History of life on earth
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Questions and Answers

What significant environmental change allowed life to move onto dry land?

  • Increased volcanic activity
  • Formation of more complex rocks
  • Lower radiation levels on Earth's surface (correct)
  • Higher oxygen levels in the atmosphere

    • What distinguishes eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells?

  • Eukaryotic cells contain a central nucleus (correct)
  • Prokaryotic cells have complex internal structures
  • Eukaryotic cells are smaller and simpler
  • Eukaryotic cells reproduce asexually only

    • Which of the following organisms is believed to be the ancestor of all plants and animals today?

  • Multicellular organism
  • Eukaryotic plant
  • Single-celled prokaryote
  • Single-celled eukaryote (correct)

    • What unique partnership helped plants to thrive on dry land?

    <p>Mutualistic partnership with fungi</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who were the first animals to leave the water and populate land?

    <p>Arthropods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant event occurred approximately 2.0 billion years ago?

    <p>First eukaryotes appear</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group of organisms originated around 1.5 billion years ago?

    <p>Multicellular organisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did the rapid diversification of animals, plants, and fungi occur?

    <p>1.0 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements is true regarding the time frame of the emergence of life?

    <p>Dinosaurs coexisted with mammals and birds until 65 million years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do modern birds relate to ancient dinosaurs?

    <p>Birds are descendants of small insect-eating dinosaurs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>To provide a hierarchical order of Earth's history</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines the boundaries of the divisions in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>Worldwide varying events and International Stratigraphy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the duration of an era in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>Hundreds of millions of years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following units is the smallest in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>Epoch</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes a period in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>It typically lasts for tens of millions of years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Geologic Time Scale is primarily based on which scientific area?

    <p>Stratigraphy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of events determine the divisions in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>Geological and biological events</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long is an epoch typically considered in the Geologic Time Scale?

    <p>Few million years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of organisms first appeared around 3.5 billion years ago?

    <p>Bacteria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following organisms evolved from bony fishes around 350 million years ago?

    <p>Amphibians</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did photosynthesis begin according to the timeline of life on Earth?

    <p>3 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group of organisms is known to have dominated terrestrial environments after reptiles?

    <p>Mammals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did the first multicellular organisms appear according to the timeline?

    <p>1.5 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurred during the time when mammals coexisted with dinosaurs?

    <p>Mammals were smaller and did not diversify.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Approximately when did rapid diversification of animals as well as the appearance of plants and fungi occur?

    <p>1.0 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What important evolutionary event happened around 220 million years ago?

    <p>Appearance of dinosaurs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant development occurred around 2.5 billion years ago?

    <p>Photosynthesis began</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What event marks the rapid diversification of multicellular life?

    <p>Rapid diversification of animals, plants, and fungi</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group of organisms was the only living thing on Earth for approximately 2 billion years?

    <p>Bacteria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did the first multicellular organisms appear?

    <p>1.5 billion years ago</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which event happened approximately 3.5 billion years ago?

    <p>First bacteria appeared</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is true about jawless fishes in the evolutionary timeline?

    <p>They were the only vertebrates for over 100 million years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Around 1.0 billion years ago, which of the following developments took place?

    <p>Origin of humans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major evolutionary advancement happened about 0.5 billion years ago?

    <p>Rapid diversification of animals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What assumption does the Panspermia theory make about the origin of life?

    <p>The seeds of life exist throughout the universe.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group of bacteria is believed to have produced the early Earth's oxygen?

    <p>Cyanobacteria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the Earth's atmosphere change due to cyanobacteria?

    <p>Ozone was produced, allowing life to move onto land.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the age of Earth in comparison to the oldest known fossils?

    <p>Earth is about 1 billion years older than the oldest fossils.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do archaebacteria play in the context of early Earth?

    <p>They are mostly found in hostile environments resembling early Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic of Earth allowed life to eventually move onto land?

    <p>The diffusion of ozone into the upper atmosphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the origin of life from non-living matter?

    <p>Life evolved from complex organic molecules formed by environmental forces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What were the tiny fossils found in 3.6 billion year-old rocks believed to be?

    <p>Bacteria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Earth's Age and Life's Origin

    • Earth is significantly older than the oldest fossils found, approximately 4.6 billion years old versus 3.6 billion years old for the oldest fossils.
    • This difference highlights the time elapsed before life emerged on Earth.

    Theories of Life's Origin

    • Extraterrestrial Origin: Proposes life originated elsewhere and arrived on Earth.
    • Panspermia: Suggests life exists throughout the universe and can travel between planets.
    • Divine Creation: Posits life was placed on Earth by a divine force.
    • Origin from Non-living Matter: Scientists believe life arose from non-living matter after Earth cooled.

    Early Life Forms (Fossils)

    • Earliest discovered fossils, dating back 3.6 billion years, are bacteria.
    • These were found in ancient ocean sediments.

    Bacteria (Earliest Life Forms)

    • Bacteria—two main types:
      • Eubacteria: Most living bacteria; many cause disease and decay.
      • Archaebacteria: Primarily found in harsh environments; suggest conditions similar to early Earth.

    Cyanobacteria

    • Cyanobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria, evolved approximately 3 billion years ago.
    • They played a major role in oxygenating Earth's atmosphere as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Oxygen was initially absorbed by the oceans, but eventually released into the air.
    • This process, over millions of years, changed the composition of the atmosphere, eventually leading to the current atmosphere.
    • This change in atmosphere allowed life to move onto land.

    Eukaryotes

    • More complex life forms (eukaryotes) appeared later in the fossil record.
    • Compared to prokaryotes (bacteria), eukaryotes are larger and have a nucleus and more complex internal structures.
    • Evolved into multicellular organisms over 1.5 billion years.
    • Sufficient ozone formation in the atmosphere around 400 million years ago created a safe surface for them to inhabit.

    Mycorrhizae

    • Mycorrhizae are a mutualistic relationship between plants and fungi that allowed plants to thrive on land.
    • Plants provide food to fungi; fungi in turn provide nutrients to plants through organic matter.

    First Terrestrial Animals

    • Fossil records indicate that plants colonized Earth's surface within 80 million years, followed shortly after by animals, specifically arthropods (e.g., scorpions).
    • Scorpions are the earliest known terrestrial animals.

    History of Life on Earth

    • Earth's history is recorded in its rocks, including preserved fossils and minerals.
    • The order of these elements in geological beds reveals the sequence of events.

    Geologic Time Scale

    • The geologic time scale orders Earth's history hierarchically.
    • The scale is set of divisions describing geological time and can contain era, periods, epochs, and ages.
    • Divisions are based upon significant events (extinction, etc.)

    Major Evolutionary Events (by approximately time period)

    • 3.5 bya: First bacteria appear

    • 2.5 bya: Photosynthesis begins

    • 1.5 bya: First eukaryotes

    • 2 bya: Diverse and abundant bacteria

    • 1 bya: Earliest known animals; diverse protists

    • 0.5 bya: Rapid diversification of animals, plants, fungi; origin of humans

    • Various types of animals (e.g., amphibians, reptiles, dinosaurs, mammals) and their evolutionary relationships are discussed in other periods.

    • Mammals and dinosaurs coexisted for a considerable period following the emergence of these significant groups until the dinosaurs went extinct.

    • Birds descended from dinosaur species.

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    History of Life on Earth PDF

    Description

    Explore the fascinating theories regarding the origin of life on Earth, from extraterrestrial influences to the emergence of the earliest bacteria. This quiz delves into Earth's ancient past, highlighting significant timeframes and the initial life forms that shaped our planet's history.

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