LESSON OBJECTIVES:

1. identify the sequence of events of the history of life on earth;

2. name the pieces of evidence on the evolution of life on earth;
3. recognize the importance of knowing the history of life on earth
Create a timeline that will reflect the events that happened to you in the past.

Lesson 1: Evolving Concept of Life Based on Emerging Pieces of Evidence

Timeline of Appearance of Life Forms
1. 4.6 – 3.8 BYA- violent because of the meteorites and volcanic eruptions.
2. 3.5 BYA- Life on Earth initially began with prokaryotes, discovered in sedimentary rock formations called
stromatolites.
Stromatolites -are the oldest known macrofossils. mainly of limestone, formed by the growth of
blue-green algae (primitive one-celled organisms). These structures are usually characterized by
thin, alternating light and dark layer
The earliest life forms we know of were microscopic organisms (microbes) that left signals of their
presence in rocks about 3.7 billion years old
3. 3.0 BYA- The first photosynthetic organism thrived the earth which is blue green algae called
cyanobacteria. These algae are found in all lakes and are a natural part of the lake ecosystem.
Unfortunately, high nutrient concentrations can promote a population explosion of these organisms
and result in algal blooms, especially during warm weather.
4. 2.0 BYA- Appearance of the first eukaryotes and the influx of multicellular organisms occurred
1.2 billion years ago. Fossil 'balls' are 1 billion years old and could be Earth's oldest known
multicellular life. The spherical fossils came from sediments that were formerly at the bottom of a
lake.
5. 500 MYA- The Paleozoic era when the trilobites and cephalopods became dominant in the
ocean particularly during the Cambrian and Ordovician. While today's cephalopods are most
notable for their many arms and soft bodies, ancient cephalopods are mostly known from their
shells because they are well preserved as fossils
6. 251 - 65.5 MYA- The Mesozoic era-the age of reptiles that has a span of 251 to 65.5 MYA
divided into Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous period.
7. 250 TYA- The Cenozoic era- recent life and based on paleontological evidence. Homo erectus
have evolved.

1. people realized that rock layers represent the order in which rocks
and fossils appeared, they were able to trace the history of Earth and
life on Earth.
2. Indications that volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and erosion that
happened long ago shaped much of the Earth’s surface. This
supported the idea of an older Earth.

Evidences from fossil records show the emergence of the different life
forms. a single-cell, bacterium-like organism. Luca, the Last Universal
Common Ancestor, and is estimated to have lived some four billion
years ago, when Earth was a mere 560 million years old. life began in
some extreme environment, such as in deep sea vents or the flanks of
volcanoes
Evidence in the history of life on Earth
Time to Reveal
Directions: Arrange the jumbled word to reveal the evidence in the history of life on earth.
 E E R C T U S M O H O -Extinct species of the genus Homo from which the modern human has evolved
from.
 A K R P O R Y O T S E-A basic cell type which lacks true nucleus. Bacteria, blue- green algae, archaea
and spirochetes are examples of organisms belonging to this cell type.
 R I O T L T I E B - A marine animal first evolved at the beginning of the Cambrian period, 542 MYA,
where they dominated the ocean.
 A K R U E Y O T S E- This basic cell type possesses a true nucleus that contains DNA.
 R U O S D N I A S- These are giant reptiles that roamed the earth during the Mesozoic era.

Extinct Flora & Fauna

Animal extinctions may be caused by natural occurrences such as climatic heating or cooling or changes in sea
levels. Habitat destruction as farming land expands and forests are cut-down is the main cause of modern
extinctions, along with pollution, the introduction of alien species, and over fishing or hunting.

1. Dodo bird
Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Dodo went extinct because Dutch sailors ate the
beast to extinction after finding that the bird was incredibly easy to catch due to the fact it
had no fear of humans.
After sailors landed and settled on the island in 1598, the dodo’s population rapidly
declined and other sources confirm that the dodo was indeed hunted by sailors looking for
an easy snack.
2. Baiji or Chinese river dolphin
declared extinct in December 2006. The primary factor driving this decline was probably
unsustainable bycatch in local fisheries, particularly rolling hook long-lines, together with wider-scale
habitat degradation and pollution.
The extinction of the baiji was a national tragedy for China and an international disgrace. An earlier, more
dynamic response to the species’ decline.
3. Cry Violet (Viola cryana)
Aptly- in a manner that is appropriate or suitable in the circumstances.
The aptly named cry violet was native to France, but by the 1950s it was extinct due to
over picking by enthusiastic botanists and quarrying in its native limestone habitat.
This pretty violet was named after the French town of Cry where it was first discovered in
1860. It was small, just 1.5 to 5 inches tall with pale violet flowers that bloomed in in
May and June.
It liked sunny, chalky conditions and was endemic to the Cry region in near Tonnerre.
Tears were surely shed for this beautiful plant once it could no longer be found in the wild by the mid-1930s
and was completely extinct by the 1950s. The cry violet, which was found exclusively in France, was driven
to extinction after it was picked faster than it could be planted.

Direction: Select a question and answer it in your notebook. Once you are done, you will discuss your answer
with your classmates.

A. Write 5 sentences that will discuss the importance of knowing the concepts of the history of life to
human beings and other living organisms.
B. If you are one of the environmentalists and was assigned in one of the forests in the Philippines which
happened to be the location of some endangered species, what are the plans that you would organize to
ensure the conservation of the species of the flora and fauna present in your assigned area?