Lesson 15.

Early Forms of Life

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Evidence of Early Life

The Earth was formed for about 4.5 billion years ago
while the first life form emerged 3.7 billion years ago.

Stromatolites
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Evidence of Early Life

Stromatolites are layered columns of
sedimentary rocks formed through the
growth of cyanobacteria, a sing-celled
photosynthesizing microbe. These fossils
provide records of ancient life on earth.
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The Timeline of Life

Notable events:

• 3.5 bya: photosynthetic organisms

• 1.85 bya: eukaryotes

• 525 mya: Cambrian explosion

The timeline of life

Some early life forms still exist today, or have
descendants still seen today.
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Cyanobacteria
• Cyanobacteria or the blue
green algae are prokaryotic
organisms that lack nuclei
in their cells.

• They are photosynthetic.

Cyanobacteria bloom
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Cyanobacteria
It lacks a true
nucleus in their
cells and are
unicellular but
often form Cyanobacteria bloom
colonies.
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Cyanobacteria
• They thrive in freshwater lakes, oceans,
and even in damp soils.

• They are capable of converting

atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate or
ammonia, which are essential components
of the nitrogen cycle.
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Red Algae
• The first
multicellular
organisms are
thought to be red
algae that
appeared 1.2 Red algae
billion years ago.
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Red Algae
• The earliest
microfossils of red
algae were collected
in northern Arctic
Canada and were
1.2 billion years ago. Red algae
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Red Algae
• The red algae
are unique as it
started sexual
reproduction in
organisms. Red algae
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Red Algae
• The use of sexual reproduction through
egg and sperms is a characteristics of
most multicellular organisms. This
allowed the emergence of more
complex life forms like humans to
eventually evolve and adapt to changes
in Earth’s condition.
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Trilobites
• These are ancient
arthropods, and are
now extinct.

• Trilobites were the

dominant species
during the Cambrian.
Trilobite illustration
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Trilobites
• They were relatives of modern
lobsters and horseshoe crabs.
• They curl up like balls to
protect themselves in seas with
predators.
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Anomalocaris
• One of the most
dominant animals of
the Cambrian Period is
the giant Anomalocaris.

• These organisms reached

up to 6 feet in length.

A replica of the Anomalocaris.

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Anomalocaris
• They trap prey using their two claws lined with
hooks located in front of their mouths and
eyes.
• They are free-swimming animal that moves like
a dolphin. It is the largest fearsome predator
of the Cambrian Period.
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Plants
• 450 mya, plants began
to thrive on land.

• 430 mya, vascular

plants appeared.

• 300 mya, conifers

Fern frond with spores
appeared.
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• Another leap on the evolution of land plants is

the widespread evolution of spores which is
also present in today’s fern species. Spores are
unicellular structures that are mobile and are
capable of reproducing new plant individuals.
The spores eventually evolved into seeds ,
which contain multicellular structures needed
for the reproduction of higher plant species.
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Terrestrial Vertebrates
• The most ancient
terrestrial vertebrates
were the walking fish.
• 400 mya, the first
tetrapods appeared.

Acanthostega