Solarsystem1

2, Young and Zimmerman, History of Earth Timeline

  • (5 BYA) Sun

    (5 BYA) Sun

    Sun ignites, solar system takes shape
  • (4.6 BYA) Earth

    (4.6 BYA) Earth

    Molten Earth forms, lacks oxygen
  • (4 BYA) Ocean

    (4 BYA) Ocean

    Ocean forms, organic molecules join the water and create amino acids. nitrogen bases, carbohydrates, and hydrocarbons
  • (4 BYA) Moon, Crust

    (4 BYA) Moon, Crust

    Moon forms by collision, Earth forms solid crust
  • (3.5 BYA) Prokaryotes

    (3.5 BYA) Prokaryotes

    Prokaryotes form, marine photosynthesis begins
  • (3 BYA) Respiration

    (3 BYA) Respiration

    Respiration develops in mitochondria
  • (2.2 BYA) Oxygen

    (2.2 BYA) Oxygen

    Rapid rise in oxygen
  • (2 BYA) Oxygen

    (2 BYA) Oxygen

    O2 levels reached today’s levels
  • (1.5 BYA) Eukaryotes

    (1.5 BYA) Eukaryotes

    Eukaryotes form with a nucleus
  • (1 BYA) Ozone Layer

    (1 BYA) Ozone Layer

    Ozone (O3) formed – protected organisms from harmful UV rays so they could exist on land
  • (1626) Francesco Redi

    (1626) Francesco Redi

    Francesco Redi’s experiment showed that flied are attracted to rotting meat, but don’t come from it.
  • (1665, 1673) The First Microscopes

    (1665, 1673) The First Microscopes

    Hooke invents first microscope in 1665; Leeuwenhoek improves microscope in 1673
  • (1700's) Lazzaro Spalanzani

    (1700's) Lazzaro Spalanzani

    Lazzaro Spalanzani Showed that microorganisms don’t generate spontaneously either
  • (1822) Louis Pasteur

    (1822) Louis Pasteur

    Louis Pasteur used a curved-neck flask to show that even when the broth is exposed, microorganisms will not generate in the broth, but rather collect at the U-bend in the neck.
  • (1924) Oparin's Hypothesis

    (1924) Oparin's Hypothesis

    Oparin’s hypothesized that early earth contained ammonia, hydrogen gas, water vapor, and methane. These high temperatures, along with lightning and UV radiation gave way to macromolecules such as proteins and eventually life forms.
  • (1952) Miller-Urey Experiment

    (1952) Miller-Urey Experiment

    Miller-Urey experiment studied the possibility of life in early-earth conditions, testing Oparin's Hypothesis.
  • (1960's) Lynn Margulis

    (1960's) Lynn Margulis

    Lynn Margulis proposeds that early prokaryotic cells developed an endosymbiotic relationship.
  • (1960's) Sidney Fox

    (1960's) Sidney Fox

    Sidney Fox did research on the physical structures that could have given way to the first life forms.
  • (1970's) Thomas Cech

    (1970's) Thomas Cech

    Thomas Cech studies transcription of a cell’s nucleus
  • (1970's) Radiometric dating

    (1970's) Radiometric dating

    Radiometric dating developed to find out how old organic specimens are.