Chapter 21 Outline

Origin and History of Life

The chemical evolution of the protocell and experiments supporting this occurrence, the fossil record, continental drift, and major geological periods are topics covered in this chapter.

Chapter Outline

In this chapter outline, the learning objectives and the selected key terms are given for each major head in the chapter.

Origin of Life (p. 333)

1. Trace the steps by which a chemical evolution produced the protocell.

2. Describe the experiments and/or data that support the occurrence of a chemical

evolution.

3. Describe differences between the protocell and a true cell.

4. Explain why the protocell likely was a heterotrophic fermenter.

5. Describe how a self-replication system may have evolved.

Selected Key Terms: chemical evolution, proteinoid, microsphere, protocell,

liposome, heterotroph, autotroph

History of Life (p. 336)

6. Describe how the fossil record developed and how fossils are dated.

7. Give evidence for continental drift and explain how and why it occurs.

8. Outline the main events of the Precambrian, the Paleozoic era, the Mesozoic era,

and the Cenozoic era.

9. Give reasons for the five mass extinctions in the history of life.

10. State and discuss two models of evolutionary change in relation to the fossil

record.

fossil, sedimentation, paleontology, continental drift, plate tectonics, ocean ridge,

ozone shield, extinction, mass extinction, lineage, phyletic gradualism, punctuated

equilibrium
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