Enquiry 4: The geological time

scale
Wk 3: 19-09-21 to 23-09-21
Period 1
Lesson objectives:
• Discuss Precambrian era.
• Name and describe the periods of Paleozoic era and list
the changes occurred in each period.
 The Precambrian
• Precambrian, period of time extending from about 4.6
billion years ago (the point at which Earth began to form) to
the beginning of the Cambrian Period.
• The earliest evidence for the occurrence of life includes
Precambrian microfossils that resemble algae.
• In the late Precambrian, the first multicellular organisms
evolved.
• By the end of the Precambrian, conditions were set for the
explosion of life that took place at the start of the Cambrian.
The Paleozoic era (542 mya to 251 mya)
• The Paleozoic Era , that began 541 million years ago
with the Cambrian explosion ended with the Permian
extinction, the greatest extinction event in Earth

https://youtu.be/0afHmkxvM6c
history.
• Plants became widespread. And the first vertebrate
animals colonized land.
• As the era began, most of Earth’s landmasses were
joined together forming the supercontinent
Gondwana.
• By the end of the Paleozoic, almost all of Earth’s
landmasses had moved together, forming the
supercontinent Pangea.
• Sea creatures like trilobites and fish emerged.
 Periods of Paleozoic era
• The Paleozoic era is divided into six periods. From oldest to youngest,
these are the:
1. Cambrian - explosion of life on Earth "Cambrian explosion"
2. Ordovician - age of invertebrates
3. Silurian - first land plants
4. Devonian - age of fish
5. Carboniferous - age of amphibians
6. Permian - "The Great Permian Extinction"

* Note that in the United States, the Carboniferous is divided into two
separate periods: the Mississippian and the Pennsylvanian.
 Enquiry 4: The geological time scale
Wk 3: 19-09-21 to 23-09-21
Period 2
Lesson objectives:

• Name and describe the periods of Mesozoic and Cenozoic

era and list the changes occurred in each era/period.
 The Mesozoic Era ( 251 Mya-65 mya)

• The Mesozoic era is known as the age of the dinosaurs.

• The Mesozoic era was the Age of Reptiles.

https://youtu.be/3ruYOLeY5vQ
• Many scientists believe that during the Mesozoic era the
supercontinent of Pangaea began a process of breaking
up into the individual continents that exist today. The
scientists call this movement continental drift.
* By the end of the Mesozoic era, South America and
Madagascar had separated from Africa. Australia was
attached to Antarctica, but North America had begun
pulling away from Eurasia.
 Periods of Mesozoic era
• The Mesozoic era is divided into three periods.
• From the earliest to the most recent, these periods are
1. Triassic - earliest dinosaurs appeared
2. Jurassic - the first appearance of birds
3. Cretaceous - dinosaurs disappeared
 https://youtu.be/gLFd5coYwtk
The Cenozoic Era
(65mya- present)

The Cenozoic era began about 65.5 million years ago. It continues into the present.
The Cenozoic era is the Age of Mammals.
During this era, plants and animals look most like those on Earth today.
 Several of the world’s foremost mountain ranges, including the Alps, Himalayas and the
Rocky Mountains, were formed during the Cenozoic era.
 Periods of Cenozoic era
The Cenozoic era is divided into three periods.
1. Paleogene - early horses, sheep appeared
2. Neogene - hominids (early human ancestors ) appeared
3. Quaternary - Age of Humans (began 2.6 million years ago and extends into
the present)

*Previously, the Cenozoic era was divided into two periods, the Tertiary and
the Quaternary.
The Tertiary corresponded to the Paleogene + Neogene. Now, the term
'Tertiary' is not used.
 Fun with mnemonics!
• Instead of trying to remember ‘Cambrian,
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian,
Pennsylvanian, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic,
Cretaceous, Tertiary, Quaternary’
Come Over Some Day, Maybe Play Poker? Three Jacks 
Cover Two Queens
• Instead of trying to remember ‘Cambrian,
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous,
Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary,
Quaternary’
Camels Often Sit Down Carefully, Perhaps Their Joints C
reak Terribly Quietly
Recap of the four eras through a song

• https://youtu.be/SY3MZ_wNFW8 Song