This image is an artist's impression of "Snowball Earth," depicting a period in Earth's distant past when it is hypothesized that the planet was mostly or entirely covered by snow and ice.
c. 720-635 Million BCE: Snowball Earth – Unraveling Earth’s Deep Freeze Episodes

Examines the concept of 'Snowball Earth,' particularly during the Cryogenian period about 720 million years ago, where Earth experienced extreme glaciation, and explores potential causes and recovery mechanisms from these severe ice ages

This image is an artist's concept showing aggregated collections of multicellular eukaryotes. Within the outer membrane, various types of cells are depicted, each designed to perform specific functions.
c. 1 Billion BCE: The Rise of Complex Multicellular Life

Explores the evolution of complex multicellular organisms, detailing their emergence about a billion years ago and highlighting key fossil evidence, such as the 650-million-year-old Doushantuo Formation. It also discusses the challenges faced by evolutionary biologists [...]

This image shows male sperm and a female egg, illustrating the concept of sexual reproduction where genetic information from two parents is combined to create unique offspring. This evolutionary innovation was first introduced by early eukaryotic organisms around 1.2 billion years ago and has proven to be a highly effective evolutionary strategy.
c. 1.2 Billion BCE: The Evolutionary Leap – The Origin of Sex in Eukaryotes

Explores the transition of eukaryotes from asexual to sexual reproduction around 1.2 billion years ago, highlighting the evolutionary advantages of sexual reproduction in enhancing genetic diversity and adaptation.

This image shows the fossilized remains of microfossils known as Eosphaera, located within the over 3.4-billion-year-old Gunflint chert formation in Pilbara, Western Australia. These microorganisms are thought to possibly represent transitional forms between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
c. 2 Billion BCE: The Emergence of Eukaryotes – A Major Evolutionary Milestone

Discusses the evolutionary leap from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells around 2 billion years ago, detailing the complex structures of eukaryotes and their significance in the diversification of life, including multicellular organisms like plants, fungi, and [...]

This image is a high-resolution microscopic view of filamentary strands of cyanobacteria, observed through a green filter.
c. 2.5 Billion BCE: The Great Oxidation – A Transformative Event in Earth’s History

Explores the Great Oxidation, a pivotal event caused by the rise of oxygen-producing cyanobacteria, which significantly altered Earth's atmosphere and led to the extinction of many anaerobic species while paving the way for aerobic life [...]

This image displays the distinct stripes of iron-rich and silica-rich rocks, known as Banded Iron Formations, located at Fortescue Falls in Karijini National Park, Western Australia.
c. 3-1.8 Billion BCE: Decoding Banded Iron Formations – A Geological Mystery

Examines Banded Iron Formations (BIFs), which reveal early oxygenation events on Earth, linking them to the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis by cyanobacteria and the subsequent atmospheric changes.

This image shows a shallow-water kelp forest off the coast of Southern California, where plants utilize oxygenic photosynthesis to transform sunlight into internal energy, like glucose.
c. 3.4 Billion BCE: The Evolution of Photosynthesis – Transforming Earth

Discusses the evolution of photosynthesis, highlighting its impact on Earth's atmosphere and life forms. It traces the development from early anoxygenic photosynthesis to the oxygen-producing photosynthesis by cyanobacteria, leading to the Great Oxidation event.

This image shows a glacially smoothed section of Archean greenstone, originally basaltic pillow lava, from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, spanning approximately 10 feet (3 meters) across.
c. 3.5 Billion BCE: Unraveling the Mysteries of Greenstone Belts

Explores greenstone belts, key geological features from the Archean eon, highlighting their role in the growth of continental crust and their significance in understanding Earth's early history.

This image shows contemporary stromatolite domes in the shallow waters of Shark Bay, Western Australia. The inset provides a cross-sectional view of a 2.4-inch-tall (6 cm) fossilized stromatolite from the Old Range of Western Australia.
c. 3.7 Billion BCE: Stromatolites – Windows into Earth’s Early Life

Delves into stromatolites, the oldest known fossil evidence of life on Earth, explaining their formation by microbial groups, particularly cyanobacteria, and their role in the Earth's atmospheric evolution.

This image relates to the interdisciplinary study of life's origin and evolution on Earth, encompassing fields such as astronomy, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, and geology.
c. 3.8 Billion BCE: The Origins of Life on Earth – A Chemical Story

Explores the enigmatic origins of life on Earth, emphasizing chemical evidence over fossils, and discusses how unique isotopic patterns in ancient rocks hint at early life forms. It also covers the potential impact of the [...]