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The Scale of the Universe in a Squash Court

By Nicholas Tanner

*Keep in mind to go up-down-left-right

*Please check the marker list for the allocated number for the markers.

*Click on any event! I filled in all of them

The Scale of the Universe Compared to a Squash Court

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Click to Continue to Scale

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1 cm= 4,717,948.71795 Years

1 year= 0.000000211956522 cm

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Holocene

Years ago: 0

Cm: 0 cm

Today

The present day refers to the current moment in time, which is characterized by continuous changes by nature and human activity on Earth.

Today

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Pleistocene

Years ago:40,000

Cm: 0.0084 cm

Ice Age

Ice Ages

The Ice Ages were periods when the Earth's climate was significantly colder than today. This resulted in the formation of vast ice sheets and glaciers.

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Pleistocene

Years ago:70,000

Cm: 0.015 cm

Homo sapiens, moves out of Africa into Arabia

Around 70,000 years ago, Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa and into Arabia, marking the beginning of their spread across the globe and rise to dominance as a species.

Homo sapiens, moves out of Africa into Arabia

MARKER

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Pliocene

Years ago: 3.5 mya

Cm: 0.74 cm

Early ancestors of human begin to walk upright 3.5 mya

The East African Rift and Upright Walking of Ancestors of Humans

Early ancestors of human begin to walk upright

About 3.5 million years ago, early human ancestors such as Australopithecus began walking on two legs, representing a major evolutionary adaptation. Walking upright allowed for greater mobility and the ability to use tools, facilitating profound changes in human development.

The East African Rift and Upright Walking of Ancestors of Humans

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

  • The East African Rift formed around 25 million years ago and is still active today.
  • It is a series of deep fissures in the Earth's crust that run through eastern Africa, from Ethiopia in the north to Mozambique in the south.
  • The tectonic movements caused by the East African Rift led to the formation of mountains, including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.
  • The rift also created numerous lakes, including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi.
  • The geological activity associated with the rift resulted in changes to the environment, including alterations to the climate and vegetation.
  • Before the formation of the East African Rift, the region was covered in dense forests, but as the climate changed, the forests began to give way to grasslands.
  • The evolution of the environment, particularly the transition from forests to grasslands, played a significant role in the evolution of early humans.
  • The ability to walk upright, or bipedalism, is thought to have evolved as a response to the changing landscape and the need to move efficiently across the savannah.
  • Bipedalism allowed early humans to see over tall grasses, freeing their hands for tool use and facilitating long-distance travel.
  • The emergence of bipedalism was a crucial step in the evolution of humans, leading to the development of other uniquely human traits, such as larger brains and the ability to use language.

The East African Rift is a geological phenomenon that began to form around 25 million years ago. It is a series of deep fissures in the Earth's crust that run through eastern Africa, from Ethiopia in the north to Mozambique in the south. The overall event of the East African Rift contributed to the evolution of humans in several ways, including their ability to walk upright.

In summary, the formation of the East African Rift had a profound impact on the evolution of humans. The geological activity associated with the rift led to changes in the environment, including alterations to the climate and vegetation, which ultimately played a vital role in the emergence of bipedalism. The ability to walk upright allowed early humans to move efficiently across the savannah, see over tall grasses, and free their hands for tool use, which facilitated the development of other uniquely human traits.

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Pliocene

Years ago: 3.5 mya

Cm: 0.74 cm

African Rift Valley forms

African Rift Valley forms

Around 3.5 million years ago, tectonic plate movement resulted in the formation of the African Rift Valley. The plates split apart, dividing the African continent and creating a massive geological rift. The Rift Valley played an important role in human evolution by providing ecological diversity that early human ancestors adapted to.

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Miocene

Years ago: 6mya

Cm: 1.27 cm

First hominids

First hominids

Around 6 million years ago, the first early hominids emerged in Africa, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Orrorin tugenensis. These hominids were among the earliest known human ancestors and represented a seminal stage in human evolution from ape-like primates. The emergence of hominids in Africa marked the beginning of the long journey toward the origin of modern Homo sapiens.

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Oligocene & Eocene

Years ago:20 mya - 47 mya

Cm: 4.2-10 cm

India smashes into Asia forming Himalayan mountains

India smashes into Asia forming Himalayan mountains

About 50 million years ago, the collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates resulted in the formation of the Himalayan mountains. The Himalayas continue to increase in height due to ongoing geological activity and tectonic plate movement. Formed from a massive continental collision, the Himalayas remain geologically dynamic and geographically significant, influencing climate, environment and human settlement across Asia.

Era: Cenozoic

Period: Paleocene

Years ago: 5 mya - 65 mya

Cm: 1.05 - 14

Mammals evolve to dominate earth

Mammals evolve to dominate earth

Following the mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago, mammals emerged to fill the voids in Earth's ecosystems. Over vast expanses of time, mammals diversified into an array of distinct species with different characteristics, adaptations, and behaviors. Mammals spread throughout the globe, populating a diverse range of habitats and ecological niches in a variety of forms large and small. From tiny shrews to massive whales, mammals evolved into dominant terrestrial and aquatic predators that helped shape the course of life on Earth after the age of dinosaurs.

MARKER

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Cretacous

Years ago: 65 mya

Cm: 14

Chicxulub asteroid hits Earth

The Chicxulub Asteroid, the Fall of Dinosaurs, and the Rise of Mammals: How One Catastrophic Event Changed the Course of Evolution

Mass Extinction Event

(76% of species)

Chicxulub asteroid hits Earth

Mass Extinction Event

The massive Chicxulub asteroid slammed into the Earth approximately 65 million years ago, triggering a global disaster that resulted in the demise of dinosaurs and numerous other organisms.

The Chicxulub Asteroid, the Fall of Dinosaurs, and the Rise of Mammals: How One Catastrophic Event Changed the Course of Evolution

Bullet points:

  • The impact of the Chicxulub asteroid is believed to have been a key factor in the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species.
  • The impact led to significant environmental changes, including global wildfires, acid rain, and a decrease in sunlight due to the dust and debris kicked up into the atmosphere.
  • The extinction of the dinosaurs paved the way for the emergence and evolution of many new species, including the eventual rise of mammals.
  • The extinction of the dinosaurs allowed for the emergence and diversification of mammals.
  • The availability of new ecological niches and the evolution of new adaptations allowed mammals to become the dominant group of animals on Earth.
  • The rise of mammals eventually led to the emergence of humans, who have had a significant impact on the planet's ecosystems and the course of its evolution.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

About 66 million years ago, the Earth went through a huge disaster that caused dinosaurs and many other creatures to go extinct. This disaster happened when a massive asteroid, called the Chicxulub asteroid, smashed into Earth. The impact was as powerful as 100 million atomic bombs exploding.

The asteroid collision made big changes to the environment. There were huge forest fires, acid rain, and less sunlight for years. The sun was blocked by dust and debris from the impact.

With the dinosaurs gone, little animals called mammals started to develop and become more diverse. This happened for several reasons:

  • There were empty ecological niches to fill.
  • Animals evolved new abilities to adapt.

Eventually, mammals became the most important group of animals on Earth. Humans, one of the most successful species to evolve, came from mammals.

In short, the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid was a catastrophic disaster that led to dinosaurs going extinct. But it also made room for new species to emerge and evolve, including the rise of mammals and humans.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Cretacous

Years ago: 100 mya

Cm: 21

First placental mammals

First placental mammals

Placental mammals, which give live birth to partially developed offspring, first appeared on the planet around 100 million years ago. They proliferated rapidly and eventually became the predominant group of mammals on the globe.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Cretacous

Years ago: 112 mya

Cm: 24

First snakes

First snakes

Snakes evolved from lizard ancestors around 112 million years ago, developing adaptations including elongated bodies and flexible jaws that enabled them to inhabit a wide diversity of ecological niches.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Cretacous

Years ago: 130 mya

Cm: 28

First flowering plants

First flowering plants

Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, emerged around 130 million years ago and rapidly diversified, eventually becoming the most diverse and prolific group of plants on the planet.

Atlantic Ocean opens between Eurasian and American plates.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Jurassic

Years ago: 140 mya

Cm: 30

Atlantic Ocean opens between Eurasian and American plates.

Around 140 million years ago, the separation of the Eurasian and American tectonic plates commenced due to plate tectonic forces. This led to the division of these landmasses and the formation of a new ocean basin between them, eventually giving rise to the Atlantic Ocean.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Jurassic

Years ago: 150 mya

Cm: 32

First birds (Archaeopteryx)

First birds

Archaeopteryx emerged around 150 million years ago. It possessed characteristics of both birds and dinosaurs, furnishing crucial evidence for the evolutionary connection between these two groups. Archaeopteryx was the first bird, with features pointing to its reptilian origins.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Jurassic

Years ago: 180 mya

Cm: 38

Pangaea breaks up

Pangaea breaks up

Around 335 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to fragment around 180 million years ago due to the actions of plate tectonics. This led to the separation of Pangaea into discrete continents that continue drifting today. Plate tectonic forces tore Pangaea asunder, resulting in the formation of separate continental landmasses that make up the globe.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Triassic

Years ago: 201 mya

Cm: 43

Mass Extinction Event

(50% of species)

The mass extinction event that transpired around 201 million years ago, known as the Triassic-Jurassic extinction, was probably precipitated by a combination of volcanic eruptions, climate change, and asteroid strikes. This event resulted in the demise of numerous terrestrial and marine species. Volcanism, shifting climate, and asteroid impacts likely conspired to trigger this catastrophic loss of life, with widespread effects on ecology.

Mass Extinction Event

(50% of species)

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Triassic

Years ago: 210 mya

Cm: 45

First mammals

First Mammals

The first mammals, like shrew-like creatures, emerged around 200 million years ago. They evolved from reptilian ancestors and swiftly diversified to inhabit a wide array of ecological niches. These early mammals branched out from reptiles and propagated rapidly, adapting to fill diverse ecological roles. From shrew-like progenitors, mammals proliferated and differentiated into myriads of species, eventually dominating life on land.

Era: Mesozoic

Period: Triassic

Years ago: 230 mya

Cm: 49

First dinosaurs (land and marine)

First dinosaurs (land and marine)

The first dinosaurs emerged on land and in the sea around 230 million years ago during the Late Triassic period. They diversified rapidly and eventually became the dominant land-dwelling and sea-dwelling vertebrates during the Mesozoic era.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Permian

Years ago: 252 mya

Cm: 53

Mass Extinction Event

(95% of species)

Mass Extinction Event

(95% of species)

The Permian-Triassic extinction event, approximately 252 million years ago, was the most catastrophic mass extinction in Earth's history. It led to the demise of an estimated 95% of marine and terrestrial species, likely due to a combination of factors including volcanic eruptions, climate change, and asteroid impacts.

This devastating extinction event was possibly triggered by massive volcanic activity in an area known as the Siberian Traps, which released enormous amounts of greenhouse gases and particulates into the atmosphere. The climate change and cooling that ensued may have decimated global food chains and disrupted ecosystems. Additional effects from one or more asteroid impacts could have further compounding the losses. TheEarth took millions of years to recover from this “Great Dying.”

MARKER

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Permian

Years ago: 252 mya

Cm: 53

Siberian Traps eruptions

The Siberian Traps, Permian Extinctions, and the Rise of the Dinosaurs: How One Environmental Catastrophe Shaped the Course of Evolution

Siberian trap eruption

The massive Siberian Traps eruption occurred around 252 million years ago. It was an immense volcanic event that covered an area of over 2 million square kilometers. This eruption likely caused major disruptions to the global climate and contributed to the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. The Siberian Traps eruption represented a vast outpouring of volcanic activity that had profound consequences, including climate change and species die-offs.

The Siberian Traps, Permian Extinctions, and the Rise of the Dinosaurs: How One Environmental Catastrophe Shaped the Course of Evolution

Bullet points:

•Dinosaurs rose after many competitors disappeared and new ecological niches opened up.

•Dinosaurs evolved adaptations that let them dominate ecosystems and become huge animals.

•The impacts of the Siberian Traps and the Permian-Triassic extinction can still be seen in the species that emerged after it, including dinosaurs and today's birds.

•The Siberian Traps eruption likely caused the Permian-Triassic extinction, Earth's worst mass extinction.

•It released gases that warmed the climate, increased ocean acid, and damaged the environment. Many species went extinct.

•The Permian-Triassic extinction allowed new species and food webs to develop, eventually leading to dinosaurs.

•Dinosaurs got larger and evolved complex teeth as they adapted to new ways of life.

•Their dominance showed in how widely they ranged across ecosystems.

•Though dinosaurs went extinct, their descendants now include all living birds.

•The catastrophe that allowed dinosaurs to emerge left a lasting mark on life on Earth.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Around 252 million years ago, the Earth experienced its biggest mass extinction. Scientists call it the Permian-Triassic extinction or "The Great Dying." This catastrophe led to the death of up to 96% of marine life and 70% of land animals, including many powerful creatures at the time.

One idea about what caused the mass extinction is that there was a huge volcanic eruption in an area that is now Siberia. This eruption released a lot of greenhouse gases and dramatically changed the environment.

After the extinction, a new group of reptiles called archosaurs started to emerge and evolve. These animals eventually gave rise to dinosaurs, which became the dominant life on Earth for millions of years. The rise of dinosaurs was helped by several environmental factors, including the availability of new ecological roles to fill and the evolution of new traits.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Permian

Years ago: 260 mya

Cm: 55

First turtles

First Turtles

Turtles emerged around 260 million years ago during the Late Permian period. The earliest known turtle species was Eunotosaurus africanus. It had an expanded rib cage but lacked a fully formed shell.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Permian

Years ago: 299 mya

Cm: 63

Supercontinent Pangaea forms

Supercontinent Pangaea forms

The ancient supercontinent Pangaea coalesced around 299 million years ago by merging multiple smaller landmasses together. Pangaea remained a singular landmass for over 100 million years until the forces of plate tectonics caused it to start breaking apart.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Carboniferous

Years ago: 300 mya

Cm: 64

Giant reptiles such as therapsids

Giant reptiles such as therapsids

Massive reptiles including therapsids, reptiles that were similar to early mammals, dominated land environments during the Permian and Triassic periods and greatly influenced the rise of mammals. These therapsids, which were reptilian creatures with mammal-like characteristics, flourished as Pangaea remained connected and helped drive the diversification of mammals after the supercontinent split apart.

MARKER

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Carboniferous

Years ago: 305 mya

Cm: 65

Giant insects due to high levels of oxygen

The Oxygen Connection: How High Levels of Oxygen Led to the Emergence of Gigantism in Organisms on Earth

Giant insects due to high levels of oxygen

About 305 million years ago, during the Carboniferous and Permian periods, atmospheric oxygen levels were high. This permitted the evolution of enormous insects, some with wingspans exceeding 28 inches. Oxygen is essential to power the high metabolic requirements of flight in insects. The ample oxygen supply enabled these giant insects to develop and thrive.

The Oxygen Connection: How High Levels of Oxygen Led to the Emergence of Gigantism in Organisms on Earth

Bullet points:

  • The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere increased, allowing many animals and plants to get larger in size. This led to the evolution of extremely big sizes, or "gigantism".

  • With more oxygen available, cells could get more energy from food, so bodies could grow bigger.

  • More oxygen may have allowed for better breathing systems that could supply larger bodies with oxygen.

  • The emergence of gigantism had a profound impact on life on Earth. Many organisms grew extremely huge and dominated their surroundings.

  • Gigantism permitted new ecological niches to form and new species to evolve.

  • The legacy of gigantism continues today in some of the biggest animals, like elephants, whales, and dinosaurs. They persist in shaping biodiversity and how life on Earth progresses.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Around 300 million years ago, the amount of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere increased a lot and reached about 35% of today's levels of 21%. This big increase in oxygen had a big effect on how life on Earth evolved. It led to the development of gigantism in many organisms.

One idea is that more oxygen caused many organisms to develop bigger bodies. Oxygen is needed for respiration, how cells get energy from food. With more oxygen, cells could get more energy from food, allowing bodies to grow larger. Also, high oxygen levels may have allowed more efficient breathing systems to evolve, like those found in insects and other arthropods. These could supply more oxygen to bigger bodies.

The development of gigantism had a big impact on Earth's ecosystems. Many organisms, like insects and amphibians, grew enormous sizes, dominating their ecosystems and becoming important predators and prey. Also, evolving bigger bodies may have allowed new ecological niches to develop and new species to emerge.

MARKER

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Carboniferous

Years ago: 315 mya

Cm: 67

Reptiles evolve and lay the first shelled (amniotic) eggs

The Shelled Egg and the Conquest of Land: How Development of a Key Adaptation Changed the Course of Evolution

Reptiles evolve and lay the first shelled (amniotic) eggs

Approximately 310 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period, reptiles emerged from amphibian ancestors. Reptiles developed the ability to lay shelled (amniotic) eggs which allowed them to reproduce on land rather than in water. This key evolutionary adaptation ultimately paved the way for reptiles to thrive and dominate terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic era.

The ability to reproduce on land through amniotic eggs was a pivotal moment in the transition of vertebrate life from aquatic to terrestrial environments. It freed reptiles from the constraints of living their entire lives in or around bodies of water and enabled diverse groups of reptiles to diversify, spread widely, and become the dominant land-based vertebrates for over 165 million years.

The Shelled Egg and the Conquest of Land: How Development of a Key Adaptation Changed the Course of Evolution

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

• The hardshelled egg was crucial for animals to move from the water to land.

• The shell protected the developing baby animal from drying out and other hardships.

• The shelled egg allowed many different types of land animals to evolve, like reptiles, birds, and mammals.

• Animals moving from water to land had a big impact, shaping how evolution progressed and leading to new habitats and ecosystems.

• The shelled egg enabled the evolution of many unique types of species, each with different life stories.

• Land animals emerging, like dinosaurs, birds, and mammals, continue shaping Earth's diverse life and how it evolves.

• Land animals became important hunters and prey, changing how ecosystems interacted and developed.

• Shelled eggs allowed for babyrearing, nest-building, and other unique life cycles.

• The shelled egg was key for the transition from sea to land, enabling the evolution of land animals and new ecosystems. It paved the way for many well-known species and shaped life on Earth.

Around 360 million years ago, some of the first reptiles started moving from living in the water to living on land. This was an important step in how life on Earth evolved.

One important change that allowed this was the development of hard eggshells. Unlike amphibians' soft, jelly-like eggs, egg shells provided protection from drying out and other environmental stresses. This helped animals reproduce and develop outside of water, letting life on land get started.

Over time, land animals had a big impact on the Earth's ecosystems. These animals became important predators and prey, which changed evolution and led to new habitats and ecosystems.

The hard egg shell also allowed the evolution of many different species with unique life cycles, like some reptiles and birds that incubate their eggs inside them or some turtles and crocodiles that lay their eggs in nests.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Devonian

Years ago: 359 mya

Cm: 76

Mass Extinction Event

(75% of species)

The Late Devonian extinction, which occurred around 359 million years ago, led to the demise of approximately 75% of marine species. This mass extinction event was likely caused by a combination of climate change, sea level fluctuations, and anoxic events.

Mass Extinction Event

(75% of species)

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Devonian

Years ago: 360 mya

Cm: 76

First seed plants

First seed plants

Seed plants emerged approximately 360 million years ago during the Late Devonian period. They represented a pivotal development in plant evolution, enabling a more efficient means of reproduction and permitting plants to inhabit a far greater diversity of land environments.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Devonian

Years ago: 363 mya

Cm: 77

First amphibians

First amphibians

The first amphibians emerged approximately 363 million years ago during the Devonian period. Evolved from fish, they were the first tetrapods to colonize land and played a crucial role in the development of terrestrial ecosystems.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Devonian

Years ago: 375 mya

Cm: 79

First fish emerge on land

First fish emerge on land

Approximately 375 million years ago, during the Late Devonian period, the first fish transitioned from the water to land. Environmental pressures likely drove this migration, including fluctuating water levels and changes in oxygen concentration. These early fish eventually evolved into tetrapods, which gave rise to amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Devonian

Years ago: 380 mya

Cm: 81

First forests (tree-like ferns)

First forests (tree-like ferns)

The earliest forests, consisting of tree-like ferns and other primitive vascular plants, emerged during the Devonian period, roughly 380 million years ago. These early forests provided a novel habitat for a diverse array of organisms and helped enrich the atmosphere with oxygen.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Silurian

Years ago: 420 mya

Cm: 89

First vascular plants (ferns)

First vascular plants (ferns)

The first plants with specialized conductive tissue, allowing for more effective transport of water and nutrients, emerged around 420 million years ago during the Silurian period. These early vascular plants, including primitive ferns, provided an important evolutionary advantage over non-vascular plants and enabled the eventual colonization of land by plants. The development of vascular tissue was a crucial step forward that paved the way for more complex plants and the colonization of terra firma.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Ordovician

Years ago: 444 mya

Cm: 94

Mass Extinction Event

(85% of species)

Mass Extinction Event

(85% of species)

One of Earth's most devastating mass extinction events occurred approximately 444 million years ago during the transition from the Ordovician period to the Silurian period. Known as the Ordovician-Silurian extinction event, an estimated 85% of marine species went extinct, likely due to a combination of climate change, sea level shifts, and increased volcanic activity. This extinction event was one of the most catastrophic in Earth's history.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Ordovician

Years ago: 450 mya

Cm: 95

First sharks

First sharks

Sharks evolved from primitive jawless fish around 420 million years ago, during the Silurian period. They were among the earliest jawed vertebrates and helped establish marine ecosystems throughout the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. As sharks emerged, they played a key role in shaping those ecosystems over millions of years.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Ordovician

Years ago: 480 mya

Cm: 102

First insects

First Incects

Insects first emerged around 480 million years ago, during the Ordovician period. The earliest insects were wingless and aquatic, likely dwelling in underwater environments. These primitive insect-like organisms evolved into a diverse array of flying and terrestrial insects over vast expanses of time. Though wingless at first, insects would eventually develop the ability of flight, colonizing new habitats and interacting with other life forms in profound and complex ways. The insect world began in oceans but came to reshape life on land.

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Ordovician

Years ago: 500 mya

Cm: 106

First land plants (mosses, bryophytes)

First land plants

The original terrestrial vegetation, branching forth from verdant algae around five hundred million years past in the Ordovician period, comprised mosses and other bryophytes, wanting genuine roots, shafts, and leaves, yet able to settle land and facilitating the evolution of more complex plant life.

MARKER

Era: Paleozoic

Period: Cambrian - Ordovician

Years ago: 444 - 540 mya

Cm: 94 - 114

Multicellular life in oceans explodes (Cambrian Explosion) to tens of thousands of species (from marine plants to marine invertebrates to jawless fish).

The Thawing of "Snowball Earth" and the Cambrian Explosion: Two Environmental Events that Shaped Life on Earth

Multicellular life in oceans explodes to tens of thousands of species

The Cambrian Explosion, approximately 540 million years in the past, led to an exponential expansion and blossoming of complex aquatic organisms, encompassing varied underwater vegetation, molluscs, arthropods, and jawless vertebrates, culminating in the origination of dozens of millennia of fresh biological types and establishing the architectural basics for the progression of current aquatic ecosystems.

The Thawing of "Snowball Earth" and the Cambrian Explosion: Two Environmental Events that Shaped Life on Earth

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

  • Before the Cambrian Explosion, life on Earth was mostly single-celled organisms like bacteria and algae.

  • The Cambrian Explosion saw the emergence of many new types of animals, including most of the major animal groups found today.

  • The explosion led to more complex ecosystems and a big increase in the variety of living things.

  • Before the time when Earth was like a "snowball," the planet was mostly made up of single-celled critters such as bacteria and algae.

  • When Earth thawed out from being frozen, and oxygen levels rose, life became more complex and new species evolved.

  • The shallow seas caused by rising sea levels gave life an ideal place to evolve and branch out into many different kinds of living things.

Around 650 million years ago, the whole Earth turned into a giant block of ice that lasted for nearly 50 million years. This meant less air oxygen and carbon dioxide, so the temperature dropped very low and Earth was covered in ice everywhere.

However, around 600 million years ago, the ice started melting and took millions of years to finish melting, causing sea levels to rise and shallow seas to form. As the melting ice released more oxygen into the air, life on Earth became more complex, including organisms with many cells.

About 541 million years ago, life on Earth experienced a sudden increase in the number of species, called the Cambrian Explosion. Scientists still debate what caused this explosion, but one idea is that warmer oceans from volcanic activity sparked it. The warmer oceans led to more oxygen, giving life the chance to evolve and diversify in new ways.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 540 mya

Cm: 114

Crustal plates move to form a new supercontinent: Gondwana

Crustal plates move to form a new supercontinent: Gondwana

Long ago, during the early Paleozoic times, about 540 million years ago, the large plates under the Earth's surface moved around and joined together. They formed a huge land mass called Gondwana. Gondwana contained most of the continents we have today, like South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and some parts of Asia.

Gondwana existed for a very long time and shaped how the land on Earth looked and the climate during that time. It had a big impact on the geography and weather over millions of years.

MARKER

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 600 - 650 mya

Cm: 127 - 138

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun interacts with oxygen in the upper atmosphere to begin forming ozone.

The Formation of Ozone and the Colonization of Land: How the Upper Atmosphere Changed Life on Earth

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun interacts with oxygen in the upper atmosphere to begin forming ozone.

The formation of ozone via the joining of ultraviolet light and oxygen started about 2.4 billion years ago, and the ozone blanket developed completely and became functional around 540 million years ago during the Early Cambrian period, providing a safeguard layer against hurtful UV beams and allowing the advancement of land-living life.

The Formation of Ozone and the Colonization of Land: How the Upper Atmosphere Changed Life on Earth

Bullet points:

• Plants started growing on land. This added more oxygen to the air. This made it possible for complex animals to live on land.

• Animals moved from the water to live on land. This led to new places to live and new kinds of animals.

• Having life on land greatly changed Earth's ecosystems, shaping the variety of living things and how Earth developed over time.

• Before ozone formed, UV radiation from the sun bombarded Earth's surface, making life outside of water very difficult.

• Ozone formed in the upper part of the atmosphere. It absorbed and filtered out harmful UV radiation. This allowed life on land to start and continue evolving.

• The emergence of oxygen-producing organisms and the formation of ozone were key to allowing life to develop on land.

• Plants and ozone were crucial for complex life to arise and diversify on land. Their evolution transformed Earth into the habitats we see today.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Around 2.4 billion years ago, the Earth's atmosphere was virtually devoid of oxygen. However, the emergence of photosynthetic bacteria began to change this, releasing oxygen as a byproduct of their metabolic processes. This oxygen reacted with ultraviolet radiation from the sun to form ozone in the upper atmosphere. Ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms (O3) that effectively absorbs and filters out harmful UV radiation, creating a protective layer around the Earth. This layer allowed for the emergence and evolution of life forms that were able to live outside of water, eventually leading to the colonization of land.

Over time, the emergence of plant life on land had a significant impact on the Earth's atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, leading to an increase in atmospheric oxygen levels. This increase in oxygen allowed for the evolution of more complex life forms on land, including insects, amphibians, and reptiles. The colonization of land by animals also had a significant impact on the Earth's ecosystems, leading to the emergence of new habitats and the evolution of new species.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 650 - 700 mya

Cm: 138 - 148

Volcanoes pump extra CO2 into the atmosphere causing temperatures to warm and Earth thaws, pumping extra oxygen back into the atmosphere. Life in the oceans begins to make a slow comeback.

Volcanoes pump extra CO2 into the atmosphere causing temperatures to warm and Earth thaws, pumping extra oxygen back into the atmosphere. Life in the oceans begins to make a slow comeback.

About 650 to 700 million years ago, during the Proterozoic era, volcanoes released more carbon dioxide into the air. The Earth's climate became hotter, glaciers melted, and the oceans gradually became filled with oxygen.

Over time, oxygen levels in the atmosphere rose. Tiny plants and animals started surviving and reproducing again in the oceans. Eventually, the environment on Earth was ready for a huge increase in diverse sea life. Complex animals with many cells emerged during the Cambrian period, marking the dawn of new life on the planet after a long time of little change. The Proterozoic volcanic activity and rising oxygen had set the stage for the development of sophisticated sea creatures and the rise of multi-cellular life.

MARKER

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 700 - 720 mya

Cm: 148 - 157

Earth freezes over (Snowball Earth)

The "Snowball Earth" Event Caused by Volcanic Activity

Earth freezes over (Snowball Earth)

The Earth went through frosty times about 700 - 720 million years ago, in the time before creatures walked on land. Scientists call these deep freezes Snowball Earth events. The whole planet cooled so much that it was covered in ice and snow from pole to pole.

These icy ages were probably the result of forces moving Earth's plates around, volcanoes erupting, and the amount of energy from the sun changing. Plate tectonics, volcanism, and solar radiation likely worked together to make the Earth a giant icy/snowy world.

The "Snowball Earth" Event Caused by Volcanic Activity

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

•The cause of this event was a series of massive volcanic eruptions that released greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

•The volcanic activity also released large amounts of sulfur dioxide, which caused the temperature to drop rapidly and led to the formation of ice sheets.

•Before Snowball Earth, the dominant life forms on Earth were single-celled organisms that lived in the oceans.

•The extreme environmental conditions caused by Snowball Earth led to a mass extinction of these organisms, with up to 99% of all species becoming extinct.

•Some organisms, such as bacteria and algae, managed to survive by adapting to live in the ice-covered oceans.

•The extreme cold caused a reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which led to a reduction in the greenhouse effect and a further drop in temperature.

•The reduction in temperature made it difficult for life to survive on land.

•Eventually, volcanic activity and other natural processes led to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which caused the ice to melt and led to the end of the Snowball Earth period.

Approximately 720 million years ago, the Earth witnessed a catastrophic event known as "Snowball Earth", during which the entire planet was covered in ice and global temperatures plummeted below freezing. This period lasted for several million years and resulted in the mass extinction of numerous species.

The ice covered the oceans and landmasses, reflecting most of the sunlight. Nearly all plant and animal life died in the extreme freezing conditions. Only bacteria that could survive in microscopic air pockets within the ice managed to survive.

Eventually, atmospheric CO2 levels rose again due to plate tectonics and volcanic activity, trapping more heat in the atmosphere and slowly melting the ice. As the ice receded, oxidation occurred in the oceans, causing a second mass extinction. However, a few species of cyanobacteria and algae had survived, and they were able to photosynthesize and produce oxygen once more.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 700 - 720 mya

Cm: 148 - 157

Rodina splits in two

Rodina splits in two

Roughly 700 to 720 million years in the past, the enormous landmass known as Rodinia started breaking into pieces due to the shifting of Earth's plates, eventually splitting into two smaller continents, Laurentia (North America) and Gondwana (South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and parts of Asia), which went on to have an important impact on the development of life on Earth.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 750 mya

Cm: 159

Supercontinent Rodinia forms

Supercontinent Rodinia forms

Roughly 1 billion years ago, the supercontinent Rodinia started developing as a result of colliding and joining numerous smaller continental landmasses together, molding the Earth's topography and preparing the scene for major geological and biological advancements over the following hundreds of millions of years.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 750 - 800 mya

Cm: 159 - 170

Heat from inside Earth causes crust to break into plates (First plate tectonics)

Heat from inside Earth causes crust to break into plates (First plate tectonics)

The very first signs of shifting plates on Earth appeared around 750 to 800 million years ago, during the Proterozoic era. At this time, the huge landmass called Rodinia started coming together as continents drifted and crashed into each other. This early plate movement laid the foundation for how the Earth's surface would continue changing and evolving over vast spans of time. It set the stage for the advancement of life on the planet from simple single-celled organisms to complex multicellular life.

The formation of Rodinia through plate tectonics in the Proterozoic proved pivotal for shaping the Earth into a world that could nurture the dawn of animals and eventually humans. Though plate motion goes on ceaselessly today, it has a long and important history that began deep in Earth's ancient past.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Proterozoic

Years ago: 1.5 bya - 2.3 bya

Cm: 318 - 488

Oxygen levels build up in atmosphere, turning sky blue

Oxygen levels build up in atmosphere, turning sky blue

Around 2.3 billion years ago, as plants that use sunlight to grow spread and grew more numerous, the amount of oxygen in the air rose considerably. This made the sky look blue by scattering the sun's rays with oxygen molecules floating around. It also enabled life on Earth to become more advanced and diverse.

With more oxygen available, nature was able to develop bigger and smarter species. Complex animals could emerge from the seas and conquer land. Bigger brains and smarter problem-solving skills evolved. What started with simple single-celled life blossomed into the great variety of plants and animals that populate the planet today, all thanks to the rise of oxygen so long ago.

MARKER

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Archean

Years ago: 2.3 bya - 3.5 bya

Cm: 487 - 742

Stromatolites (bacterial colonies) begin adding oxygen to water through photosynthesis

The Great Oxygenation Event

Stromatolites (bacterial colonies) begin adding oxygen to water through photosynthesis

Around 3.5 billion years ago, stromatolites, which are communities of bacteria, started evolving and adding oxygen to the Earth's water through the process of photosynthesis. They played an essential role in oxygenating the planet and allowing complex life forms to eventually arise.

The Great Oxygenation Event

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

•Stromatolites released oxygen into the shallow oceans through photosynthesis, increasing atmospheric oxygen levels over hundreds of millions of years.

•The increase in oxygen lasted for several hundred million years.

•Effects on the environment:

›Formation of an ozone layer, protecting from UV radiation.

›Oxidation of minerals, forming new rock types and releasing nutrients.

›Extinction of anaerobic organisms unable to survive in the oxygenated environment.

•Life before the event: Anaerobic organisms like bacteria, archaea, and unicellular life.

•Life after the event: Development of aerobic organisms requiring oxygen, enabling complex multicellular life like animals and plants.

•Reason for life changes: Higher oxygen levels allowed organisms to extract more energy through aerobic respiration, enabling more complex life forms.

•Aerobic respiration provided more efficient energy production, facilitating the evolution of advanced life.

Around 2.4 billion years ago, a major environmental shift known as the Great Oxygenation Event occurred. For the first time, stromatolites, colonies of bacteria in shallow ocean waters, began releasing oxygen through photosynthesis. This resulted in a massive rise in atmospheric oxygen levels, which dramatically transformed the development and progression of life on Earth.

The oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans had profound consequences. It allowed for the evolution of new microbial life forms, and the rise of complex multi-cellular life. The planet transitioned from an anoxic world to one with an oxygen-rich atmosphere and hydrosphere, paving the way for advanced life as we know it to evolve. The Great Oxygenation Event was thus a pivotal moment in Earth's history that shaped the course of biological development and produced the conditions necessary for complex life to thrive.

MARKER

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Archean

Years ago: 3.5 bya

Cm: 742

Life begins with first bacteria

Chemical buildup in the primordial oceans and the emergence of bacterial life

Life begins with first bacteria

Life is believed to have started on Earth about 3.5 billion years ago, with the earliest single-celled creatures emerging, like germs and ancient microbes, which adapted to the early Earth's shifting environment and paved the way for the variety of life we recognize now.

Chemical buildup in the primordial oceans and the emergence of bacterial life

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bullet points:

•Chemical buildup (methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide) in the oceans led to the formation of basic organic compounds (amino acids, sugars) that are essential building blocks for life.

•These organic compounds combined to form self-replicating molecules that eventually evolved into the first bacteria.

•The emergence of bacteria had a profound impact on the environment. They carried out photosynthesis, producing oxygen as a byproduct.

•The oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere and oceans, creating an oxygen-rich environment for the first time.

•The oxygenation of the planet allowed for the emergence of more complex life forms (plants and animals).

•Before bacteria, Earth had no life. After bacteria emerged, life diversified into many organisms.

•Bacteria played a crucial role in shaping the environment and enabling advanced life forms to evolve.

•The oxygen produced by bacteria was essential for survival of most life on Earth.

•The environmental change from an anoxic to an oxygenated world allowed the rise of bacteria and the life they sustained.

•Life on Earth changed and flourished in response to the transformation of the planet's atmosphere and ecosystems.

•The ability of bacteria to oxygenate the environment led to greater biodiversity and complex life over Earth's history.

•Environmental change and the evolution of life were deeply interconnected.

•The emergence of bacteria allowed for the creation of oxygen, creating a more hospitable environment for complex life forms.

3.5 billion years ago, the Earth lacked an oxygen-rich atmosphere. The planet was a hot, barren world with frequent volcanic eruptions and no signs of life.

However, in the ancient oceans, chemicals such as methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide accumulated and created an isolated environment that potentially enabled the emergence of the first life forms, bacteria.

The primordial Earth was devoid of breathable air and ecosystems. But in the ocean depths, reactive gases and compounds emerged simple single-celled organisms capable of basic metabolism and replication. The formation of these earliest bacteria may have marked the dawn of life on the otherwise lifeless planet.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Archean

Years ago: 3.5 - 3.7 bya

Cm: 742 - 784

Oceans become a ‘chemical

soup’ due to minerals from meteorites and ocean floor chimneys

Oceans become a ‘chemical

soup’ due to minerals from meteorites and ocean floor chimneys

The primitive seas of Earth held a thick "chemical sound" around 3.7 billion years past. Minerals and natural materials emerged from places like crashing rocks from space and vents under the sea, providing what was needed for life to get going and grow.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Archean

Years ago: 3.7 bya

Cm: 784

Oceans cover the Earth and volcanoes form islands in the ocean

Around 3.7 billion years ago, the whole Earth was covered by oceans. Volcanoes making islands and landmasses shaped life on Earth.

Oceans cover the Earth and volcanoes form islands in the ocean

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Archean

Years ago: 3.7 - 3.9 bya

Cm: 784 - 827

Meteorites rain down on Earth, bringing water and salt; Water begins to build up on Earth’s surface.

Meteorites rain down on Earth, bringing water and salt; Water begins to build up on Earth’s surface.

About 3.9 billion years ago, space rocks pelted the early Earth, delivering water and salt to the world and helping construct the seas, which gradually formed on Earth's skin and were essential in life coming to be and advancing.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Hadean

Years ago: 4 - 4.5 bya

Cm: 848 - 954

Layers of Earth form including crust, mantle, and iron core; Magnetic field of Earth forms

Layers of Earth form including crust, mantle, and iron core; Magnetic field of Earth forms

About 4 and a half billion years ago, the Earth split into different layers, such as the hard outer shell, soft inner layer, and hot metal center. The Earth's magnetic force field started to develop because the melted iron in the core was moving around, which was really important for shielding the air surrounding Earth and allowing things to develop and grow on the planet over time.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Hadean

Years ago: 4.5 bya

Cm: 954

Thea hits Earth, causing moon to form

Thea hits Earth, causing moon

to form

Around 4.5 billion years ago, a huge chunk of rock named Thea smashed into the early Earth, causing chunks of stuff to blast off into space. Those bits eventually came back together and formed the Moon.

The Moon has had an important impact on Earth's environment and how life developed over time. Its gravity stabilized Earth's axis and climate, allowing life to emerge and flourish. Without the Moon, Earth might look very different today. The collision that made the Moon helped turn Earth into a world with oceans, atmosphere, and geological forces that shaped the land and prepared it to support life in all its diversity.

Era: Pre-cambrian

Period: Hadean

Years ago: 4.5 bya

Cm: 954

Formation of Earth

Formation of Earth

The Earth became a world around 4.5 billion years ago from swirling dust and fog that fell together under its own pull. The stuff gathered and created a whirling plate of bits. Gradually, the plate coalesced into Earth, the globe now familiar.

Instructions & Clarifications:

Instructions & clarifications

  • This scale is Actually 99% to scale, knowing the squash court was 975 cm, I typed 975 bullet points and lined it up to the image, then used the bullet points to put the events in the correct placees with the correct measurements.

  • Keep in mind to go up-down-left-right, since a squash court is so small, I made my scale go up-down-left-right, this also mimmicks the movements of a squash ball.

  • Click on any event, I accidentally filled in all of them!

  • Please check the marker list for the allocated number for the markers.

  • When opening a marker, I included base information+a image and if you click the "CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION" button you can find more detailed information on the marker

  • If you click into a circle, use the go-back arrow key to go back to what you were previously viewing

  • I probably spent over 24 hours total on this project :)

Markers:

Marker List

#1: How the build-up of chemicals in the primordial oceans may have triggered the formation of bacteria (first life forms.)

#2: How stromatolites allow oxygen to build up oxygen in the oceans and atmosphere allowing a more life-friendly planet and may have triggered the formation of complex cellular organisms (protozoans and plankton.)

#3: How volcanoes caused the temperature of Earth to drop to below freezing, creating “Snowball Earth” and mass extinction.

#4: How the thawing of “Snowball Earth” released oxygen and how volcanoes warmed the oceans that multi-cellular life exploded within the oceans (The Cambrian Explosion.)

#5: How the formation of ozone in the upper atmosphere led plants and animals to begin colonizing the land.

#6: How the development of the shelled egg allowed for animals to move fully on land

#7: How high levels of oxygen led to “gigantism” in organisms on Earth.

#8: How the Siberian Traps led not just to Permian Extinctions (The Great Dying), but also the rise of the dinosaurs.

#9: How the Chicxulub asteroid led to the fall of the dinosaurs but allowed for the rise of mammals.

#10: How the East African rift may have contributed to ancestors of humans to walk upright.

Academic Integrity - ChatGPT

SOURCES

“The use of Artificial Intelligence to submit content, including text, video, music scores or images, as part of a formative or summative assignment, and representing such content as being generated independently, is not permitted. If a student wishes to quote or paraphrase from an Artificial Intelligence source this must be cited, as is the case for any other source." - Academic Integrity Policy

The school now permits the use of artificial intelligence for schoolwork if cited, Some areas of this project used ChatGPT as a research source and a thesaurus, however ChatGPT was not used to create text, here are the sections ChatGPT was used for research:

  • Stromatolites (bacterial colonies) begin adding oxygen to water through photosynthesis
  • Volcanoes pump extra CO2 into the atmosphere causing temperatures to warm and Earth thaws, pumping extra oxygen back into the atmosphere. Life in the oceans begins to make a slow comeback.
  • Ultraviolet radiation from the sun interacts with oxygen in the upper atmosphere to begin forming ozone.
  • Multicellular life in oceans explodes (Cambrian Explosion) to tens of thousands of species (from marine plants to marine invertebrates to jawless fish)
  • Atlantic Ocean opens between Eurasian and American plates.
  • Oceans become a ‘chemical soup’ due to minerals from meteorites and ocean floor chimneys

Markers:

Marker List

#1: How the build-up of chemicals in the primordial oceans may have triggered the formation of bacteria (first life forms.)

#2: How stromatolites allow oxygen to build up oxygen in the oceans and atmosphere allowing a more life-friendly planet and may have triggered the formation of complex cellular organisms (protozoans and plankton.)

#3: How volcanoes caused the temperature of Earth to drop to below freezing, creating “Snowball Earth” and mass extinction.

#4: How the thawing of “Snowball Earth” released oxygen and how volcanoes warmed the oceans that multi-cellular life exploded within the oceans (The Cambrian Explosion.)

#5: How the formation of ozone in the upper atmosphere led plants and animals to begin colonizing the land.

#6: How the development of the shelled egg allowed for animals to move fully on land

#7: How high levels of oxygen led to “gigantism” in organisms on Earth.

#8: How the Siberian Traps led not just to Permian Extinctions (The Great Dying), but also the rise of the dinosaurs.

#9: How the Chicxulub asteroid led to the fall of the dinosaurs but allowed for the rise of mammals.

#10: How the East African rift may have contributed to ancestors of humans to walk upright.

Instructions & Clarifications:

Instructions & clarifications

  • This scale is Actually 99% to scale, knowing the squash court was 975 cm, I typed 975 bullet points and lined it up to the image, then used the bullet points to put the events in the correct placees with the correct measurements.

  • Keep in mind to go up-down-left-right, since a squash court is so small, I made my scale go up-down-left-right, this also mimmicks the movements of a squash ball.

  • Click on any event, I accidentally filled in all of them!

  • Please check the marker list for the allocated number for the markers.

  • When opening a marker, I included base information+a image and if you click the "CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION" button you can find more detailed information on the marker

  • If you click into a circle, use the go-back arrow key to go back to what you were previously viewing

  • I probably spent over 24 hours total on this project :)

  • This only works on a laptop or desktop (No mobile devices)

  • To look at the information in each of the points, click on the circles
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