What is the Relationship What is the Relationship between behavior and survival?between behavior and survival?

How did this dictate the How did this dictate the diversity of organisms?diversity of organisms?

Do these diverse organisms Do these diverse organisms have anything in common with have anything in common with me?me?

What was the early Earth like What was the early Earth like and how did life come about?and how did life come about?

Big Bang:Big Bang: The beginning of the The beginning of the universe began with an explosion universe began with an explosion that sent energy and matter in all that sent energy and matter in all directions. directions. (1927 Belgian Priest Georges (1927 Belgian Priest Georges LemaLemaîître)tre)

Formation of EarthFormation of Earth

• 4.6 billion years ago

• Established age through radiometric dating

•Half Life: period of time it takes unstable atoms undergoing radioactive decay to decrease by half

•Radiometric dating: Uses radioactive decay of isotopes by calculating half life

Radioactive DecayRadioactive Decay

Isotope Half Life (years)

Carbon -14 5,730

Uranium - 235 704,000,000

Potassium – 40 1,250,000,000

Uranium- 238 4,500,000,000

Early EarthEarly Earth

Q: Could we have survived in the Early Earth?

A: NO!! Very harsh conditions

Primitive AtmospherePrimitive Atmosphere• Composed of hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O) and carbon monoxide (CO)

• Maybe even some ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4)

• Oxygen (O2), is not present in a free form!!

Harsh ConditionsHarsh Conditions• Anaerobic = no O2

• Interior of the Earth was very hot = many active volcanoes

• High amounts of the sun’s UV light covered the Earth = harmful to DNA

• Intense lightning

Where did life come from? Where did life come from? Some theories…Some theories…

Divine Creation:Divine Creation: Life Life on Earth was put here on Earth was put here by some divine force by some divine force commonly thought of commonly thought of as God or gods.as God or gods.

Extraterrestrial Extraterrestrial Origins:Origins: Life came Life came from someplace from someplace outside of Earth, such outside of Earth, such as a fallen meteorite or as a fallen meteorite or asteroid.asteroid.

Primordial soup theory:Primordial soup theory:

• In the soup hypothesis, all the elements needed for the construction of nucleic acids were drifting around in the early waters—primordial soup—and atmosphere of earth.

• The addition of energy, in the form of lightning, catalyzed the chemical reaction that joined them together.

Theories of How Life Began: Did the First Cells Form in a Soup, Sandwich, or Pizza? http://www.suite101.com/content/theories-of-how-life-began-a37802#ixzz1G8UOV42G

Life came from a number of chemical Life came from a number of chemical reactions starting from nonliving reactions starting from nonliving matter or chemicalsmatter or chemicals

Non-living Chemicals to Non-living Chemicals to Organic MoleculesOrganic Molecules

First hypothesized by Russian Scientist First hypothesized by Russian Scientist A.I. Operin.A.I. Operin.

Energy from volcano eruptions, Energy from volcano eruptions, lightning and solar radiation allowed for lightning and solar radiation allowed for chemical reactions and formation of chemical reactions and formation of new organic macromoleculesnew organic macromolecules

Miller-Urey experiment helped Miller-Urey experiment helped

show that this was possible.show that this was possible.

gasses from gasses from primitive primitive atmosphereatmosphere

introduced to introduced to electrical electrical sparks sparks (lightning). (lightning).

Electrons jump Electrons jump forming organic forming organic moleculesmolecules

Genetic InformationGenetic Information

““RNA world”RNA world”– Can form Can form

spontaneously spontaneously – Can replicate itselfCan replicate itself

Catalyzed the Catalyzed the formation of formation of protein synthesisprotein synthesis

Cellular OrganizationCellular Organization

Small cellular looking formations Small cellular looking formations called called microspheresmicrospheres– Made from the joining of organic Made from the joining of organic

moleculesmolecules– Have selectively permeable membranesHave selectively permeable membranes– Store and release energyStore and release energy

First CellsFirst Cells Anaerobic, heterotrophic Prokaryotes.Anaerobic, heterotrophic Prokaryotes.

Why would autotrophs eventually have an Why would autotrophs eventually have an advantage over these heterotrophs? advantage over these heterotrophs?

Autotrophs make an Autotrophs make an appearance…appearance… Archaea, unicellular organisms, Archaea, unicellular organisms,

undergo undergo chemosynthesischemosynthesis obtaining obtaining energy from the oxidation of sulfur. energy from the oxidation of sulfur.

http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson05/l5ex1.htm

First EukaryotesFirst Eukaryotes

• Around 2 billion years ago, a small aerobic prokaryote was engulfed by a larger, Anaerobic prokaryote making the eukaryote.

• The environment was beneficial for both.

To sum it up…To sum it up… The universe is between 10 and 20 billion years old, and the common accepted age The universe is between 10 and 20 billion years old, and the common accepted age

is 15 billion years. This is a very long time. To appreciate its depth, we'll map the is 15 billion years. This is a very long time. To appreciate its depth, we'll map the history of the universe into one of our twelve-month calendar years. Our cosmic history of the universe into one of our twelve-month calendar years. Our cosmic year begins with the formation of the universe at midnight. Although a lot goes on year begins with the formation of the universe at midnight. Although a lot goes on in the first few months, our galaxy, the Milky Way, doesn't form until May 1 and our in the first few months, our galaxy, the Milky Way, doesn't form until May 1 and our solar system is absent until around September 9. Earth forms on September 14 and solar system is absent until around September 9. Earth forms on September 14 and life originates in late September or early October. The Eukaryotes, the first cells life originates in late September or early October. The Eukaryotes, the first cells with nuclei, are flourishing by mid-November but most of what we know about the with nuclei, are flourishing by mid-November but most of what we know about the history of life occurs in December.history of life occurs in December.

December opens with an increase in oxygen in our atmosphere, a by product of December opens with an increase in oxygen in our atmosphere, a by product of oxygen-producing algae that destroy themselves by overproducing oxygen. The oxygen-producing algae that destroy themselves by overproducing oxygen. The first worms appear in mid-December, and plants begin colonizing the land around first worms appear in mid-December, and plants begin colonizing the land around December 20. Life enters middle age on Christmas and dinosaurs dominate the December 20. Life enters middle age on Christmas and dinosaurs dominate the next few days. The first primates appear on December 29th but the first humans next few days. The first primates appear on December 29th but the first humans don't develop until late evening on the last day of the year, near 10:30 PM. don't develop until late evening on the last day of the year, near 10:30 PM. Agriculture is invented with just 40 seconds before midnight, Rome falls with three Agriculture is invented with just 40 seconds before midnight, Rome falls with three seconds remaining, and recent history makes up the last second. We are beginning seconds remaining, and recent history makes up the last second. We are beginning the second year as newcomers to the universe.the second year as newcomers to the universe.

http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuakes/Notes/earth_origin_lecture.html

ReferencesReferences

http://tidepool.st.usm.edu/crswr/http://tidepool.st.usm.edu/crswr/millerurey.htmlmillerurey.html

http://www.accessexcellence.org/http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/NM/miller.htmlWN/NM/miller.html