OF

THE
THE
HISTORY
HISTORY
OF EARTH
EARTH

BAGTASOS, VERONICA
PUNZALAN, VICKI MEI
 T H E E A R T H ' S

TIMELINE AND HISTORY

THE SCULPTING OF EARTH

(4,567,000,000 YEARS AGO)

also called the Hadean Eon (informal division of

Precambrian time). Earth was covered in
molten lava. Earth was completely
unrecognizable. In its earliest stage of
formation, it was uninhabitable as it clumped
from a cloud of dust and the frequent collisions
of larger planetesimals.

EARTH COOLING AND PRIMITIVE

LIFE (4.0 – 2.5 BILLION YEARS

AGO )

also called the Archaean Eon (the earlier of the

two formal divisions of Precambrian time).
Earth’s primitive atmosphere and oceans
emerge in the earliest Archean Era and the
earth cooled down enough to form continents.
New life began to prosper—prokaryotic
microbes (from the domain Archaea and
Bacteria) appeared in rocks. Greenston belts
and Granite/tonalite characterized Archean
geology.

AN OXYGENATED ATMOSPHERE (2500 –

541 MILLION YEARS AGO)

Also called the Proterozoic Eon (the younger of the two

divisions of Precambrian time, the older being the Archean
Eon). Only anaerobic life existed in this time thus microscopic
bacteria known as cyanobacteria flourished. Cyanobacteria
generated oxygen (since it was toxic to them). Methane was
more abundant in the atmosphere. But with the presence of
oxygen, carbon dioxide was produced. As a result, the whole
planet froze.
 T H E E A R T H ' S

TIMELINE AND HISTORY

THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION AND

FOSSIL RECORDS (541 – 245

MILLION YEARS AGO)

also called Paleozoic Era. Everything before this

era was precambrian. Then the unparalleled
emergence of organisms began at the
Cambrian Period. It started in the Age of
Invertebrates (Ordovician Period) where
brachiopods became more abundant that the
trilobites. Then the Age of Fish (Devonian
Period) where the most formidable of them
were the armored placoderms. Then the Age of
Amphibians (Carboniferous Period) where
amphibians took a breath of fresh air and
colonized the empty continent of Gondwana.

THE AGE OF REPTILES AND

DINOSAURS (245 – 66 MILLION

YEARS AGO)

also called Mesozoic Era (or Middle Life Era).

The major divisions of this Era are, from the
Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period, and the
Cretaceous Period. Life diversified rapidly and
giant reptiles, dinosaurs and other monstrous
beasts roamed the Earth. For the next 160
million years, dinosaurs were the dominant land
vertebrates on Earth. The Age of Conifers in the
Mesozoic Era provided the spread of seeded
plants.

THE AGE OF MAMMALS AND

HOMOSAPIENS (66 MILLION YEARS

AGO –

NOW)

also called Cenozoic Era. The start of this era was the
demise of the dinosaurs because of the worldwide
climate disruption.  The climate during cenozoic
eragenerally warm and the Earth could be
characterized as a greenhouse world.    Mammals
emerged as the largest land  animals at this time. It
was late in the Cenozoic that modern man or Homo
sapiens began to populate the earth. Throughout the
period, continents moved, which made the oceans
wider.