Story of Our Universe
By: Ginger Smith and Kayleigh Harris
Big Bang
The Big Bang was a massive explosion, sometimes called the mother of all explosions, that represents the beginning of time, space, matter, and energy. The Big Bang theory was proposed in 1927 by Georges Lemaitre. The Big Bang is said to have occurred about 13,820,000,000 years ago, from that point the microscopic universe expanded into what it is today.
From the Big Bang on...
Nearly ten million years after the big bang the first elements were created; hydrogen and helium were created. 13,400,000,000 years ago the first stars shined. About 5,000,000,000 years ago our solar system was formed when our sun ignited. Then, around 4,640,000,000 years ago the molten earth forms, and it is anoxic (i.e. lacks oxygen). The moon was created after some debris crashed into the Earth and molded together to form the moon. The first cell was created 3,740,000,000 years ago, and it was single celled and prokaryotic.
After the Single Cell
Once the single cell came into the world, the way oxygen became produced broke out. 3, 540, 000, 000 years before us, marine photosynthesis began. Photosynthesis generates oxygen while providing energy for further development and experimentation. This oxygen gets trapped as iron rust. Cells interact, some swallowing others and incorporating them. Respiration develops within mitochondria yielding a higher energy cell. 2,370,000,000 before us, oxygen levels start o rapidly rise, favoring a higher energy cell. Shortly after that, cells with nuclei start to appear. 847,000,000 years before us, photosynthesis on land began. About 300,000,000 years later the Cambrian Explosion happened.
The Cambrian Explosion
During the Cambrian Explosion, molluscs, arthropods, echinoderms, crustaceans, and myriapedes came into existance. After the Cambrian Explosion, five extinctions happened. The reason why is because several ice ages happened, which wipped out the animals that could not survive those ice ages. In the year 4, 420, 000, the Ardipithecus ramidus- the closest fossil to human-chimpancestor- had walked the earth. In the year 3, 300, 000, it is said that around this time the first stone tools were developed.
Further On
Much later from the Cambrian Explosion, 972, 000 before us to be exact, the first use of fire in the country South Africa, Africa, became known. Also, through this time, the carbon dioxide and heat levels rise and fall dramatically and continue to do so as time goes on. In the year 660, 000, there is evidence that shows that that was the year that 'man' stood upright for the first time. 304, 000 years before us, this was the time that heat and carbon dioxide spiked probably the highest than all of the other times the temerature and heat had risen and fallen. Now, lets fast forward to 199, 000 years before now, here is when the first Homo sapiens had walked earth as we call, an actual human being. It is argued by scientists that we are actually Homo sapiens sapiens, and the Homo sapien is actually our ancestor. Very shortly after that, there is evidence that the Homo sapiens began wearing cloths. The earliets cave painting can be found in Spain and apperently depicts 38, 200 years before modern civilization. Continuing on from the time of the cave painting, their art became more advanced, which includes sculpting. From there on, civilizations came forth and now we are in modern day time.