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“…sparked by just the right
combination of physical events
& chemical processes…”
Origin of Life
AP Biology
2007-2008
Millions of years ago
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Paleozoic
PROTEROZOIC
PRECAMBRIAN
500
Cenozoic
Mesozoic
ARCHEAN
0
Colonization of land
by animals
Appearance of animals
and land plants
First multicellular
organisms
Animalia
Oldest definite fossils
of eukaryotes
Appearance of oxygen
in atmosphere
Oldest definite fossils
of prokaryotes
4000
Molten-hot surface of
earth becomes cooler
4500
Formation of earth
AP Biology
Bacteria Archae- Protista Plantae Fungi
bacteria
The evolutionary tree of
life can be documented
with evidence.
The Origin of Life on
Earth is another story…
What is Life?
First we have to define LIFE…
organized as cells
respond to stimuli
regulate internal processes
homeostasis
use energy to grow
metabolism
develop
change & mature
within lifetime
reproduce
heredity
DNA / RNA
adaptation & evolution
AP Biology
The Origin of Life is Hypothesis
Special Creation
Was life created by a
supernatural or divine force?
not testable
Extraterrestrial Origin
Was the original source of
organic (carbon) materials
comets & meteorites striking
early Earth?
testable
Spontaneous Abiotic Origin
AP Biology
Did life evolve spontaneously
from inorganic molecules?
testable
Conditions on early Earth
Reducing atmosphere
water vapor (H2O), CO2, N2, NOx, H2, NH3,
CH4, H2S
lots of available H & its electron
low O2 =
no free oxygen
Energy source
lightning, UV radiation,
volcanic
What’s missing
from that
atmosphere?
AP Biology
organic molecules
do not breakdown
as quickly
Electrodes discharge
sparks
(lightning simulation)
Origin of Organic Molecules
Abiotic synthesis
1920
Oparin & Haldane
propose reducing
atmosphere
hypothesis
1953
Miller & Urey
test hypothesis
Water vapor
CH4
NH3
Mixture of gases
("primitive
atmosphere")
H2
Condenser
Water
formed organic
compounds
amino acids
adenine
AP Biology
Heated water
("ocean")
Condensed
liquid with
complex,
organic
molecules
Stanley Miller
University of Chicago
produced
-amino acids
-hydrocarbons
-nitrogen bases
-other organics
It’s ALIVE!
AP Biology
Origin of Cells (Protobionts)
Bubbles separate inside from outside
metabolism & reproduction
AP Biology
Dawn of natural selection
Origin of Genetics
RNA is likely first genetic material
multi-functional
codes information
self-replicating molecule
makes inheritance possible
natural selection & evolution
enzyme functions
ribozymes
replication
regulatory molecule
transport molecule
AP Biology
tRNA & mRNA
AP Biology
Fossil Record
Found in diverse environments:
Sedimentary rock
petrified (stone) trees
molds left in stone
preserved organisms in amber
preserved bodies in areas with little
decomposition (frozen in ice, in acid…)
AP Biology
Fossil Dating
Relative Dating
fossils are frozen in time
Compare similar strata of rock to obtain
a relative date
Radiometric Dating (Absolute Dating)
gives a more exact age for the fossil
Uses radioactive isotope half-lives
AP Biology
Key Events in Origin of Life
Key events in
evolutionary
history of life on
Earth
AP Biology
life originated
3.5–4.0 bya
Prokaryotes
Prokaryotes dominated life
on Earth from 3.5–2.0 bya
3.5 billion year old
fossil of bacteria
AP Biology
modern bacteria
chains of one-celled
cyanobacteria
Lynn Margulis
Stromatolites
Fossilized mats of
prokaryotes resemble
modern microbial
colonies
AP Biology
Oxygen atmosphere
Oxygen begins to accumulate 2.7 bya
reducing oxidizing atmosphere
evidence in banded iron in rocks = rusting
makes aerobic respiration possible
AP Biology
photosynthetic bacteria (blue-green algae)
~2 bya
First Eukaryotes
Development of internal membranes
create internal micro-environments
advantage: specialization = increase efficiency
natural selection!
infolding of the
plasma membrane
plasma
membrane
endoplasmic
reticulum (ER)
nuclear envelope
nucleus
DNA
cell wall
Prokaryotic
cell
AP Biology
Prokaryotic
ancestor of
eukaryotic
cells
plasma
membrane
Eukaryotic
cell
Endosymbiosis
Evolution of eukaryotes
origin of mitochondria
engulfed aerobic bacteria, but
did not digest them
mutually beneficial relationship
natural selection!
internal membrane
system
aerobic bacterium
mitochondrion
Endosymbiosis
Ancestral
AP
Biology
eukaryotic
cell
Eukaryotic cell
with mitochondrion
Endosymbiosis
Evolution of eukaryotes
Eukaryotic
cell with
mitochondrion
origin of chloroplasts
engulfed photosynthetic bacteria,
but did not digest them
mutually beneficial relationship
natural selection!
photosynthetic
bacterium
chloroplast
Endosymbiosis
Eukaryotic cell with
AP Biology
chloroplast & mitochondrion
mitochondrion
Theory of Endosymbiosis
Evidence
structural
mitochondria & chloroplasts
resemble bacterial structure
genetic
Lynn Margulis
mitochondria & chloroplasts
have their own circular DNA, like bacteria
functional
mitochondria & chloroplasts
AP Biology
move freely within the cell
mitochondria & chloroplasts
reproduce independently
from the cell
Cambrian explosion
Diversification of Animals
543 mya
AP Biology
within 10–20 million years most of the major
phyla of animals appear in fossil record
AP Biology
Continental Drift
Earth’s history explains geographical
distribution of species
Continental drift has influenced major
evolutionary events
250 mya all land masses converged into
Pangaea
Drifting of continents helps explain:
AP Biology
marsupials of Australia
matching fossils in Brazil and West Africa
Continental Drift
AP Biology
Major Adaptive Radiations
Evolutionary change where groups
form new species whose adaptations
allow them to fill different ecological
niches
Evolve novel characteristic - opens an
adaptive zone
Animal evolution of hard body may have
led to Cambrian explosion
Mammals with unique novelties did not
diversify until dinosaurs opened up the
adaptive zone to them
AP Biology
Diversity of life & periods of mass extinction
Cambrian
explosion
AP Biology
Cretaceous extinction
The Chicxulub impact crater in the
Caribbean Sea near the Yucatan
Peninsula of Mexico indicates an
asteroid or comet struck the earth and
changed conditions 65 million years ago
AP Biology
Early mammal evolution
125 mya mammals
began to radiate
out & fill niches
AP Biology
Classifying Life
Molecular data
challenges 5 Kingdoms
Monera was too diverse
2 distinct lineages of prokaryotes
Protists are still too diverse
not yet sorted out
AP Biology
3 Domain system
Domains = “Super” Kingdoms
Bacteria
Archaea
extremophiles = live in extreme environments
methanogens
halogens
thermophiles
Eukarya
eukaryotes
protists
fungi
plants
animals
AP Biology
Kingdom
Bacteria
Kingdom
AP BiologyFungi
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Animalia
Any Questions??
Is there life elsewhere?
Does it look like life on Earth?
AP Biology
2008-2009