Describe how Earth’s history can be interpreted from the

geologic time scale A. EON – the largest time span of the geologic time
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
- A timeline that illustrates Earth’s history based on
geologic events and life forms. This is a system
that chronologically relates geologic strata
(stratigraphy) to time.
- Stratigraphy is the correlation and classification
of rock strata.
The table of geologic periods presented here, agree with
the nomenclature, dates and standards color codes set
forth by the INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON
STRATIGRAPHY (ICS).
4 Major Divisions of the Geologic Time Scale
A. Eon - the largest time span of the geologic time
scale.
B. Era - A long and distinct period of history with a
particular feature and characteristic.
C. Period - A length or portion of time.
D. Epoch - A period of time in history or a person’s
life, typically one marked by notable events or
particular characteristics
scale.
Geologic time scale is divided into two Eon
1. PRECAMBRIAN EON
 Refers to the earliest part of the earth’s
history
 Divided into 3 Eons
A. Hadean Eon
- occurred 4.6 billion to 4 billion
years ago. During this time, the solar
system was forming within a cloud of
dust and gas known as the solar
nebula, which eventually spawned
planets and etc.
- The Earth started cooling and the
outer edge of the planet solidified
from the mlten lava to a solid crust.
Wtaer rained from the atmosphere
and created oceans
B. Archean Eon
- Started between 4 billion to 2.5
billion years ago, the first form of life
on our planet was created in the
oceans.
- Microfossils of this time indicate
that life began in the oceans about
3.5 billion to 2.8 billion years ago. By
the end of the Archean, the ocean
floor was covered in a living mat of
bacterial life.
C. Proterozoic Eon
- Also called the “AGE OF HIDDEN
LIFE”, life started 2.5 billion
years ago. In this time, enough
shield rock had forme to start
recognizable geologic processes
such as plate tectonics.
- Contain many definite traces of
primitive life forms, the fossil
remains of bacteria and blue-
green algae, as well as of the
first oxygen-dependent animals
2. PHANEROZOIC EON
 The current geologic eon in the geologic
time scale
 The time I which abundant animal and
plant life has existed. It covers 541
million years to the present.
 Phanerozoic Era is subdivided into 3
Era.

A. PALEOZOIC ERA
- The era ran from about 542 million years ago to
251 million years ago.
- The era began with the break up of one
supercontinent and the formation of another.
Palnts became widespread.
- PALEOZOIC ERA is divided into:
1. CAMBRIAN (53 MILLION YEARS AGO)
- Known for ushering in an explosion of life on
Earth. This “Canbrian explosion” includes the
 evolution of arthropods (Ancestors of todays
insects nad crustaceans) and chordates animals
with rudimentary spinal cords)
2. ORDOVICIAN (45 million years ago)
- Marked in the fossil record by an abundance of
marine invertebrates. Perhaps the most famous
of these invertebrates was the Trilobite, an
armored arthopod that scuttled around the
seafloor for about 270 million years before going
extinct.
3. SILURIAN (443 million – 416 million years ago)
- Saw the spread of jawless fish throughout the
seas. Mollusks and corals thrived in the oceans
and land: the first undispute evidence of terrestial
life.
- This was the time when plsnts evolevd, though
they most likely did not yet have leaves or
vascular tissue to sip up water and nutrients.
4. DEVONIAN (416 – 359 million years ago)
- This period is sometimes called the “AGE OF
FISHES”. Because of the diverse abundant and
bizarre types of creatures that swam Devonian
seas.
- Forest and the coiled shell-bearing Marine
organisms known as Ammonites first appeared
early at this period.
- A fossil creature from this period discovered it is
fish and first vertebrates to walk on land.
- The first amphibians breathed through simple
lungs and their skin were also from this period.
- The first Ammonoids (octopus and squids) also
arose this period.
5. CARBONIFEROUS (359 – 299 million years ago)
- Long before birds evolved tetrapods began laying
eggson land for the first time during this period,
allowing them to break away from an amphibious
lifestyle.
- Tetrapods were becoming more specialized and
two new groups of animals evloved. The first
were marine reptiles, including lizards and
snakes. The second were the archosaurs, which
would give rise to crocodiles, inosaurs and birds.
It is also known as the “AGE OF THE
COCKROACHES” because roaches’ ancient
ancestor was found all over the globeduring the
Carboniferous.
6. PERMIAN (299-251 million years ago)
- This period would end with the largest mass
extinction ever: the Permian extinction.
- Before the Permian mass extinction, though the
warm seas teemed with life. Coral reefs
flourished, providing shelter for fish and shelled
creatures such as nautilods an ammonoids.
- Modern conifers and gingko trees evolved on
land. Terrestial vertebrates evolved to become
herbiivores, taking advantage of the new plant
life that had colonized the land.
B. MESOZOIC ERA
- The period which spans from about 252 million
years ago to about 66 million years ago, ws also
known as the age of reptiles or the age of Dino
saurs because of its famous inhabitants
- The “MIDDLE LIFE” era, life diversified rapidly
and giant reptiles, dinosaurs and other
monstrous beasts roamed the Earth.
- Contains the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous
periods.
1. TRIASSIC period (252 – 200 million years
ago)
- The rise of reptiles and the first dinosaurs
2. JURASSIC period (200 – 145 million years
ago)
- Marked the presence of dinosaurs and the first
appearance of birds.
3. CRETACEOUS period (145 66 million years
ago)
- Known for its iconic dinosaurs, such as
Triceratops, and Pterosaurs such as Pteranodon.
C. CENOZOIC ERA
- Began about 65 million years ago and continues
into the present is the third documented era in
the history of Earth.
- The current locations of the continents and their
modern-day inhabitants, incluing humans, can be
traced to tis period.
- This era is also known as “AGE OF MAMMALS”
because the extinction of many groups of giant
mammals, allowing smaller species to thrive an
diversify because their predators no longer
existed.
- Divided into Paleogene, Neogene and
Quarternary periods.
1. PALEOGENE PERIOD (65-23 million years
ago)
- Consist of the Paleocene, Eocene and Oligocene
epochs.
- The time for the mammals that survived from the
cretaceous period.
- Later in this period, rodents and samller horses,
such as HYRACOTHERIUM, are common and
rhinoceroses and elephants appear. As the
period ends, dogs, cats and pigs become
commonplace.
2. NEOGENE PERIOD (23-2.6 million years
ago)
- Includes the Miocene and Pliocene epochs
- The Neogene periods give rise to early primates,
including early humans. Bovids, including cattle,
sheep, goats, antelope and gazelle, flourish
during this period.
3. QUARTERNARY PERIOD (2.6 million years
ago to the pesent)
- Consisting of the Pleistocene and holocene
epochs
- Cave lions, sabre-toothed cats, cave bears, giant
deer, woolly rhinoceroses and woolly mammoths
were prevailing species of this period.
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