UNIT 3

HISTORY OF EARTH
The origin of
the Solar
System
1. Supernova
2. Nebula
3. Temperature rose
due to nuclear
fusion reactions
4. Temperature fall
and materials start
condensing
5. Condensed
fragments collided
and got together
until planets were
formed
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
 METHODS OF ABSOLUTE DATING
Absolute dating methods measure the time that
has elapsed since a geologic event happened
(rock formation, deposition of a stratum, the
age of a fossil, etc.).

They are:
SedBiological methods
imentological methods
Radiometric methods
 Biological methods

These are based on the analysis of biological rhythms

associated with intervals of time, such as the growth rings of
trees or daily growth bands (striations) on living corals.

Each year, trees develop

two rings: one light ring (in
spring) and one dark ring
(in summer). By doing a
very simple calculation,
we can tell the age of a
tree if we count the
number of rings inside the
tree trunk.
 Sedimentological methods
These are based on cyclical sediment deposits, like what
happens with glacial varves, which are sediments that are
deposited at the bottom of glacial lakes, depending on
seasonal changes.
Winter Summer

Ice

Glacial lake

Thick clear layer of

Thin dark layer of sediments sediments A thick clear detrital
Only a thin dark layer (consisting of layer is deposited into
Glacial varves the lake when the ice
clays and organic matter) accumulates
when the surface of the lake is frozen melts in summer.
over in winter.

It is possible to calculate the age of the lake

by counting the varves.
 Radiometric methods
Radioactive elements such as uranium 238 (U238) or carbon-14
(14C) are used; they may be contained in rocks, fossils or
archaeological remains.
Radioactive isotopes are unstable and emit radiation, so that
after some time, they transform into other more stable atoms.
 HALF LIFE OF RADIACTIVE ATOMS
If we know the rate of disintegration, we can date the age of a
sample by measuring the ratio between unstable radioactive
atoms and stable atoms formed from them.
 METHODS OF RELATIVE DATING
Relative dating consists of ordering the strata or geological
events recorded in one or more stratigraphic series
chronologically, without specifying how long ago they
occurred or how long they lasted.
Relative dating is achieved by interpreting satratigraphic
series, uisng the following basic principles:
Principle of uniformitarism
Principle of the sucession of geological events
Principle of the arrengement of strata
Original horizontality
Lateral continuity
Superposition
Principle of the sucession of fossils
The four steps of fossilization

1. Death

2. Burial

3. Replacement

4. Erosion
INDEX FOSSILS
CATASTROPHISM
UNIFORMITARISM
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
 The Precambrian Era:
Geological and paleoclimatic events

Hadean era (4,500-3,800 m.y.) Archaean and Proterozoic (3,800-540 m.y.)

1. Meterorites continually collided the 1. Meteorite bombardment stopped
Earth 2. Tectonic plates movement started
2. Layers were formed 3. Oxygen appeared in the atmosphere
3. Atmosphere and oceans were formed 4. Iron oxide appeared in rocks
4. The Moon was formed 5. Rodinia supercontinent was formed
5. Life appeared at the end of the period 6. The biggest glacial period started
 The Paleozoic Era:
Geological and paleoclimatic events
• 542 to 500 million years ago, the
continents were separated by shallow,
warm seas.
• 460 to 350 million years ago, the
continents began to come together. The
Caledonian orogeny mountain ranges
formed as a result of several continental
masses colliding and glaciation occurred.

• 300 to 250 million years ago, the

Variscan orogeny mountain-building
event was caused by new continental
collisions. The supercontinent Pangea II
was formed and there was another
glaciation. The climate in the inland
regions of the continent was very dry as it
was very far from the sea. An episode of
massive volcanic activity occurred at the
end of the Permian period that caused
global warming due to increasing
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The Mesozoic Era:
Geological and paleoclimatic events
• 250 to 200 million years ago, the continents came together as Pangea II. The climate was very
warm and very dry in the interior of the supercontinent. At the end of the Triassic period, continental
fragmentation began and shallow seas opened up.

• 200 to 145 million years ago, the

opening of the continents
continued. The climate was much
wetter and it was still warm
(tropical to humid temperate
environments).

• 145 to 65 million years ago, the

continents continued to separate
(the Atlantic opened up), but Africa
and India started colliding with
Eurasia, which initiated the uplifting
of the Alpine orogeny mountain
building event. The climate started
to cool. At the end of the
Cretaceous period, global volcanic
activity increased and a large
asteroid struck Earth.
 The Cenozic Era:
Geological and paleoclimatic events
• 65 to 23 million years ago, the
separation of the continents that
began in the Cretaceous period (the
opening of the Atlantic) continued and
India completed its collision with
Eurasia. This marked the end of the
Alpine orogeny. The mountains on
the western boundary of America
formed. The climate at this time was
still subtropical and humid in almost
all regions.
• 23 to 2.5 million years ago, the
continents reached positions close to
the ones they are in at the present
time. The Red Sea and East Africa's
Great Rift Valley opened. The climate
became cooler and more arid.

• 2.5 to 0 million years ago, several

glacial episodes occurred.
 The Precambrian Era: Biological events
• 3,800 to 3,500 million years ago, the
earliest life appears on Earth, probably
originating in an aquatic environment.
There are indications of this in the
biochemical clues that appear in rocks
from this time and in the first fossilised
prokaryotes.
• 3,400 million years ago, stromatolites appear.
These are structures produced by the activity
of cyanobacteria. These and other
photoautotroph organisms filled the
atmosphere with oxygen that produced mass
extinction of anaerobic organisms 2,000 million
years ago.
• 1,700 to 1,000 million years ago,
eukaryotes and multicellular organisms
emerge.
• 700 to 542 million years ago, mass extinctions occur during glaciations and a subsequent explosion
of biodiversity takes place. In the Proterozoic formations in Ediacara (Australia), fossils of beings
similar to simple animals appear (some different from existing groups and others such as sponges,
jellyfish and worms).
Ediacaran fauna
 The Paleozoic Era: Biological events
• 542 to 460 million years ago, there was a great explosion of marine life. The majority of
invertebrate groups, including the first chordates, appeared.

• 460 to 400 million years ago, fish

appeared. Marine biodiversity decreased
due to the glaciation at the end of the
Ordovician period, but it recovered later.
New groups of fish started showing up.
The first plants and terrestrial arthropods
emerged.

• 400 to 250 million years ago, there was

a great diversity of fish. Plants without
seeds, and later conifers, flourished in the
terrestrial environment. The first
amphibians and early reptiles started
showing up. The latter proliferated and
diversified, adapting better to arid
conditions. At the end of the era, the
greatest mass extinction in the history of
the Earth occurred (90% of species were
wiped out).
Life in the Paleozoic Era (540-250 m.y.)

Trilobite Armoured fish

Ferns Terrestrial animals

 The Mesozoic Era: Biological events

• 250 to 200 million years ago, fish and

marine invertebrates recovered from the
Permian extinction. On land, the arid
climate favoured primitive gymnosperms,
insects and reptiles (the latter adapted to all
environments). The first dinosaurs and
early mammals started showing up.

• 200 to 145 million years ago, there was a

great diversity of marine invertebrates.
Fish and marine reptiles dominated the
seas. Conifers dominated the flora and
dinosaurs diversified and reached large
sizes. The first birds appeared.

• 145 to 65 million years ago, there was a great diversity of marine life and dinosaurs. Flowering
plants, pollinating insects and marsupials appeared. The end of the Cretaceous period saw a rapid
mass extinction, especially of many sea creatures, such as the ammonites, and terrestrial creatures
such as dinosaurs.
Life in the Mesozoic Era (250-65 m.y.)

Ammonite

Dinosaurs

Gymnosperms
 The Cenozoic Era: Biological events
• 65 to 23 million years ago, the survivors of the extinction in the Cretaceous period, especially
angiosperm plants, mammals and birds, spread and diversified.
• 2.3 to 2.5 million years ago, birds and
mammals diversified widely, and in
many cases, into large sizes. Many of
the existing groups, including the first
anthropoid primates (and hominids at
end of the period), appeared. A
subtropical humid forest flora dominated
in almost all latitudes, although at the
end of this period the shift towards a
progressively cooler and drier climate
modified the fauna and flora.

• 2.5 to 0 million years ago, glaciations

radically altered the flora and caused
the emergence of many modern
groups of plants. There were new
mammal species adapted to colder or
drier climates. Hominids emerged and
the human species appeared.
Life in the Cenozoic Era (65 m.y. – present)

Mammals & birds

Angiosperms
Humans
SUMMARY
The Precambrian Era

3500 mya. The first 3400 mya. First known

organisms appear cyanobacteria (blue-green
which are very simple 500 mya. "Ediacara fauna”
algae) form stromatolites
prokaryotes the first animals, appear

600 mya. Mass

2000 mya. The
extinction occurs due to
majority of non-
3800 mya. Possible glaciations
aerobic organisms 650 mya. The first great
origin of life become extinct supercontinent known as
2 500 mya Pangea I is formed
542
HADEAN EON ARCHEAN EON PROTEROZOIC EON mya
4 000
mya

3500 mya. The 700 to 580 mya. Global glaciation occurs

4650 mya.
oceans have already 2500 mya. There are
Origin of the already continental
formed
Earth's crust masses with
sedimentary rock
SUMMARY
The Paleozoic Era
419 mya. Plants and
terrestrial arthropods
542 to 460 mya emerge. There is a great
(million years diversity of fish.
ago). There is
an explosion of 250 mya.
marine life. 555 mya. Fish appear. 380 mya. Lobe-finned fish 90% of life
emerge; they are the forms
Hallucigenia
ancestors of tetrapods. become
extinct.
320 mya.
360 mya. The first Reptiles appear
Pteridophytes
amphibians appear and diversify.
(ferns)
predominate. and predominate.
Anomalocaris Fish with jaws
Dimetrodon
Trilobites
Ichthyostega

EON PHANEROZOIC
PALEOZOIC PALEOZOIC
Cambrian Ordovician Silurian Devonian Carboniferous Permian
488 443 416 359 299

300 mya. The 250 mya. Another

500 mya. The continents 250 mya. There great supercontinent
450 mya. Several continental continents come
have separated. is massive known as Pangea II is
masses come together together causing
volcanic activity. formed.
causing a glaciation and the another glaciation
Caledonian orogeny. and the Variscan
orogeny.
SUMMARY

The Mesozoic Era

240 mya. There are reptiles in all
environments. The first dinosaurs and
250 mya. Marine life early mammals start showing up.
recovers from the extinction 80 mya. Dinosaurs
of the Permian Period. On dominate the Earth.
land, gymnosperms, insects 200 mya.
and reptiles dominate. Gymnosperms dominate.
128 mya.
Pterosaur
Angiosperms appear.
160 mya. 65 mya. Mass extinction
Birds caused by a meteorite
appear. impact occurs.
Apatosaurio
Triceratops
Allosaurus
Plesiosaur Tyrannosaurus

Ammonites
Cynodont
Ichthyosaur
EON PHANEROZOIC
MESOZOIC MESOZOIC
Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous
199 145
70 mya. The
140 mya. The opening of Alpine 65 mya. An enormous meteorite
210 mya. Break-up of the Atlantic starts. Orogeny crashes to Earth, in the Gulf of
Pangea II starts. The starts. Mexico.
continents separate.
SUMMARY

The Cenozic Era

60 mya. Populations of
mammals, birds and
angiosperm plants peak.

15 mya. Flora and 4 mya. Early hominids

fauna alter due to appear and evolve into
climate change. the human species.

Diatryma 20 mya.
First
Arsinotherium Indricotherium
anthropoid
Proconsul Animals from the Ice Age
primates.

PHANEROZOIC EON
CENOZOIC CENOZOIC
Paleogene Neogene Quaternary
23 2,5

25 mya. The 10 mya. The Red The continents reach

2 mya. Several
Alpine Sea and the Great their current positions.
60 mya. Continental episodes of
separation continues. orogeny Rift Valley open. glaciations (global
ends. cooling) start.
REVISING CONCEPTS
A B
B A
Look at the stratigraphic redord of an area. Indicate the
stratigraphic series and the stratigraphic sequences
Order the events