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History of the Earth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geological time put in a diagram called ageological clock,showing the relative lengths of theeonsof the Earth's history.
 The
history of the Earth
is a summary of the mostimportant events and fundamental stages in thedevelopment andevolutionthat has taken place on theplanet Earthfrom its formation. It covers the leading, most current scientific theories and nearly all branches of natural sciencehave contributed to the understanding of the main events of the Earth's past. The age of the Earthhas been determinedto be about4.5 billion years (4,540,000,000 years),
[1]
correspondingapproximately to one third of theage of the universe, andimmensegeologicalandbiologicalchanges and upheavals have occurred during that time span. Theformation of the Earth and the simultaneous formation of theSunand other bodies of thesolar systemresulted from the contraction of asolar nebula. The nebuladeveloped into aprotoplanetary diskwith the Sunforming in its centre and the planets forming byaccretion of material in orbit around it. The Earth was formed 10million years after the beginning of contraction. Heatgenerated by impacts and contraction meant that it wastotally molten, and a differentation took place, forming aninner core of the heaviest elements and a mantle andproto-crust of the lighter elements. Around this time theMoonwas formed, possibly by a giant impact betweenthe Earth and a smaller planet. The Earth was steadilycooling and acquired a solid crust that gave rise to thefirstcontinents. A major bombardment from icymeteoritesandcometssupplied the Earth with an enormous amount of water that created theoceans, while
 
volcanicactivity andwater vaporcreated anatmosphere, devoid of oxygen. The continents floated on the moltenmantle of the planet and throughplate tectonics assembled intosupercontinentsthat later broke up againin a process that has been repeated several times duringthe passing of the billions of years.Chemical reactionscreated organic molecules whichinteracted to create still more elaborate and complicatedstructures, and finally gave rise to a molecule that wasable tocreate copiesof itself. This abilitiy initiated theevolution and led to thecreation of life. At first life startedin the form of one-celled organisms but latermulticellularitydeveloped, and a major evolution was theprocess of photosynthesiswhich supplied oxygen to theatmosphere and led to the creation of anozone layer. Thelife forms branched into many species and became stillmore advanced, colonizing the land and gradually fillingall thehabitatsof the Earth.Ice ages, volcanic eruptions, and major impacts of meteorites have caused severalmass extinctionsof life forms, but the remaining specieshave developed in new directions and have created alastingbiosphere.About six million years ago, a split of branches of whatwas then the evolutionary family tree ultimately led tothe modern man. The ability towalk upright, an increasein brain size, and improvement of communication skillswere crucial factors. Man learned to controlfire,developedagricultureand began systematic husbandryof animals and plants. This improved living conditions andsocieties and civilizations withreligiousandcultural  characteristics formed. Through progress in science,writing, organization of governments, transportation andcommunication, man has become the dominant specieson Earth and influences the environment and all other lifeforms. The scope of human activity and an increasing
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