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Kenorland prehistoric landscape, artwork
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Kenorland prehistoric landscape, artwork
Kenorland prehistoric landscape. Artwork showing a landscape at the time of the Kenorland supercontinent (2.7 to 2.1 billion years ago) during the Archean Era and Proterozoic Era. Life had emerged on Earth in the oceans, but consisted only of simple cells (prokaryotes) and biofilms of micro-organisms such as cyanobacteria, forming structures called stromatolites (bottom). These produced oxygen (bubbles) by photosynthesis, leading to the oxygenation of the Earths atmosphere around 2.4 billion years ago. The land was barren with no life, and irradiated by ultraviolet light as the ozone layer had not yet formed
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Media ID 9242271
© HENNING DALHOFF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Atmosphere Atmospheric Biofilm Bubbles Coast Cyanobacteria Early Life Earth Science Ecological Ecology Evolution Evolutionary Geological Land Micro Organism Micro Organisms Microbe Microbes Microbiology Microorganism Microorganisms Oxygen Oxygenating Oxygenation Photosynthesis Photosynthesising Prehistoric Prehistory Rocks Rocky Simple Stromatolite Stromatolites Supercontinent Ultraviolet Underwater Uv Light Archean Barren Land Harsh Microbiological Proterozoic
EDITORS COMMENTS
This artwork titled "Kenorland Prehistoric Landscape" takes us back in time to the Archean and Proterozoic Eras, when Earth was a vastly different place. The image showcases a barren land, rocky and harsh, with no signs of life as we know it today. The atmosphere was atmospheric indeed, but not in the way we experience it now. During this period, life had just emerged in the oceans, consisting only of simple cells and microorganisms like cyanobacteria. These ancient organisms formed structures called stromatolites that produced oxygen through photosynthesis. As depicted by the bubbles in the illustration, this process eventually led to the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere around 2.4 billion years ago. The absence of an ozone layer meant that ultraviolet light irradiated the land relentlessly. It is fascinating to imagine how early life forms adapted or struggled under these extreme conditions. This artwork beautifully captures both the geological and ecological aspects of this prehistoric landscape. From its rocky coastlines to its underwater depths teeming with microbial life, every detail invites us to explore our planet's evolutionary history. As we gaze upon this print from Science Photo Library, let us marvel at how far our world has come since those ancient times and appreciate the intricate web of biological processes that have shaped our existence on Earth.
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