Amphibians: History of Life on Earth Life in the oceans colonize land.
Complex life forms evolved and thrived
in the oceans and shallow seas
over 600 million years ago.
Initially, there were no plants growing on the land.
There were no animals moving about.
About 500 million years ago,
primitive plant life
began to grow
close to shore
creating new habitats
for other living things.
The first animal life
to come ashore were
ARTHROPODS
centipedes and millipedes walked on land. About 430 million years ago scorpions!
the very FIRST
ARTHROPODS
to survive on land were . . . About 7 million years BEFORE
the millipedes and centipedes, Scorpions and Other Arthropods Escape to Land
History of Life on Earth
AFTER
the scorpions
first walked on land 40 million years
and FEET
to plow through
thick plant growth developed LUNGS
to survive the low oxygen
in the water Fish living in swampy wetlands
AMPHIBIANS!
These flat-footed,
air-breathing "fish"
were evolving into . . . 4 legged animals escape to land
Breathing air and walking on four legs Amphibians --
the first vertebrates
to leave their water world
to live on land
Carboniferous
The First Amphibians Dominate the Land
