READ: Histroy of Life on Earth

Introduction

It is no surprise that people have wondered about the age of the earth, how it was formed, and how life began on Earth for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Try to imagine how ancient philosophers tried to explain the history of the earth and life. Many people used mythology or cultural beliefs to explain elaborate stories about how and when the earth formed.

The past two to three hundred years has been an exciting time for geologists, paleontologists and other scientists who are trying to trace the history of the earth. What was once a hobby, studying land forms and fossils has become a science that is revealing the history of the earth and life on Earth.

CK-12 Foundation, Biology. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/