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Earth Science > Development of Life on Earth > Flashcards

Development of Life on Earth Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Earths current atmosphere is rich in…

A

nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide.

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2
Q

what was Earth’s early atmosphere composed of?

A

gases that came from volcanic eruptions

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3
Q

What gases are emitted from volcanic eruptions?

A

water vapor, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, almost no oxygen

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4
Q

As the water vapor in the air _____ it formed the Earth’s early oceans

A

condensed

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5
Q

What formed as water vapor in the air started condensed?

A

Earth’s early oceans

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6
Q

about 2.5 billion years ago what increased in the atmosphere?

A

oxygen

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7
Q

Why did oxygen increase in the atmosphere 2.5 billion years ago?

A

the development of a single-celled bacteria called cyanobacteria (algae)

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8
Q

Another name for cyanobacteria is…

A

algae

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9
Q

Cyanobacteria were some of the first species to undergo…

A

photosynthesis

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10
Q

Oxygen levels in the atmosphere _______ as soon as cyanobacteria developed and started to undergo photosynthesis

A

increased

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11
Q

As oxygen levels rose, did carbon dioxide levels drop or rise along with it?

A

drop

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12
Q

What is photosynthesis?

A

the process by which plants use carbon dioxide, water and energy from the sun to create oxygen as well a carbohydrates that are used to make the plants structure

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13
Q

_______ is the process by which _____ use carbon dioxide, water, and energy from the sun to create oxygen

A

photosynthesis, plants

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14
Q

In photosynthesis, what do plants use to create oxygen?

A

carbon dioxide, water, and energy from the sun

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15
Q

Oxygen has been steadily _____ since the development of photosynthesis 2.5 billion years ago

A

rising/increasing

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16
Q

In the beginning of the Cenozoic Era there is a sharp increase of oxygen content that corresponds to the…

A

number and diversity and size of mammals.

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17
Q

In the beginning of the Cenozoic Era there is a sharp _____ of _____ content that corresponds to the ____ and ______ and ____ of mammals

A

sharp, increase, number, diversity, size

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18
Q

There seems to be a link between the amount of ______ in the atmosphere and how may _______ are developing on the Earth.

A

oxygen, mammals

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19
Q

For most of Earth’ history we don’t find any evidence of _____ or ______

A

life, bacteria

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20
Q

In order for life to survive it must have the ability to ______ itself

A

replicate

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21
Q

What do all forms of reproduction require?

A

DNA

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22
Q

A living thing must be able to…

A

metabolize

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23
Q

what does metabolize mean?

A

to make energy for oneself

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24
Q

What does metabolism require?

A

some sort of cellular structure that allows food and energy to be exchanged

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25
Q

Metabolism requires some sort of cellular structure that allows ____ and _____ to be exchanged

A

food, energy

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26
Q

What are the earliest signs of bacterial life on Earth?

A

stromatolites

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27
Q

stromatolites are…

A

calcium carbonate deposits formed by cyanobacteria

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28
Q

Stromatolites are _______ ______ deposits formed by cyanobacteria

A

calcium carbonate

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29
Q

Cyanobacteria are bacteria that underwent ________, and as they developed what?

A

photosynthesis

  • shells of calcium carbonate from secretions of calcium carbonate (kind of how coral is formed) and the calcium carbonate builds up over years and years so we see a fossilized remnant of cyanobacteria
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30
Q

all bacteria are ______ celled organisms

A

single

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31
Q

What are all single celled organisms called?

A

prokaryotes

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32
Q

Prokaryotes have no _____ separating their DNA from the rest of the cell contents

A

nucleus

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33
Q

What are Eukaryotes?

A

Organisms that have a clearly defined nucleus as well as organelles within the cell

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34
Q

organelles are things like ________ in animals and _______ in plants

A

mitochondria, chloroplasts

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35
Q

Indirect evidence suggests that the earliest Eukaryotes developed between ____ and _____ billion years ago

A

2.7 and 1.4

36
Q

Eukaryotes are different from Prokaryotes because they have an ______ metabolism

A

aerobic

37
Q

What does an aerobic metabolism mean?

A

they use oxygen from the atmosphere

38
Q

Since oxygen provides for more ______ energy production, eukaryotes were able to become bigger and more _______

A

efficient, complex

39
Q

Any multi celled organism is a…

A

eukaryote

40
Q

When did the earliest multicellular eukaryotes appear?

A

around the end of the Proterozoic eon

41
Q

How many years ago was then end of the Proterozoic eon?

A

630 million years ago

42
Q

The mulitcellular eukaryotes from the end of the Proterozoic eon did not have any ____ ____ making there fossils hard to find. Why are they harder to find?

A

hard parts (shells, bones)

  • because there soft parts are less likely to be fossilized
43
Q

do we have a fossil record of how the huge jump from unicellular organisms to multicellular organisms occurred?

A

No

44
Q

what are our only clues to the history of life on Earth?

A

fossils

45
Q

How do most fossils form?

A

when an organism has a hard part, such as a shell or bone, and it is quickly buried in sediment.

46
Q

Most fossils form when an organism has a hard part that is quickly _______ in _______.

A

buried, sediment

47
Q

Once a hard part of an organism is buried, what happens?

A

a cast is made of its shell or bones, and so we have evidence of that organism

48
Q

Ins special circumstance soft parts of an organism may be preserved as well, this preservation can occur in…

A

tree sap, or amber, or through the process of mummification if its in a dry area

49
Q

Mummification of organisms can only happen in a very _____ area

A

dry

50
Q

What is mummification?

A

drying out before decomposition

51
Q

when was the Cambrian period?

A

The Paleozoic era started with the Cambrian period 542 million years ago

52
Q

What happened during the Cambrian period?

A

bio-diversity exploded.

53
Q

Geologically, right about 542 million years ago, all of a sudden there are tons of ______ in the rocks

A

fossils,

called an explosion because there were little to no fossils beforehand and all of a sudden there are tons of fossils

54
Q

Is why the explosion occurred well understood?

A

No

55
Q

what are some hypothesis for why the biodiversity explosion occured?

A
  • sexual reproduction increased rate of evolution

- more oxygen available for larger organisms

56
Q

the hypothesis for why biodiversity exploded lean towards…

A

into the development of sexual reproduction.

57
Q

In the Cambrian period there is evidence of more…

A

hard-shelled organisms such as trilobites

58
Q

which type of hard shelled organism is the most diverse group of extinct organisms?

A

trilobites.

found trilobite fossils ranging in size from 3mm to 70 cm (over 2ft)

over 20,000 species

59
Q

Trilobites lasted how many years on Earth?

A

270 million years,

longest lived group in Earth’s history

60
Q

Why are trilobites well preserved?

A

They have a hard shell and an easily recognizable body shape

61
Q

Most of the living organisms found in the Cambrian period lived in _______

A

water, marine life

62
Q

During the Paleozoic era and into the Cambrian period, plants began to develop the capacity to survive on ______

A

land

63
Q

Plants developing on land require an internal aquatic environment to keep a _____ environment for the ______ system

A

moist, reproductive

64
Q

Continuing into the Cambrian period we see the first fossils of chordates. What are chordates?

A

organisms which developed a spinal chord

65
Q

What is the earliest chordate fossil found?

A

a jawless fish, jaws developed next and fish became larger: first sharks

66
Q

The first amphibians may have evolved from ______

A

fish

67
Q

The first fish to develop on land evolved into the first ______

A

amphibians

68
Q

What happened at the end of the Paleozoic Era?

A

a mass extinction

69
Q

During the mass extinction of the Paleozoic era only ____ branch of amphibians is thought to survive. What did these amphibians evolve into?

A

one, reptiles

70
Q

Reptiles lay ______ eggs and are therefore freed from living in _____ for some of their life

A

watertight, water

71
Q

Throughout the Mesozoic era _______ are the biggest creatures on earth

A

reptiles

72
Q

Reptiles during the Mesozoic era proliferated in the new environment and grew in ____ and ______

A

size, number

73
Q

small ______ existed alongside dinosaurs

A

mammals

74
Q

Near the end of which period did birds begin to appear?

A

Jurassic (middle of Mesozoic era)

75
Q

At the end of the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs as well as other species were wiped out in a…

A

mass extinction

76
Q

after the mass extinction of dinosaurs we enter into the the Cenozoic era, known as the _____ ____ ______. what happened during this era?

A

age of the mammals

  • mammals grew larger and more diverse with larger brains
77
Q

what are hominids?

A

human-like species that walked upright

78
Q

The earliest hominids were ____ in size

A

small

79
Q

Hominids never travelled out of _______

A

Africa

80
Q

Which type of hominid fossil ha been found more widely spread?

A

homo erectus

81
Q

There is evidence that homo Erectus were able to fashion and use _____

A

tools

82
Q

When did Homo Erectus disappear?

A

300,000 years ago

we don’t see anymore Homo Erectus fossils in the rock record.

83
Q

what species of hominid do we see in fossils of in the rock record after the Homo Erectus?

A

Neanderthals

homo neanderthalensis

84
Q

there is evidence that neanderthals practiced _____ and perhaps ______

A

rituals, religion

85
Q

about 30,000 Neanderthals disappeared, but we start to see the development of ____ ____

A

Homo sapiens

86
Q

Homo sapiens are modern ______

A

humans

Earth Science (42 decks)

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