Biology 2581B Quiz: Origin of life
1 Jun 2020
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Direct evidence of life on early earth comes from fossils of microorganisms. Another hypothesis is that organic compounds were first produced in deep-sea hydrothermal vent, areas where heated water and minerals gush from earth. The alkaline vent, release water that has a high ph, may have been more suitable for the origin of life. Fossil record shows that there have been great changes in the kinds of organisms on earth at different points in time. As substantial and significant as the fossil record is, keep in mind that it is an incomplete chronicle of evolution. One of the most common techniques to determine the age of a fossil is radiometric dating, which is based on the decay of radioactive isotopes. The study of fossils has helped to establish a geologic record, a standard time scale that divides earth"s history into four eons and further subdivisions.
