Surfaces

[nimae]

Hey guys, I was wondering, What's the importance of surfaces in evolutionary theory ? There would be two worlds on the sides of the surface each very different from the other. So wouldn't that result in faster evolution somehow ? For example say some photosynthetic bacteria were living on the surface of the earth, One environment would be the air above it with a very low density and high dynamity, While the other under it would be dense and resource rich.

 

So wouldn't this result in the bacteria somehow evolving into multicellularity ? The ones above wouldn't have as much resources but would have access to air and the sun, While the ones under would have access to water and minerals.

 

 

Am i understanding this right ?

 

 

[Sensei]

Yes. It's important to have right conditions.
Atmosphere with low density, would have smaller pressure, and water would boil at different temperature than on sea level with pressure 101325 Pa and 373.15 K temperature.
Atmosphere protects against cosmic rays, uv rays.
Photons are scattered (from initial 1370 W/m² to 1050 W/m² on the surface, 25% less).
They don't disappear.
But they are absorbed and heating atmosphere, creating smaller gradient of temperatures in day and night.
See Moon's temperature gradient in shadow vs full Sun.
Earth would have similar conditions without atmosphere.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Sensei