THRESHOLD

LIFE ON EARTH

5
1
BILLION YEARS AGO
Phanerozoic
Phanerozoic

The appearance of life on Earth marked a major arrival: organisms with the capacity to harness energy and materials from their environments to adapt to changing conditions and reproduce themselves. This introduced a new level of creativity, diversity, and complexity to the Universe.

4
Archean

BILLION YEARS AGO

Proterozoic Paleoarchean Mesoarchean Neoarchean Paleoproterozoic Siderian Rhyacian Orosirian Statherian Mesoproterozoic Calymmian Ectasian Stenian
Neoproterozoic Tonian Millions of years ago Cryogenian Ediacaran

Cenozoic
Mesozoic time of the dinosaurs Silurian Devonian Carboniferous Permian Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Cenozoic Paleogene Ordovician

The Stelliferous Era stars & galaxies continuously forming and evolving
Billions of years ago

Eoarchean Billions of years ago

Palaeozoic time of ancient life Cambrian Millions of years ago

Neogene Millions of years ago

4.65

4.60

4.55

4.50

4.45

4.40

4.35

4.30

4.25

4.0

3.9

3.8

3.7

3.6

3.5

3.4

3.3

3.2

3.1

3.0

2.9

2.8

2.7

2.6

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

1000

950

900

850

800

750

700

650

600

550

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

THRESHOLD

LIFE ON EARTH
INGREDIENTS
Complex chemical compounds DNA

5
COMPLEXITY
New organisms with the ability to
Maintain and fuel themselves (metabolism) Adjust to changes around them (homeostasis) Copy themselves (reproduction) Gain new characteristics over time (adaptation)

GOLDILOCKS CONDITIONS
A rocky planet
Contains large supplies of different chemical elements

Just the right amount of energy

Enables diverse and stable chemical reactions

Liquid water
Makes it easy for atoms and molecules to combine and recombine