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Life During Precambrian Period
Life During Precambrian Period
Introduction 1
Learning Objectives 2
Warm Up 2
Bibliography 17
Lesson 3.2
Introduction
Do you have any idea what Earth looked like in early times? Based on movies, it is depicted
to have unfavorable atmospheric conditions that would not allow any life forms to exist. At
the same time, it has been described to have a lot of active volcanoes that erupt from time
to time which maintain a constant lava flow on Earth’s surface.
In this lesson, Earth’s conditions during its earliest time period, namely: the Precambrian
and the Paleozoic periods will be described. These periods mainly span from Earth’s
formation about 4.6 billion years ago until the Cambrian Period, which was approximately
541 million years ago. Students are expected to validate the common idea regarding
Earth’s condition together with the life forms that may possibly exist during this time as
depicted by most movies.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 1
Paleozoic eras.
Warm Up
Materials
● coloring materials
● illustration board
● gadget with an internet connection
● pencil
Procedure
1. Group yourselves into five members.
2. Do a group brainstorming regarding your idea of the primitive Earth. Discuss how
you think Earth’s surface looked like in early times. You may watch videos or search
for further information on the web for your reference.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 2
Fig. 3.2.1. Sample storyboard
5. After making your storyboard, pick one representative of your group to present
your output in class.
6. Answer the guide questions below.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 3
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 5
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 6
Period Events
Earth’s interior was still hot and active and this caused a series of
Archaean volcanic eruptions. This formed long chains of small islands. The
continents have not formed yet during this time.
Earth was suspected to have two supercontinents: one was located in
Proterozoic
the equator and the other one was situated on the other side.
Paleozoic Era
The Paleozoic era spanned around 300 million years, which was almost half of the entire
Phanerozoic. During this time, there were six major continental landmasses. Each consisted
of different parts of the modern continents. Large blocks of limestone rock outcrops were
caused by periodic incursions of continental seas. The Paleozoic Era is mainly characterized
by the formation of global supercontinents. At the start of this era, the world-continent
Pannotia was broken into pieces leading to the formation of Pangea that makes Earth's
continents connected once again. This era is mainly characterized by the explosion of
different life forms that started to emerge on Earth. With this, it can be said that the
atmosphere started to become highly similar to what we have today. It is now capable of
supporting different life forms. Multicellular organisms present in the ocean started to
evolve and created various animals and even plants.
The Paleozoic is divided into six periods: the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian,
Carboniferous, and Permian. Table 3.2.2 shows the summary of events in each period.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 7
Period Events
These names were derived from original locations where fossilized rocks of these ages were
found.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 8
Different species of Dickinsonia dated during the Precambrian Era
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 9
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 10
A crinoid fossil
By the end of the Ordovician, organisms were no longer limited to the seas. Early plants
started to colonize the land and were closely followed by the invertebrates during the
Silurian Period. The vertebrates followed later on in the early Devonian. Eventually, the
primitive animals that have four limbs and spinal columns, like vertebrates called
tetrapods, walked on land. Early tetrapods were aquatic creatures that lived in swamps and
ventured to land occasionally.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 11
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 12
Location Fossils
Rhynie Chert, Scotland Fossils of early land plants and terrestrial arthropods.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 13
Key Points
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● The Precambrian Era has three major subdivisions: Hadean, Archean, and
Proterozoic. Today, it is known that life on Earth started during the early Archean,
thus making fossilized organisms increase throughout the Precambrian time period.
● The Paleozoic is divided into six periods: the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian,
Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian. These names were derived from original
locations where fossilized rocks of these ages were found.
● During this period, single-cell and multicellular organisms started to emerge. The
first multicellular animals, also known as Ediacarans, appeared in the fossil record
that was dated almost 600 million years ago.
● The most advanced form of animals such as the vertebrates or animals with
backbones first appeared 525 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion.
● Most phyla of the modern times were present during the Cambrian but trilobites,
brachiopods, mollusks, hyolithids, and archaeocyathids were the most abundant.
The Cambrian explosion led to the emergence of various phyla of organisms.
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3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 14
Precambrian Era
Period Events
Hadean
Archaean
Proterozoic
Chaotian
Paleozoic Era
Cambrian
Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 15
B. Fill in the Venn diagram by comparing the similarities and
differences of Precambrian and Paleozoic Era in terms of the
given conditions:
1. Environmental Condition
2. Existing Life Forms
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 16
Challenge Yourself
1. Most primitive forms of organisms are single-celled organisms that live in the ocean.
Why do you think they first conquered the ocean?
2. What conditions during the Archean period allowed the emergence of life on Earth?
3. Among the early life forms discussed, which one do you think is the best in adapting
to a changing environment? Explain your answer.
4. How do you think did the conditions of early Earth contribute to the emergence of
life?
5. How do you believe has the extinction of species in the past led to the diversity of
life today?
Photo Credits
Hadean by Tim Bertelink is licensed under CC-BY SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Acanthostega model by Dr Gunter Bechly is licensed under CC-BY SA 3.0 via Wikimedia
Commons.
Bibliography
Aleksandr Ivanovich Oparin. 2003.The Origin of Life. Massachusetts: Courier Corporation.
Johnson, G.B., and Raven, P.H. 2001. Biology: Principles & Explorations. Austin: Holt,
Rinehart, and Winston.
Klug, W.S., Spencer, C.A., and Cummings, M.R. 2016. Concepts of Genetics. Boston:
Pearson.
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 17
3.2. Life during Precambrian and Paleozoic Period 18