Was there enough oxygen? Was there too much CO2? What about the temperature, humidity and air pressure. I think food would be a real problem since I’d have nothing but stromatalites and stuff. Water would be an issue too sinceif I was where the stromatalites are, then I’d be by the salty ocean? What would Les Stroud do if he were stranded 3 billion years ago?
Temperature would seem to be a big problem at 3 Billion years ago it was really hot.
You might have a slight breathing problem 3 billion years ago, since photosynthesis hadn’t yet developed. No photosynthesis, no oxygen.
Well, there was plenty of oxygen back then. The problem is, it was all bound up in various oxides of silicon, aluminum and iron, among others. Now, if you can breathe rust…
Is there a good book that might have these type of technical details laid out?
You might even find it difficult just previous to the emergence of mammals. They apparently emerged in part due to a change in plants, from all being sort of fibrious and woody and grasslike or fernlike with spores, to having flowers and seeds with high calorie density. Before this transition, all the vegetation was of low caloric quality, requiring huge ruminant vegetarian species to make good use of it (like modern cattle and elephants do it). Humans do eat primarily grass seeds (wheat, corn, rice, etc), after all.
At least, this is what I think I remember reading.