Master Timeline
As multicellular animals grew larger, simple diffusion became insufficient to move nutrients and remove waste. Early animals evolved internal fluid movement within body cavities, allowing nutrients to circulate beyond direct cell-to-cell contact.
Internal Fluid Transport in Early Animals Read More »
The movement of fluids, and in a way, the start of circulation and digestion, evolved in single celled prokaryotes right after LUCA to distribute nutrients and remove waste. Eventually, as eukaryotic cells grew larger and more complex, simple diffusion was no longer sufficient to move materials efficiently inside the cell. Cytoplasmic streaming and cytoskeleton-guided transport
Intracellular Flow and Nutrient Exchange Read More »
Archaea are a primary branch of early life, and eukaryotes emerged from within this archaeal lineage.
About 1 billion years ago, giant viruses evolved by “hoarding” cellular genes, expanding their genomes until they blurred the line between a simple virus and a living cell.
Giant viruses (within Varidnaviria) Read More »
About 1.25 billion years ago, Retroviruses emerged by transforming “jumping genes” into infectious agents, mastering the ability to rewrite a host’s permanent genetic code.
Retroviruses (within Riboviria) Read More »
About 1.75 billion years ago, Monodnaviria evolved as “runaway” genetic loops (plasmids) that stole structural proteins from other viruses to become independent, single-stranded DNA parasites.
About 2.75 billion years ago, the Varidnaviria evolved a unique “Double Jelly-Roll” protein fold to build massive, diverse shells, allowing viruses to scale up from tiny parasites to “giant” viruses that mimic cells.
Virus: Varidnaviria Read More »
Around the time of the first bacteria, about 3.2 billion years ago and after LUCA, the Duplodnaviria evolved a high-pressure, icosahedral protein armor that turned viruses into biological syringes capable of injecting DNA into any domain of life.
Bacteriophage → Duplodnaviria Read More »
About 3.7 billion years ago, RNA virus ancestors may trace back to the RNA world, but we can’t prove whether they predate LUCA or arose just after.
Virus: Riboviria (Early RNA replicators) Read More »
About 425 million years ago, modern fungi morphology emerges. Modern fungi are built on one ancient division.
Fungal Great Split: Ascomycota & Basidiomycota Read More »
About 1.3 billion years ago, following the “Great Oxidation Event,” the bacterial world fractured into specialized lineages, creating the foundational “Ecological Cast” that still runs our planet and our bodies today.
Bacteria Diversify: Major modern phyla Read More »
About 2 billion years ago, bacteria are added to cells and that group leads to eukaryotes. You are a walking chimera ecosystem made of an Archaea host and trillions of Bacterial power-plants.
Bacterial Endosymbiosis: Origin of Eukaryotes Read More »
~2.4–2.0 BYA → Aerobic metabolism expands Oxygen-respiring bacteria diversify Major proteobacterial radiations
Bacteria Aerobic metabolism expands Read More »
About 2.5 billion years ago, Cyanobacteria “hacked” the sun to split water, releasing oxygen as a byproduct and triggering the first global environmental catastrophe and subsequent biological reset.
Bacteria cyanobacteria & oxygenic photosynthesis Read More »
About 3 billion years ago, bacteria started experimenting with photosynthesis.
Bacteria Photosynthesis begins Read More »
Shortly after LUCA, about 3.7 billion years ago, the first bacteria emerged.
First True Bacteria Read More »
At 252 million years ago, the greatest extinction ends the world as known, fungi begin again.
Fungal Survivors of Extinction Read More »
About 450 million years ago, fungi and plants have a rich dirt root alliance. Plants gave sugars, fungi gave phosphorus and minerals.
Fungal Underground Alliance Read More »
About 420 million years ago, fungi stood taller than trees.
Fungal Giants of the Devonian Read More »
