18 Questions
What is the significance of the Cambrian explosion in the history of life on Earth?
It marks the sudden appearance of fossils resembling modern animal phyla in the Cambrian period.
When did arthropods first colonize land?
Roughly 450 million years ago.
What is the approximate age of the earliest tetrapods found in the fossil record?
365 million years ago.
When did sponges first evolve?
By 700 million years ago.
What are some of the oldest macroscopic fossils of animals and when do they date back to?
The oldest macroscopic fossils of animals date back to 560 million years ago and include Kimberella.
What does plate tectonics suggest about the origin of animals?
Animals originated about 700 million years ago.
What key properties are essential for life according to the text?
Self replication and metabolism
What is the term used for fluid-filled compartments enclosed by a membrane-like structure?
Vesicles
What types of rocks are the richest source of fossils?
Sedimentary rocks
What is the fossil record biased towards?
Species that existed for a long time, were abundant and widespread, and had hard parts
In 2016, a study demonstrated the abiotic synthesis of which two purine bases of RNA?
Adenine (A) and guanine (G)
What is the term for the layers into which sedimentary rocks are deposited?
Strata
What is the significance of the 'snowball Earth' hypothesis in relation to the evolution of life?
The 'snowball Earth' hypothesis suggests that extreme glaciation periods confined life to specific regions, affecting the evolution and diversity of organisms.
Explain the concept of endosymbiosis and its role in the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
Endosymbiosis is when one cell lives within another cell, leading to a mutualistic relationship. This process is thought to have given rise to organelles like mitochondria and plastids in eukaryotic cells.
What key evidence supports the endosymbiotic theory in the evolution of eukaryotic cells?
Comparisons of DNA sequences suggest that the common ancestor of multicellular eukaryotes dates back to 1.3 billion years ago.
Describe the characteristics of the Ediacaran biota and their significance in the history of life on Earth.
The Ediacaran biota were soft-bodied organisms that lived from 575 to 535 million years ago. They were larger and more diverse, representing an important stage in the evolution of life before the Cambrian explosion.
How did the evolution of eukaryotic cells contribute to the origin of multicellularity?
The evolution of eukaryotic cells allowed for a greater range of unicellular forms, paving the way for a second wave of diversification that led to the evolution of multicellularity in algae, plants, fungi, and animals.
Explain the concept of serial endosymbiosis and its role in the evolution of organelles within eukaryotic cells.
Serial endosymbiosis proposes that mitochondria evolved before plastids through a series of endosymbiotic events. This process led to the development of organelles with similarities to prokaryotic cells.
Test your knowledge on the evolution of life on Earth, from the first single-celled organisms to the differentiation of teeth and key events in the Phanerozoic era. Explore topics like stromatolites, prokaryotes, photosynthesis revolution, and the three eras of the Phanerozoic: Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
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