History of Life on Earth

By capaci.3
  • 500

    the formation of earth

    4.5 BILLION YEARS AGO
    radiometric dating of meteorites deposit on earth
  • 520

    Hadean Eon

    4.6-4.0 BILLION YEARS AGO
    period from earths formation to approximate time of emergence of life, moon formed, no life exists
  • Jan 1, 650

    Archaen Eon

    4.0-2.5 BILLION YEARS AGO
    most rock was lava/magma based
    atomosphere lacked free oxygen
    unicellular life existed
  • Jan 1, 1000

    photosynthesis

    3 BILLION YEARS AGO
    iron oxide in rocks could only fomr in presence of atmospheric oxygen, essential for cellular respieration

  • proterozoic eon

    2500-542 MILLION YEARS AGO
    photosynthesis causes the oxygentation of earth, eukaryotes evolve,
    endosymbiosis emerges.

  • eukaryotes

    1.8 BILLION YEARS AGO
    fossilized cysts of primitive protists.

  • multicellularity

    1.2 BILLION YEARS AGO
    numerous fossils genetic evidence suggests divergence of modern eukaryotes occurred.

  • today

    (for scale purpose)