From the Macross Compendium:
PC 2870
A Protoculture survey ship stops temporarily on "Earth." By genetically reconstructing the native life, it plots the emergence of a sub-Protoculture adapted to the planetary enivronment, "Humankind," to prepare for future colonization. During its return to its home planet, the survey ship is destroyed by military ships opposed to the Stellar Republic. Records of Earth and Humankind are eventually lost.
This is Pre-Protodeviln. Though, this really changes little, as the AFOS could have visited Earth later on, while the native life was still "evolving" along the path it was pushed too by Protoculture.