Prehistoric life 2007839 225226615 2008-07-12T15:50:59Z Abyssal leviathin 611413 /* External links */ {{cleanup-rewrite}} {{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}} '''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== {|align-left {{clear}} {{col-begin}} {{col-1-of-2}} *[[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. {{col-2-of-2}} *[[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 {{col-end}} ==External links== {{portalpar|Paleontology}} *[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]]