HISTORY OF THE EARTH

Interpreting the rock record: Principle of Uniformitarianism:

James Hutton, late 1700s – (considered to be "Father of Geology")

"Present is the key to the past" -- whatever processes are occurring today (plate tectonics, volcanism,
mountain building, earthquakes, sedimentation) also occurred in the past and probably at the same (or
very comparable) rates.

RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE DATING

By examining layers of sedimentary rock, geologists developed a time scale for dividing up earth history.
Earlier in the 20th century, radiometric-dating techniques allowed scientists to put absolute dates on
divisions in the geologic time scale.

How do geologists determine how old rocks are?

1. Relative dating -- determine whether the rock is older or younger than other rocks

Law of Superposition Rock

 layer above is younger than the ones below it. (Oldest on bottom, youngest on top)
 May not apply to rocks that have been folded (can get turned upsidedown).

Law of Original Horizontality

 Sedimentary layers are deposited in approximately horizontal sheets.

 If layers are folded, episode of deformation must have occurred after rocks formed. Age of
folding is younger than youngest deformed rock unit.

Principle of Crosscutting Relationships

 Any feature (e.g. fault or intrusion) that cuts across rocks is younger than the youngest rock that
is cut.

Law of Faunal Succession

 Organisms have evolved and gone extinct through time

 Fossil content of rock changes in a systematic way,
reflecting evolutionary changes
 Fossil content can be used to help determine age of rock
and correlate rocks.
 Paraphrased as "Organisms within rock units change with
time".

Unconformities
 are surfaces in rock that represent periods of
erosion or nondeposition. In other words, time
has been left out of the physical geologic rock
record.
Illustration of Relative Age Principles

2. Absolute dating -- use radiometric dating techniques to determine how long ago the rock formed in
the exact number of years *Not all rocks can be dated absolutely, so combinations of techniques are
used.
 The process of establishing the age of an object by determining the number of years it
has existed
 It’s the most precise. Give as actual number of the age
 Radiometric Dating Techniques
 Use naturally-occurring radioactive isotopes
 Isotope -- form of an element that has additional neutrons
 Radioisotope -- isotope that spontaneously decays, giving off radiation

Earth During

Silurian (430+ million years ago) Devonian ~410 million yrs ago Mississippian ~330 million yrs ago

Permian
~250 million years
ago Triassic ~
200 million years ago Jurassic ~190 million years ago
Cretaceous ~100 million years ago Early Cenozoic ~50 million years ago

A fossil is an impression, cast, original material or track of any animal or plant that is preserved in
rock after the original organic material is transformed or removed.

 Body fossils – actual parts of an organism, unaltered or altered

bones, shells, leaf imprints

 Trace fossils – evidence of life that is not a body fossil

tracks, burrows, casts

PRECAMBRIAN EON
 4,600,000,000 yrs ago to 570,000,000 yrs ago
 85% of Earth’s History!!

 Simple Life starts in the oceans

4.6 BYA PRECAMBRIAN EON: HADEAN ERA

 A molten Earth forms

4.3 BYA Precambrian Time

 Surface cools, forming the crust Oldest rock found in Australia & Canada
 primitive atmosphere forms from volcanic eruptions (No Free oxygen gas).
 Oceans form (from water vapor released in eruptions & comets)

WHERE DID LIFE START?

Hydrothermal Ocean Vents

 nutrient rich, possibly with complex molecules which may have joined together to form
structures such as cells

Ocean covered in Ice

 extra protection from UV radiation

and opportunity for organization

Meteorites or Comets
  rich with building blocks of life

3.8 BYA PRECAMBRIAN EON: ARCHEAN ERA

Oldest fossils of bacteria (prokaryotes).

 Simple and small

 Lack a nucleus
 Do not need oxygen to survive

2.5 BYA PRECAMBRIAN EON: PROTEROZOIC ERA

 Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) evolve
 creates energy from photosynthesis
 gives off oxygen gas (beginning to form the atmosphere of today)
 Form large stromatolites (below)

1.5 BYA PRECAMBRIAN TIME

Eukaryotes

 contain a nucleus
 more complex, larger, single celled organisms
 Evolved from prokaryotes

542 MYA END OF PRECAMBRIAN ERA

 Multicellular organisms
 evolve with soft bodies
 Species include: jelly fish; coral stalks; segmented worms; algae

PALEOZOIC ERA (ANCIENT LIFE)

 The Cambrian period is the 1st period of the Paleozoic

 Explosion of life in the oceans began during this era.
 Most of the continents were covered in warm, shallow seas.
 Invertebrates were dominant – Trilobites
 Fish emerged during this time
 Fish led to the arrival of amphibians
 The end of the Paleozoic era is called the “Age of Amphibians”
 Early land plants including mosses, ferns and cone-bearing plants.
 The early coal forming forests were also formed during this time.

 The Cambrian (beginning) was the formation of Pangaea

 This event is thought to have caused the climate changes that led to mass extinction event.
At the end of the Paleozoic, the largest mass extinction in history wiped out approximately 90% of all
marine animal species and 70% of land animals.

 Possible causes of this Mass Extinction Event

 Lowering of sea levels when the continents were
rejoined as Pangaea (convergent boundary)
 Increased volcanic activity (ash and dust)
 Climate changes – cooler climate

TRILOBITES

 Lived in Earth’s ancient seas

 Extinct before the dinosaurs came into existence
 Cambrian Period is known as the “Age of the Trilobites”

BRACHIOPODS

 Marine animals that resemble clams

EARLY FISH

 Early fish did not have jaws.

 Some species of sharks were in existence at this time.

EARLY LAND PLANTS

MESOZOIC ERA – MIDDLE LIFE

 Pangaea broke up around the middle of this era.

 Reptiles became the most abundant animals because of their ability to adapt to the drier climate
of the Mesozoic Era.

-Skin maintains body fluids

- Embryos live in shells

 Dinosaurs were also very active in this era.

 - First small dinosaurs appeared in the Triassic Period.

-Larger and more abundant dinosaurs appeared in the Jurassic Period.

 Small mammals and birds also appeared during this era.

-The mammals were small, warm-blooded animals. Hair covering their bodies.

-These characteristics help them survive in changing environments.

 The main plant life of this time were Gymnosperms or plants that produce seeds, but no
flowers.

-Pine Trees

-Flowering plants appeared during the END of this era.

 This era ended with a mass extinction event about 65 million years ago.

Many groups of animals, including the dinosaurs disappeared suddenly at this time.

 Many scientists believe that this event was caused by a comet or asteroid colliding with the
Earth.

MESOZOIC ERA – MASS EXTINCTION EVENT

 Asteroid or Comet collides with Earth.

Huge cloud of smoke and dust fills the air

Blocks out sunlight

Plants die

Animals that eat plants die

Animals that eat plant-eaters die.

 Flowering plants evolved towards the end of the Mesozoic Era.

CENOZOIC ERA – RECENT LIFE

 Began about 65 million years ago and continues today!!!!!

Climate was warm and mild.

Marine animals such as whales and dolphins evolved.

 Mammals began to increase and evolve adaptations that allowed them to live in many different
environments – land, air and the sea

Grasses increased and provided a food source for grazing animals

 Growth of these mountains may have helped to cool down the climate

Ice Ages occurred late in the Cenozoic Era (Quaternary Period).

 As the climate changed, the animals had to adapt to the rise and fall of the oceans caused by
melting glaciers.
 This era is sometimes called the “Age of Mammals”
 Marine animal examples: Algae, Mollusks, Fish and Mammals
 Land animal examples: Bats, Cats, Dogs, Cattle and Humans
Humans are thought to have appeared around 3.5 million years ago (during the most recent
period – Quaternary).
 Flowering plants were now the most common plant life.
Today we are in the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic Era.