History of Life On Earth
History of Life On Earth
History of Life On Earth
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
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
2 | History of Life on Earth
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.
1.2.1 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.
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