After Mertens was formed, it had an environment perfect for exotic chemistry/creation of life due to its great diversity of chemical elements, it’s perfect amount of energy, and the presence of liquid on the planet. However, the process to us Witselonians being created can be analyzed through a few major turning points, which form a timeline from bacteria to Witselonians.
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The first prokaryotes on Mertens evolved in deep ocean vents that provided them with chemical and heat energy. These prokaryotes were extremely simple, did not have organelles (have ribosomes, but ribosomes are not always considered organelles), and were unicellular. Then, some of these simple cells migrated to the surface of the ocean where they then evolved to use the sun’s energy through photosynthesis, enabling life to spread to many more places. Since oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis and prokaryotes grew exponentially, Mertens started to get an extremely oxygen-rich atmosphere. Huge amounts of prokaryotes died as a result of decreasing carbon dioxide and of increasing oxygen in the atmosphere.
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The first prokaryotes on Mertens evolved in deep ocean vents that provided them with chemical and heat energy. These prokaryotes were extremely simple, did not have organelles (have ribosomes, but ribosomes are not always considered organelles), and were unicellular. Then, some of these simple cells migrated to the surface of the ocean where they then evolved to use the sun’s energy through photosynthesis, enabling life to spread to many more places. Since oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis and prokaryotes grew exponentially, Mertens started to get an extremely oxygen-rich atmosphere. Huge amounts of prokaryotes died as a result of decreasing carbon dioxide and of increasing oxygen in the atmosphere.
Despite many prokaryotes dying, a new and more complex species called Eukaryotes emerged that could use oxygen’s amazing chemical energy. Eukaryotes were more complex as they consisted of one or more cells, each of which has a nucleus which protected and preserved its complex and precious genetic information. The eukaryotes also contained tiny organs called organelles, which performed special functions like photosynthesis or processing oxygen, allowing them to thrive and survive. Us Witselonians are made entirely of them!
Just like specialized organelles worked together to create Eukaryotes, over millions of years, different Eukaryotes came together to form multicellular organisms. These complex life forms contained billions of cells that had their own functions, but shared DNA. With networks of specialized cells and cooperation, multicelled organisms could respond to changes in the environment in entirely new ways, further developing a key survival trait of life that we call homeostasis.
Multicelled organisms needed a way to coordinate all the different activities in them, and this is what special nerve cells did. In some cells these nerve cells all clustered at the end, or the head, and down spinal cords to form the first brains. These brains allowed organisms to process more information and react in more complex ways, which enabled thinking and eventually even consciousness.
Eventually, some of these multicellular organisms moved to land, initially plants and fungi. The rich environment was rich in new opportunities for organisms that could find ways to survive. They were forced to develop new skins, ways to breath out of water, and ways to reproduce. The first animal to live on land was probably like a modern lungfish and then other animals evolved such as amphibians, however they returned to the water to mate. Then came reptiles who developed large/leathery eggs and could survive away from water, allowing them to go inland. Our ancestors, mammals, came from a reptile species and probably looked something like birds. The basic characteristics of these mammals was they they had fur, were warm blooded, and didn’t lay eggs. This whole process is something more broadly known as evolution.
For more on evolution, go to "evolution simplified" under the "LIFE" tab.
For more on evolution, go to "evolution simplified" under the "LIFE" tab.