Prehistoric life
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'''Prehistoric life''' are the diverse [[organism]]s that have inhabited [[Earth]] from the [[origin of life]] about 3.8 billion years ago ([[bya|b.y.a.]]) to the [[Historic]] period (about [[3500 BC]]) when [[human]]s began to keep written records.
During the course of [[evolution]], new forms of [[life]] developed and many other forms, such as the [[dinosaur]]s, became [[extinction|extinct]]. (See [[Timeline of evolution]]).
[[Prehistory|Prehistoric]] life evolved over this vast timespan from simple [[bacteria]]-like [[Cell (biology)|cell]]s in the [[ocean]]s to [[algae]] and [[protozoa]], and ultimately to [[Eukaryote|complex]] [[multicellular]] forms such as [[Fungus|fungi]], land [[plant]]s, [[worm]]s, [[mollusc]]s, [[crustacean]]s, [[insect]]s, and [[vertebrate]]s.
In geologic terms, [[human]]s evolved very recently, only about 2.5 million years ago ([[mya (unit)|mya]]). (See [[Geologic time scale]], [[Human evolution]]).
Very few [[species]] of prehistoric life (such as the [[coelacanth]]) still exist today unchanged, tens of millions of years later, thereby making them [[living fossil]]s. Yet other creatures, like [[shark]]s, have changed but a little over millions of years.
However, most life forms -- over 99 percent -- have become extinct, and so the only record of them ever existing that remains today are rock imprints, casts or other [[fossil]]s.
==See also==
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*[[Ammonite]]s -- once-common coiled [[mollusk]]s
*[[Bioerosion]]
*[[Coral]]s -- now common as fossils
*[[Dinosaur]]s
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Science of Evolution|Evolution, science of]]
*[[Evolutionary history of life]] -- a more technical site
*[[Foram]]s (a.k.a. [[foraminifera]]) -- very useful tiny fossils
*[[Fossil]]s -- the remnants of prehistoric life
*[[Fossil collecting]]
*[[Fossil park]]s -- includes protected sites worldwide
*[[History of evolutionary thought]]
*[[History of invertebrate paleozoology]]
*[[History of paleontology]]
*[[Invertebrate paleontology]] -- covers most animal fossils
*[[Lampshell]]s (a.k.a. [[brachiopod]]s) -- the ''most-common'' fossils
*[[List of fossil sites]] ''(with a link directory)''
*[[List of notable fossils]]
*[[Nautiloid]]s -- mostly long-shelled, extinct [[cephalopod]]s
*[[Macrofossil]]s -- of larger prehistoric animals and plants
*[[Microfossil]]s -- of smaller, tiny prehistoric life
*[[Micropaleontology]] -- study of prehistoric [[microbe]]s, etc.
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*[[Paleobiology]] -- study of fossils and [[biology]]
*[[Paleobotany]] -- study of prehistoric [[plant]]s
*[[Paleoichnology]] -- studies [[Trace fossil|traces of prehistoric life]]
*[[Paleontology]] -- study of fossils and [[geology]]
*[[Paleozoology]] -- study of prehistoric [[animal]]s
*[[Palynology]] -- study of fossil [[seed]]s & [[plant spore]]s
*[[Prehistoric amphibian]]s
*[[Prehistoric animal]]s
*[[Fossil birds|Prehistoric bird]]s
*[[Prehistoric fish]]
*[[Prehistoric insect]]s
*[[Prehistoric mammal]]s
*[[Prehistoric plant]]s
*[[Prehistoric reptile]]s
*[[Sea scorpion]]s (a.k.a. [[eurypterid]]s) -- extinct [[Marine (ocean)|marine]] [[carnivore]]s
*[[Sea lily|Sea lili]]es (a.k.a. [[crinoid]]s) -- stems common as fossils
*[[Stromatolite]]s of [[Colony (biology)|colonial]] [[cyanobacteria]] -- the oldest "[[living fossil]]"
*[[Taphonomy]] -- study of burial and [[fossilization]] of life
*[[Trace fossil]]s -- indirect traces of prehistoric life
*[[Trilobite]]s -- extinct, [[Armour (zoology)|armored creature]]s
*[[Vertebrate paleontology]] -- covers [[fish]]es and [[tetrapod]]s
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==External links==
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*[http://prehistoricsillustrated.com/welcome.html PREHISTORICS ILLUSTRATED .com]
[[Category:Prehistoric life| ]]
[[Category:Paleontology]]
[[ca:Vida prehistòrica]]
[[da:Forhistorisk liv]]
[[el:Προϊστορική ζωή]]
[[es:Vida prehistórica]]
[[eo:Prahistoria vivo]]
[[eu:Bizitza prehistoriko]]
[[it:Forme di vita estinte]]
[[he:יצורים פרהיסטוריים]]
[[ja:古生物]]
[[fi:Esihistoriallinen elämä]]
[[sv:Förhistoriskt liv]]
[[zh:史前生物]]