AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Prokaryotes came first, with speculations stating that they appeared at least 3.8 billion years ago. Prokaryotes are underdeveloped cells, undifferentiated organelles with no nuclei. They have circular DNA. It suggests that prokaryotes evolved first.

Detailed explanation-2: -We now know that prokaryotes were likely the first forms of cellular life on Earth, and they existed for billions of years before plants and animals appeared. The Earth and its moon are dated at about 4.54 billion years in age.

Detailed explanation-3: -The first fossils of prokaryotic (bacterial) cells are known from 3.5 and 3.4 billion years ago. These bacteria were photosynthetic (although non-oxygen producing) so it is likely that simpler non-photosynthetic bacteria evolved prior to this (Schopf, 1987; Beukes, 2004).

Detailed explanation-4: -The eukaryotes developed at least 2.7 billion years ago, following some 1 to 1.5 billion years of prokaryotic evolution.

Detailed explanation-5: -Prokaryotic cells were some of the earliest life forms on earth. They first appear in the fossil record around 4 billion years ago. Prokaryotes were around for a long, long time before eukaryotic cells appeared around 1.8 billion years ago.