Activity 1

History of Life on Earth

Based on biostratigraphy and geochronology, the earth has been around for roughly
more than 4.5 billion years. It has undergone tremendous changes in environmental and
geologic conditions that paved way for the transition of various life forms. Scientists have
estimated that the earliest undisputed evidence that life started on our planet occurred at least
3.5 bya. As conditions in the planet changed, the organisms that thrived also evolved.

Your task for this particular activity is to visualize and describe the prevailing conditions
in each eon, including the eras in the Phanerozoic eon. As you go along with understanding the
conditions in each of this time frame, you will realize that organisms, from microorganisms to
plants and animals, also changed and adapted to suit the ensuing condition on that particular
timeline. Studies estimated that the earliest possible appearance of the most primitive lifeform
happened at the latter part of the Hadean Eon. It likely evolved from protocells to prokaryotes,
and eventually to early eukaryotes, paving the way for an ever-greater complexity of lifeforms.
Based on chronostratigraphic data, it is hypothesized that life on earth has been bombarded
with catastrophic and devastating events (i.e., climate change, volcanic eruptions, meteor
showers, etc.) often associated with massive extinction events that wiped out selected taxa on
this planet.

I. Objectives
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II. Materials

a. Appropriate references
b. Various materials for diorama (i.e., clay, sand, canvass mold etc.)

III. Procedure

1. Familiarize yourself with the characteristics and conditions during the different eons and eras
of planet Earth. Discuss the salient features among your groupmates.
2. Tabulate the details of the characteristics of each eon and era nested in said time frame, focusing on
the geologic and climatic conditions. What organisms are found in the respective time frame?
3. Each group will create models in the form of a diorama depicting the information/ observations
gathered from appropriate references. Use biodegradable and/or recycled materials for your
models.
4. Members of each group will present their work during one of the online meetings (the exact date to
be announced in class). Make sure that each member of the group participates in this activity as each
student will include in the group report the specific task assigned to him/her.
5. Paste the photo of your models in this worksheet.
6. Complete the tables that accompany this activity.

IV. Results/Observations:

Note: Paste the photo(s) of the diorama here.

EONS Time Frame Distinct characteristics Organisms

Archaean

Proterozoic

Phanerozoi
c

Table 2. Salient Features of the Eras in the Phanerozoic Eon.

Eras Time Frame Distinct characteristics Organisms

Mesozoic

Cenozoic
IV. Guide Questions

1. What marks the transition from one era to another and from one period to another? How do
scientists determine this.
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2. How did evolutionary scientists speculate organisms present in each of these time frames?
What is their basis of determining this?
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3. When did the mass extinction events take place and what notable disappearances were
recorded for each?
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V. Conclusion
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References:

- Deak, M. (2023, February 17). The timeline of mass extinction events on Earth.
WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-timeline-of-the-mass-extinction-
events-on-earth.html
- Geologic Time - Geology (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.).
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geotime.html
- Libretexts. (2021, September 22). 12.2: Determining Evolutionary relationships. Biology
LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/
Concepts_in_Biology_%28OpenStax%29/12%3A_Diversity_of_Life/
12.02%3A_Determining_Evolutionary_Relationships
- Marshall, M. (2023, April 27). Timeline: The evolution of life. New Scientist.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17453-timeline-the-evolution-of-life/
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024, February 16). Geologic time | Periods,
Time Scale, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/science/geologic-time
- The Geological Society of London - How are Geological Periods Determined? (n.d.).
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Education-and-Careers/Ask-a-Geologist/Nomenclature/How-
are-Geological-Periods-Determined
- There have been five mass extinctions in Earth’s history. (2022, November 30). Our
World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/mass-extinctions