Life Flashcards
Age of Earth
4.5 billion years old
Beginning of life
3.8 billion years ago
Emergence of large multi-complex celled organisms we might call animals.
One billion years ago
When did animals move onto land?
400 million years ago
When did the dinosaurs go extinct?
65 million years ago
When was the Cambrian Explosion?
550 million years ago
When did the era of the dinosaurs begin?
250 million years ago
How long ago did the first simple cells form?
~3.8 billion years ago
How did the first simple cells form?
From a mixture of chemicals, perhaps combined with extreme heat near a deep-sea vent or strike of lightning or comet. This was just a membrane around a sac of liquid that slowly absorbed CO2.
How long ago did complex-cells start forming?
~3 billion years ago
How do single complex-cell organisms form?
A simple cell absorbs another cell. The absorbed cell evolves into an ‘organelle’ (mini organ) inside the initial cell providing vital cell functions.
How long ago did complex cells start evolving into multi-complex cella’s organisms?
2 billion years ago
How were multi-complex celled organisms formed?
Perhaps through failed cell splitting
What is the nostalgic name for the time before the Cambrian Explosion?
The Garden of Ediacara
What was the Cambrian Explosion the inception of?
Predation
Why did the Cambrian Explosion lead to accelerated evolution?
The inception of predation means animals had to evolve ways to survive their new predators or die. Predators then had to evolve in response.
What are the two components of a nervous system?
A series of cells that co-ordinate movement. Cells that respond to external stimulus (like light). The two connected create a basic nervous system.
How did animals transition to land?
Animals and plants were deposited on land via floods and through river banks. Those that evolved were richly rewarded with predator-less land.
