Photosynthesis has been instrumental in the success of life on Earth, and life has had to adapt and evolve in the face of dramatic geological perturbations over billions of years. Of all of those living life forms, an estimated 99% of all species are now extinct. for (var i = 0; i < elem.options.length; i++) { Through the process of natural selection, many species have evolved shapes and colorations that provide camouflage, either to be less visible to their predators or to their own prey. Second, it allowed evolution of the biochemical process of cellular respiration 66 million years ago saw the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Archery was practiced in ancient Egypt 5000 years ago. Yet it is also much more. } New forms of life began to appear. They were the first species to branch off from the tetrapods. From cyanobacteria to fungi. Dinosaurs and chickens. no_error = false; Watch this video from the Stockholm Resilience Centre to learn more about resilience. These include the formation of soils and the cycling of nutrients. 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_forest#mediaviewer/File:Kelp_forest.jpg tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid email address. [adaptation]: The biosphere is currently experiencing a mass extinction event caused by human activity. }); Diversity, is a voluntary and deliberate undertaking meant to provide specific, tangible business benefits, with the change in the racial or gender composition of the workforce. var form = document.getElementById('_form_' + id + '_'), err = document.createElement('div'), button = form.querySelector('button'), old_error = form.querySelector('._form_error'); On a scale of evolution, this period in the timeline of life on earth was by far the most exciting and vital. In the MEA document Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis, these services are divided into four categories: provisioning services, supporting services, cultural services, and regulating services (Figure 3). if (elem.multiple) { A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically. window._show_error = function(id, message, html) { if (allInputs[i].type == "radio" || allInputs[i].type == "checkbox") { }; } The process in which one common lineage evolve due to differences between species. This often occurs because they face similar environmental challenges and selective pressures. Evolution shows us how the organism changes with respect to the environment over time. Nature has instrumental value for human life. tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ? By utilizing the abundant supply of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in their surrounding environment, species that could photosynthesize were able to harness the abundant energy of the sun. validate_field(elem) ? if (tooltips[i].elem === elem) { This means that life on Earth has had to accumulate adaptations as well in order to survive. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organization, from kingdoms to species, and individual organisms and … var validate_field = function(elem, remove) { From that evidence and explanation, we have what scientists and others call today, the Theory of Evolution. The adjustment or changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism allowing it to become more suited to an environment.View Sourcehttp://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Adaptation, are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass their genes on to their offspring. Why? The metabolic processes whereby certain aerobic organisms obtain energy from glucose, a 6-carbon sugar molecule. for (var i = 0; i < elems.length; i++) { These patterns are influenced by biological changes in the environment, some of which are caused by activities of life itself. } elem.value = elem.value.trim(); They started small, but quickly grew and diversified, enjoying their new dinosaur-free world. Whales and cows. This timeline of the evolutionary history of life represents the current scientific theory outlining the major events during the development of life on planet Earth.In biology, evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. But gradual evolution may amount to large differences … A scientific theory that asserts that all the continents on Earth were once connected, but have since drifted apart as plates on the Earth's crust move atop the Earth's liquid core. }; if (!no_error && e) { In the late Triassic, 200 million years ago, the first mammals appear. return; The phenotype of an organism depends on which genes are dominant and on the interaction between genes and environment. Soon after, the first vertebrates appear. if (elem.getAttribute('required') !== null) { var remove_tooltip = function(elem) { Darwinâs principle of evolution is summarized by the following facts. Often times, environmental changes caused by humans can be too rapid to allow species to adapt to the changing environment, and may lead to extinction. At the same time extensive volcanic activity in what is now Siberia covered vast areas of the landscape with lava flows. The dinosaurs werenât initially the dominant species on the planet. } }); script.type = 'text/javascript'; } var results = new RegExp(regexStr).exec(allInputs[i].name); } var oldFunc = element['on' + event]; Oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is generated in the process. Decomposition is facilitated by decomposers like bacteria, fungi and many invertebrates. Why. A group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographic area. } Lemurs, gibbons, bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, and even modern humans are all linked to this point in the timeline of life on earth. Our planetâs evolution started with the first organism ever to call our planet home. However, valuable too is the role biodiversity plays in the structure and function of the ecosystems on which all life depends. Loss of lush kelp forests causes populations of species that directly or indirectly rely upon them to enter an imbalance and ultimately to collapse, reducing ecosystem health and stability. (O3) in the upper atmosphere, which blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. A change, either spontaneous or by external factors, in the genetic material of a cell; mutations in the gametes (sex cells) can be inherited by future generations of organisms. All species contribute to ecosystem structure and function in distinct ways, yet have co-evolved in a relationship of interdependence. no_error = false; Critical ecosystem processes, such as the nitrogen cycle The timeline of life on earth begins over 4.5 billion years ago. Today most of the remaining megafauna living on the plains of Africa. validate_field(this, true); The changes on Earth can come from internal or external sources and are continuing to this day. How does the timeline of life on earth impact our lives today? tooltips.push(new_tooltip); resize_tooltip(tooltip) : false; Credit: Remy Snippe tooltip.appendChild(arrow); (n.d.) The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Because of the gradualness of evolution, immediate descendants differ little, and then mostly quantitatively, from their ancestors. }; a. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rs_snippe/6089795516/in/set-72157626768049897/ . So unfortunately, The gender spectrum is legit when it comes to acceptance, They are living on earth. addEvent(radios[i], 'click', function() { Arrows indicate direction and quantity of nutrient and energy flow; dash-lined arrows indicate minimal energy/nutrient flow. if (_removed) return; } head.appendChild(script); Such changes can be beneficial or harmful, or they can have no influence on survivability. } View SourceAdapted from http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070294267/student_view0/glossary_... present on Earth has increased steadily over time, punctuated by five periods of mass extinction "); } Industrialisation has led to major artificial changes to our climate, including a 50% increase in atmospheric CO2 levels. validate_field(this, true); View Sourceerobic. tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ? (elems instanceof NodeList || elems instanceof HTMLCollection) || elems.length <= 1) { But these surface rocks are no longer available for study: they have disappeared into the interior of our dynamic planet. Biodiversity is a relatively recent term in science, only coming into common usage in the 1980s. What Is Diversity? elem.parentNode.insertBefore(tooltip, elem); if (!selected) { err.className = '_error-inner _form_error _no_arrow'; } var regexStr = '[\?&]' + name + '=([^]*)'; We, humans, are currently sharing the earth with about 12 million other species. Over time, natural selection narrows the variation among individuals to maintain effective camouflage. var err = form_to_submit.querySelector('._form_error'); }; 250 million years ago marked the first emergence of dinosaurs. Periods of greatly accelerated extinction rates - mass extinctions - have occurred periodically throughout the history of life on Earth due to meteor impacts and other extreme events. Evolution is the basis for the diversity of life. This can lead to … } else if (input.type == 'radio' || input.type == 'checkbox') { } However, the last remains of a dimetrodon have been dated to 40 million years before dinosaurs walked the earth. Over two billion years, photosynthetic activity by plants and algae allowed O2 concentrations to increase in the atmosphere and oceans. We, humans, are currently sharing the earth with about 12 million other species. But, perhaps equally interesting to the origins and evolution of microbial metabolisms is the uncertainty concerning the implications of these metabolisms. var resize_tooltip = function(tooltip) { Evolution of Life. It’s a period is known as the Cambrian explosion. It absolutely has increased diversity exponentially, although diversity is not necessarily better - nor does it increase at a constant rate. Perhaps the most influential biological innovation to arise since life has existed was the evolution of photosynthesis about 3.4 billion years ago. Of or living on land (as distinct from air or water). tooltip.innerHTML = text; It was around this time that primates began spreading and diverging into new species. if (input.type == 'text') { } The non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment, including solar radiation, water, atmospheric gases, soil type and fertility, temperature, etc. var setCookie = function(name, value) { if (!elems[i].checked) { no_error = false; Supporting services are processes of nature essential to the functioning of the ecosystem as a whole. action, reaction or activity that occurs in response to stimuli. They were found preserved in ancient rock samples from Greenland. Evolution is the mechanism producing the diversity of life. } Network for Conservation Educators and Practitioners, American Museum of Natural History. Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen. In the timeline of life on earth, mammals began splitting into the four major groups that can be observed today. } } Figure 5: Examples of camouflage coloration- a. Brimstone (Live-Leaf) Butterfly, b. Dead-Leaf Butterfly, c. Batfish, d. American Bittern.1, a. Thus, through the process of natural selection, the population develops resistance to that pesticide. Chloroplasts play a crucial role in sustaining life on earth. The earliest forms of these are thought to have been land animals adapting to life in the sea. if (!found && elems[i] !== elem) return true; Another way biodiversity helps an ecosystem is through resilienceThe ability of an ecosystem to recover to its pre-disturbance state following a disturbance. anaerobic. Relating to, produced by, or impacted by living organisms, including interactions between organisms in nature. Environmental forces that cause a particular species to evolve in a certain direction that confers an advantage. In biology, evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. return match ? In the beginning, survival was difficult for any life forms. Figure 4: Habitat-specific differences in favorability for different color forms in peppered moths. script.charset = 'utf-8'; A group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographic area. The non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment, including solar radiation, water, atmospheric gases, soil type and fertility, temperature, etc. // use this trick to get the submit button & disable it using plain javascript var now = new Date(); })(input); Biological diversity is the variety of life on earth. Figure 2: Reduction of diversity and food-web complexity upon removal of sea otters, a keystone predator, on sub-tidal communities. Online Etymology Dictionary. if (elem.type != 'checkbox') elem.className = elem.className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); Today, it’s unknown exactly when, but around this era saw the emergence of the first birds. View SourceAdapted from http://quizlet.com/29217953/ecology-packets-34-vocab-flash-cards/ and natural selection (n.d.). This tremendous number and variety of species that exist on the planet is referred to as biological diversity or biodiversity. Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. The mechanism for evolutionary change in which environmental pressures cause certain genetic combinations in a population to become more abundant; genetic combinations best adapted for present environmental conditions tend to be selected for, and non-adaptive traits are selected against. For example, the use of pesticides to control crop pests can rapidly cause a pest species to develop resistanceThe capacity of an ecosystem community, organism, tissue, or cell to withstand the effects of a physical, chemical or biological disturbance, such as a hurricane, oil spill or pathogenic infection. now.setTime(expireTime); The evolution of life on Earth has been characterized by ongoing increases in the number of species punctuated by recurrent and mass extinction events that greatly reduce the species number (Figure 1). Many species have gone extinct or are threatened with extinction because pressures from human activities are altering habitat more rapidly than species can adapt. div.innerHTML = html; This led to extremely important evolutionary changes. return results != undefined ? addEvent(input, 'blur', function() { After the Cambrian explosion, life on earth was climbing in diversity. Here was a critical period of the evolution of planet earth. It was soon after the dinosaurs became the dominant species on earth. Decomposition is facilitated by decomposers like bacteria, fungi and many invertebrates. }; Evolution, whether couched in Christianized language or presented in its natural atheistic colors, remains an utterly bankrupt and failed hypothesis about the origin of the universe or the diversity of life on earth. Changes in the orientation of land masses by continental drift have strongly affected patterns of change in biodiversity. , and periodic minor extinction events (Figure 1). Evolution is the process of change that has occurred to life over time. Itâs unknown why, but around 900 million years ago simple multi-celled organisms started to appear. }); if (needs_validate(elem)) { Around a third of life on planet earth was wiped out, marking a huge fork in the timeline of life on earth. Oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is generated in the process. Photosynthesis func.apply(this, arguments); Despite all the species we know have lived and existed, many are found every day. One challenge of humans to fit into the timeline of life on earth see how it would look if we were to vacate the planet and let nature take back control. 3. http://mission-blue.org/2013/11/ghost-gear-a-scary-matter/. However, when ‘using’ nature we must respect its sustainability. remove_tooltips(); Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen. var validate_form = function(e) { differences between diversity and affirmative action, and analyzes legal issues surrounding diversity programs. var rect = tooltip.elem.getBoundingClientRect(); callback(); Why? The irreversible disappearance of a species; species have gone extinct at a relatively constant rate over geologic time. tooltip.appendChild(inner); } It was also created from the decay of radioactive iodine 129, which does not exist on the earth anymore. A layer at altitudes between 15 km and 35 km in the earth's stratosphere containing a high concentration of ozone (O.
var getUrlParam = function(name) { Scientists don’t know why this ancient predator diverged from its fellow reptiles and returned to the ocean. Morphological species concept Based on analysis of diagnostic traits distinguishing one species from another Diagnostic traits: critical traits for distinguishing species Species can be distinguished anatomically by one or more distinct physical characteristics. tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid date. } Leave your thoughts in the comment section below. if (html) { } b. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kallima_inachus_qtl1.jpg elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; The MA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. form.querySelector('._form-content').style.display = 'none'; (function() { From a single species which came into existence over 3.6 billion years ago, an estimated 8.7 million species have evolved to populate the planet today.1 Of these, only about 2 million (14% of terrestrial View Sourcehttp://www.esa.org/ecoservices/comm/body.comm.fact.ecos.html”. allInputs[i].checked = true; thank_you.innerHTML = message; Watch how the distribution of land masses have changed over the last 260 million years. Tiny unicellular algae visible only under a microscope. return new_tooltip; } These animals, known as tetrapods, are the ancestors to all birds, mammals, reptiles and even amphibians. Of or relating to the immediate surroundings, e.g. Online Etymology Dictionary. } Imagine interconnections that make your everyday life possible— with those you see, such as your family and friends, and those you may not see, such as the people at the power plant who provide light to your room, or the people who clean the streets you take to school. return el.name == 'email' || el.getAttribute('required') !== null; Something to understand straight away, is that it doesn't explain the origin and development of the universe, nor does evolution exactly tell us how life began on Earth. This is true for even the most inconspicuous biological processes. The earth is undergoing rapid environmental changes because of human actions (1â6).Humans have greatly impacted the rates of supply of the major nutrients that constrain the productivity, composition, and diversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Similarly, the diversity of species ensures that environmental change will not mean the extinction of life. Human activities can also result in very strong selection pressures. if (window._old_serialize) window.serialize = window._old_serialize; var form_to_submit = document.getElementById('_form_1_'); if (!value.match(/^\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d$/)) { These changes are due to various things such as slight changes to our orbit around the sun, changes in ocean currents, and the build-up of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, among other internal sources. button.parentNode.insertBefore(wrapper, button); addEvent(window, 'resize', resize_tooltips); } They are thought to have split from dinosaurs or reptiles. As a consequence of genetic diversity, members of a given species differ from one another in their physical traits (phenotypeThe physical traits and appearance of an organism that are coded by its genetic makeup. } Read more about Anthropocene Mass Extinction. window.cfields = []; "); var form = document.getElementById('_form_' + id + '_'), thank_you = form.querySelector('._form-thank-you'); The struggle started and soon after earthâs formation, organisms start appearing. In the Cambrian, the first-time animals with mineralized skeletal systems lived. Cultural services are the educational, recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual contributions that nature makes to the richness of human life. The rich diversity of life on Earth has arisen from the process of evolutionThe process through which populations of organisms change in genetic characteristics over time, often resulting in adaptation to a given set of environmental conditions., defined as the successive change in inherited traits and adaptations of biological populations of organisms over time. Millions more are thought to remain undiscovered. Â It makes sense the first signs of life on planet earth are incredibly simple. Biological diversity is constantly changing. if (elem.options[i].selected && !elem.options[i].value) { var create_tooltip = function(elem, text) { | (_above|_below) ?/g, '') + ' _above'; Some incredible megafaunal species include: Earth’s series of extinction events culminates around 10,000 years ago. The article concludes with a discussion of generational diversity, the next wave of diversity efforts in the workplace. Without biodiversity, the properties and processes of Earth on which human and non-human life depends would not exist. Evolution Explains Why Earth Has Such A Huge Diversity Of Life. For reasons unknown, many species started getting bigger and bigger, some growing to enormous sizes. resize_tooltips(); allInputs[i].value = fieldVal; Mutations are the basis of evolutionary change. Here, you see a reason for that value: the indispensable services biodiversity provides for life on Earth. _load_script(trackcmp_url); The first life on land started as algae gradually adapted to be able to live on dry land. inner.innerHTML = text; } Evolution and the history of life on Earth Heritability. For example, a mutation in the white-colored peppered moth of England once produced a dark-colored form that was easily seen by predators on light-colored lichen covered bark, but well camouflaged on trees with darker bark (Figure 4). However, it’s not just manmade global warming that is continuing to change the course of evolution; human encroachment on natural habitats over the last 12,000 years has had the greatest influence of all. selected = true; It applies to terrestrial, aquatic Visit a natural ecosystem in your community, like a park, an empty lot overgrown with plants, a stream or river, or a pond or lake and ask yourself. Earth has been home to over five billion different species of organisms. Off the coast of central California, when sea otter populations are healthy, lush kelp (macro algae) forests flourish and support a diverse and complex food web. Mutations are the original source of variation in attributes among individuals and are the base cause of genetic diversity. var doc = document.documentElement, scrollPosition = rect.top - ((window.pageYOffset || doc.scrollTop) - (doc.clientTop || 0)); for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { } Retrieved June 5 2014 from. Towards the end of the Precambrian Time period, much more diversity evolved. validate_field(el, true); The study of the structures and processes of the natural world and the impact human beings have on them. this.value = this.value.trim(); http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070294267/student_view0/glossary_... http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/keystone-species, http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nurp/nur03505.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_forest#mediaviewer/File:Kelp_forest.jpg, http://mission-blue.org/2013/11/ghost-gear-a-scary-matter/, http://www.esa.org/ecoservices/comm/body.comm.fact.ecos.html, http://quizlet.com/29217953/ecology-packets-34-vocab-flash-cards/, http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/pepperedmothslichen.jpg, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/phenotype, http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Adaptation, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rs_snippe/6089795516/in/set-72157626768049897/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kallima_inachus_qtl1.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20111103_162317_0722M.JPG, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Bittern_8.jpg, http://www.biodiversitybc.org/EN/topnav/glossary.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_environmental_science#B, http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=respiration, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/anaerobic, http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html, Geographic Distribution of Biodiversity ›, Chapter Reflection Questions & Explorations. } The environmental factors that influence the survival and reproductive success of individuals with different phenotypes are called selection pressures Over the next few million years, evolution continued among mammals. addEvent(input, 'change', function() { The more an ecosystem is organically diverse, the more resilient it is to disturbances such as drought, flooding, storms, or insect population explosions. Earth has been home to over five billion different species of organisms. } Unfortunately, evolution is often misunderstood, because it's mechanisms seem counter intuitive The Socotra archipelago in the Arabian Sea supports so many diverse and unique species that it has been described as the most alien place on Earth. A eukaryotic cell can multitask much better than a prokaryote because of all its separate parts. It preyed on amphibians and other sea creatures. } The adjustment or changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism allowing it to become more suited to an environment. The MA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. var fieldVal = getUrlParam(allInputs[i].dataset.name); elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; allInputs[i].dataset.name = allInputs[i].name; Mutations are changes in genes which code for different traits, sometimes resulting in a different physical variation of that trait. tooltips[i].tip.parentNode.removeChild(tooltips[i].tip); var expireTime = time + 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365; } else { It is vital that the fragile interconnections among species of every kind are maintained. Would you prefer a large nose or a small nose? They began by returning to the land only to give birth. They process the other chemicals that were abundant in the early atmosphere and oceans. A population of morphologically and genetically similar organisms that can reproduce sexually among themselves but that cannot produce fertile offspring when mated with organisms belonging to another species. if (validate_form()) { if (elem.type != 'radio' && elem.type != 'checkbox') { These can be abiotic remove ? for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { if (!tooltips[i].no_arrow) resize_tooltip(tooltips[i]); Non-N-fixing plants obtain N as nitrate, … Monkeys to humans, the evolution of life is a story with surprising twists.