Diego McClaskey
Archaean Eon Infographic
Info
Major events for its subsequent Eras
Why the Archaen Eon?
What are halobacteria?
Description of the Eon/Why it was such
Sources
The Archean Eon (4 to 2.5 billion years ago)
There was a lot of sulfur and no breathable air
During the Archean era, clouds of methane mist-shrouded a young Earth in a global haze. There was no oxygen gas on Earth. Only compounds, such as water, contained oxygen. A complex chemical reaction in the young oceans had transformed carbon-containing molecules into simple living cells that did not require oxygen to live. Instead, sulfur and other elements were used to generate energy.
In the oceans on Earth 2.7 billion years back, blue-green microorganisms known as cyanobacteria flourished. They used carbon dioxide, water and sunlight in the photosynthesis process to produce gas or free oxygen. "Oxygen in the atmosphere increased from one percent of today's levels to 21 percent when cyanobacteria created more oxygen."
Sources
Sources Used
- “When The Earth Was Purple” 1:54-2:06; EONS, uploaded by PBS, 15 Feb. 2018, https://www.pbs.org/video/when-the-earth-was-purple-acpjlv/
- Béjà et al., Reference Béjà, Spudich, Spudich, Leclerc and DeLong2001; Stoeckenius et al., Reference Stoeckenius, Lozier and Bogomolni1979)
- Page, Geology. “Eoarchean Era.” Geology Page, 16 Jan. 2014, www.geologypage.com/2014/01/eoarchean-era.html#:~:text=The%20Eoarchean%20is%20the%20first. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
- Lepot, Kevin (2020). "Signatures of early microbial life from the Archean (4 to 2.5 Ga) eon". Earth-Science Reviews. 209: 103296.
- Smithies, R. H.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.; Champion, D. C. (2007). "The Mesoarchean emergence of modern-style subduction". Gondwana Research. Island Arcs: Past and Present. 11 (1): 50–68.
- DasSarma, Shiladitya, and Edward W. Schwieterman. “Early Evolution of Purple Retinal Pigments on Earth and Implications for Exoplanet Biosignatures.” International Journal of Astrobiology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2021, pp. 241–250., doi:10.1017/S1473550418000423.
- Rehns, Marsha, et al. “Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.” The Archean Eon, National Museum of Natural History/National Aeronautics and Space Administration, forces.si.edu/atmosphere/02_02_02.html#:~:text=During%20the%20Archean%20Eon%2C%20methane,not%20need%20oxygen%20to%20live. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Sources
Earth may have been purple
It is thought that during this time, the Earth may have been purple. This is due to the fact that "before chlorophyll was a thing, Earth's oceans may have been dominated by microbes that were a lot like halobacteria -- ones that used retinal, or some other purple pigment, to harness the sun's energy."
- Chlorophyll doesn't take in green energy because it would give the plant equivalent of a sun burn in part to its abundance.
- Unlike Chlorophyll, halobacteria are extremophiles who florish in salty environments and feed using the abundant green light.
What was up in the Archaean Eon?
This eon witnessed the formation of the first continents, the development of Earth’s early atmosphere, and the emergence of life in the form of simple, single-celled organisms, marking a critical phase in the planet’s evolutionary history.
For a very detailed description, click here
Here's a chort clip from PBS Eons "When The Earth Was Purple" Episode.
"A retinal chromophore bound to a single polypeptide allows a system for phototrophy by forming a chromoprotein, like bacteriorhodopsin in halophilic Archaea dominant in hypersaline environments and proteorhodopsin in pelagic bacteria distributed throughout the oceans (Béjà et al., Reference Béjà, Spudich, Spudich, Leclerc and DeLong2001; Stoeckenius et al., Reference Stoeckenius, Lozier and Bogomolni1979)."
Sources
Over the Eras into an Eon
The beginning of the Eoarchean is characterized by heavy asteroid bombardment within the inner solar system: the Late Heavy Bombardment.
The era is defined chronometrically and is not referenced to a specific level of a rock section on Earth.
The Mesoarchean era is thought to be the birthplace of modern-style plate subduction, based on geologic evidence from the Pilbara Craton in western Australia.
The Neoarchean is marked by major developments in complex life and continental formation.
Throughout the era's there was a lack of phosphorus which caused problems for photosynthesis. However in the Neoarchean era there was an increase in phosphorus availability due to factors like matter being buried and geological processes. This led to levels of oxygen, in the atmosphere eventually resulting in the Great Oxidation Event during the Paleoproterozoic era.
Sources
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Going over the Archaean Eon and why it was a "Purple Earth"
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Transcript
Diego McClaskey
Archaean Eon Infographic
Info
Major events for its subsequent Eras
Why the Archaen Eon?
What are halobacteria?
Description of the Eon/Why it was such
Sources
The Archean Eon (4 to 2.5 billion years ago)
There was a lot of sulfur and no breathable air
During the Archean era, clouds of methane mist-shrouded a young Earth in a global haze. There was no oxygen gas on Earth. Only compounds, such as water, contained oxygen. A complex chemical reaction in the young oceans had transformed carbon-containing molecules into simple living cells that did not require oxygen to live. Instead, sulfur and other elements were used to generate energy.
In the oceans on Earth 2.7 billion years back, blue-green microorganisms known as cyanobacteria flourished. They used carbon dioxide, water and sunlight in the photosynthesis process to produce gas or free oxygen. "Oxygen in the atmosphere increased from one percent of today's levels to 21 percent when cyanobacteria created more oxygen."
Sources
Sources Used
Sources
Earth may have been purple
It is thought that during this time, the Earth may have been purple. This is due to the fact that "before chlorophyll was a thing, Earth's oceans may have been dominated by microbes that were a lot like halobacteria -- ones that used retinal, or some other purple pigment, to harness the sun's energy."
What was up in the Archaean Eon?
This eon witnessed the formation of the first continents, the development of Earth’s early atmosphere, and the emergence of life in the form of simple, single-celled organisms, marking a critical phase in the planet’s evolutionary history.
For a very detailed description, click here
Here's a chort clip from PBS Eons "When The Earth Was Purple" Episode.
"A retinal chromophore bound to a single polypeptide allows a system for phototrophy by forming a chromoprotein, like bacteriorhodopsin in halophilic Archaea dominant in hypersaline environments and proteorhodopsin in pelagic bacteria distributed throughout the oceans (Béjà et al., Reference Béjà, Spudich, Spudich, Leclerc and DeLong2001; Stoeckenius et al., Reference Stoeckenius, Lozier and Bogomolni1979)."
Sources
Over the Eras into an Eon
The beginning of the Eoarchean is characterized by heavy asteroid bombardment within the inner solar system: the Late Heavy Bombardment.
The era is defined chronometrically and is not referenced to a specific level of a rock section on Earth.
The Mesoarchean era is thought to be the birthplace of modern-style plate subduction, based on geologic evidence from the Pilbara Craton in western Australia.
The Neoarchean is marked by major developments in complex life and continental formation.
Throughout the era's there was a lack of phosphorus which caused problems for photosynthesis. However in the Neoarchean era there was an increase in phosphorus availability due to factors like matter being buried and geological processes. This led to levels of oxygen, in the atmosphere eventually resulting in the Great Oxidation Event during the Paleoproterozoic era.
Sources