animals were the invertebrates.
IV. Phanerozoic Eon – This is the current eon in Earth’s history. It started with
the Cambrian explosion and continues to the present. This Eon is divided into
three eras:
A. Paleozoic Era – the longest era of the Phanerozoic Eon and is
subdivided into six periods.
1. Cambrian Period (“Time of Ancient Life”)
-Started with the Cambrian explosion, there were
plenty of species living during this period mostly
aquatic invertebrates such as sponges. Trilobites were
known to dominate this period.
2. Ordovician Period
-The population of marine invertebrates continued to
grow including crinoids, corals and sea lilies.
3. Silurian Period
-Life forms continued to become diverse. The first
simple arthropods such as insects started to live.
*The first three period is also known as the “Age of Invertebrates”
4. Devonian Period (“Age of Fishes”)
-It is when the first fish with jaw appeared such as the
Placoderms (armored fish).
5. Carboniferous Period
-The time when land plants started to establish
themselves.
- “Carboniferous” means coal-bearing because of the
remains left by the trees during this period are being
harvested in the present as coals.
-Some marine animals started to conquer the land.
6. Permian Period (“Age of Amphibians”)
-Marine animals continued to conquer the land giving
rise to what we now call the Amphibians.
*Paleozoic Era ended with a mass extinction also known as the “Great Dying” where
around 90% of the organisms died. It was said that the possible cause of this extinction

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is a massive volcanic eruption that wiped out almost all the organisms at that time but
there was no specific record yet about the major cause of this phenomena.
B. Mesozoic Era – also known as the “Age of Reptiles” as the most
abundant organism during this time are reptiles. It is subdivided into
three period:
1. Triassic Era
-The earth is much warmer and a single land mass
called “Pangea” was formed”
-Life started to repopulate the area mostly reptiles such
as the dinosaurs
2. Jurassic Era
-Reptiles started to evolved and being adapted to flying
such as the Pterosaurs.
-Pangea started to break into Laurasia and
Gondwana
3. Cretaceous Era
-Pangea continued to break apart through continental
drift.
-Flowering plants started to dominate.
-Animals and plants became more interdependent
*Mesozoic Era ended with another mass extinction also known as the “Cretaceous-
Paleogene or K-Pg Extinction” where around 50% of organisms died. There was no
specific record about the cause of this extinction but most scientist believe that it was
caused by a meteor.
C. Cenozoic Era – also known as the “Age of Mammals” as this period
was dominated by mammals. It is subdivided into three periods:
1. Paleogene Period
-Covers the from the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs
-Carnivores were introduced
-Subdivided into three epochs:
a. Paleocene Epoch
b. Eocene Epoch
c. Oligocene Epoch
2. Neogene Period
-Rise of new life form which is grass which become s wide-
spread that almost all kinds of creatures depend on them for
food
-Mammals started to evolve being well adapted to chewing
specially grasses, complex four-chambered stomach, and
long legs adapted to running.
a. Miocene Epoch
b. Pliocene Epoch
3. Quaternary Period
-The most current and most recent of the three periods
-Most noted for its intervals of glacial and interglacial ages as
well as the emergence of man
a. Pleistocene Epoch
b. Holocene Epoch

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* The Anthropocene is the proposed epoch dating the commencement of significant
human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems.

1.4 Extinction and Speciation

Definition 1.4 Adaptive Radiation


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6.2 A process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral
6.3
species into multitude of new forms particularly when a change in the environment
6.4 DNAnew
makes Technology
resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new
environmental niches.

Pangea

Supercontinent that was formed around 250 mya. Continental drift explains many
biogeographic puzzles.

The movement of the continental plates changes geography and climate of the Earth
resulting to possible extinctions and speciation. Major periods in Earth’s history end with
mass extinction and the new ones begin with adaptive radiation

Reference Book:
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, 14th ed by Starr, Evers, & Starr (2014)
General Biology 2, 1st ed by M.A.D Rea & N.H.A Dagamac

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