Earth Science 11

Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 17
The History Of The Earth Through Geologic Time
(Pre-Cambrian Time And Paleozoic Era)
 EXPECTATIONS

Welcome to Earth Science- our interrelation to Earth and its

neighbors in space. In this module, you will learn about The History Of The
Earth Through Geologic Time (Pre-Cambrian Time And Paleozoic Era).This
consists of activities that will help you enhance your character, critical
thinking skills, communication skills, collaboration and creativity.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe the history of the Earth through geologic time (Pre-Cambrian time
and Paleozoic Era)

2. List the different geological events during Pre-Cambrian time and Paleozoic
Era;
3. Recognize the value of geological events during Pre-Cambrian time and
Paleozoic Era.

PRETEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following represents the largest intervals of geologic time and are
hundreds of millions of years in duration?
a. Eras c. Epochs
b. Eons d. Period
2. What are the well-identified events during Proterozoic eon?
I. The first conifers evolved
II. Transition to an oxygenated atmosphere
III. Evolution of abundant soft-bodied multicellular organisms
IV. Provides us with the first obvious fossil evidence of life on earth
a. I, II, II, AND IV c. II, III, AND IV
b. I, II, AND III d. I, III, AND IV
3. Which of the following describes the Paleozoic Era?
a. The age of the dinosaurs
b. The end of the age of dinosaurs
c. Is the time of the mammals, and more recently, humans
d. Is a time in Earth's history when complex life forms evolved
4. Paleozoic Era is divided into six periods. Which of the following does NOT
belong to the periods of Paleozoic Era?
a. Cambrian c. Proterozoic
b. Devonian d. Silurian
 5. Why do we need to study the Geologic history?
a. To know deeply about human behavior so that we can understand people
b. To learn a lot of skills and knowledge that we can apply to other jobs or
to your personal life.
c. To better understand the story recorded in the rocks and to know how
and when the living things evolved on Earth.
d. To learn more about how development occurs, how personality forms, and
how factors like society and culture impact behavior.

RECAP

Let us have a recap! You have learned about how index fossils are used to define
and identify subdivisions of the geologic time scale. Can you still remember that
lesson? Let’s have a simple activity to refresh your mind. Answer the following
questions.
1. What is index fossil?
2. How does index fossil help to define geologic time?
3. What is a very good index fossil for Paleozoic rocks that lived in all parts of the
ocean and known as Hard-Shelled Invertebrates?
Congratulations! You got it! Now, let us understand on how each things evolved
on our Mother Earth!

LESSON

How old is the Earth? How did the scientist determine the age the Earth?
Now, we know that the Earth is very old -- 4.5 billion years or more. Scientists used
different techniques to determine the age the Earth. They used the radioactive dating.
This technique is based on a comparison between the measured amount of a
naturally occurring radioactive element and its decay products, assuming a constant
rate of decay – known as a half-life. Why is it important for us to study the geologic
history? Because geologic history is very important for us to study for better
understanding of the story recorded in the rocks and to know when and how the
living organisms evolved on Earth.
The geologic time scale is an arrangement of sequential dating that groups
geological strata in time. The geological time scale is subdivided into hierarchical
intervals, the largest being Eon, followed by Era, Period, and Epoch, respectively.
Subdivision of Geologic time is based from significant events in the Earth’s history
as interpreted from the rock record.
Eons-are the largest intervals of geologic
time and are hundreds of millions of
years in duration. There are actually 4
Eons. The 3 eons of Hadean, Archean
belong to what we call as Precambrian
Time and Proterozoic Eon. The
Phanerozoic Eon is the most recent Eon
and began more than 500 million years
ago.

Eras- Eons are divided into smaller

time intervals known as eras. The
Phanerozoic is divided into three eras:
Cenozoic, Mesozoic and Paleozoic. Very
significant events in Earth's history are
used to determine the boundaries of
the eras.

Periods-Eras are subdivided into

periods. The events that bound the
periods are widespread in their extent
but are not as significant as those
which bound the eras.

Epochs-Finer subdivisions of time are

possible, and the periods of the
Cenozoic are frequently subdivided into
epochs. Subdivision of periods into
epochs can be done only for the most
recent portion of the geologic time
scale. This is because older rocks have
been buried deeply, intensely deformed
and severely modified by long-term
Earth processes. As a result, the
history contained within these rocks
cannot be as clearly interpreted.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geologic_time_scale.jpg
What was happening on Earth during Precambrian Time?
• The Precambrian is first super eon of Earth’s history.
• The Precambrian lasted from 540 million years ago to 4600 million years ago.
• The simple organism such as bacteria, algae, and protozoa was born in this
time
• The oldest rocks were found in this time and the ages of the oldest rock is 3.5
billion years old.
• The Precambrian covers almost 90% of the entire history of the Earth.
• It has been divided into three Eons: the Hadean, the Archean and the
Proterozoic.
1. Hadean (4,500 - 4,000 million years ago)
No life known. Cooling and solidifying of Earth's crust.
 Hadean Eon is from the Greek god of the underworld Hades and it describes
the hellish conditions then prevailing on Earth.

rom 4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago, the Hadean Eon is the first eon of Earth.

What are the key events during Hadean Eon?

• HEAT SOURCE: Earth established a heat source with the Sun.

• MAGNETIC FIELD: Convection currents produced a geodynamo. This was
the first step for life to persist on Earth.
• MOON FORMATION: The formation of our moon was key to stabilize our
climate.

There are no fossil records because temperature is too high to sustain life.

In the Hadean Eon, we obtain a heat source, magnetic field and formation of a moon
Almost unrecognizable, heat flow was nearly 3 times as high as it is today from
planetary accretion.

2. Archean (4,000 - 2,500 million years ago)

Oxygen levels rise as a result of photosynthetic organisms.

First eukaryotes (single-celled algae): 1.4 billion years old.
Earliest life, anaerobic prokaryotes (bacteria, archaeans) originate 3.5 billion years ago

The word 'Archean' comes from the ancient Greek word Αρχή (Arkhē), meaning
'beginning, origin.

Some of the major highlights of the Archean Eon include:

• OCEANS AND CONTINENTS: Because Earth cooled down, it was able to

support oceans and continents.
• BANDED IRON FORMATIONS: Next, oxygen filled the oceans from
cyanobacteria. Interestingly, most of the world’s iron ore deposits were
produced in this eon from banded iron formation.
• OZONE LAYER: Eventually, the ozone layer forms. This layer of protection
was essential for life to form.

3. Proterozoic (2.5 billion to 541 million years ago)

Origin of multicellular organisms. First sponges, colonial algae and soft-bodied
invertebrates.
The Proterozoic Eon is often divided into the Paleoproterozoic (2.5 billion to 1.6 billion
years ago), the Mesoproterozoic (1.6 billion to 1 billion years ago), and the
Neoproterozoic (1 billion to 541 million years ago) eras.
The Proterozoic is a geological eon spanning the time from the appearance of oxygen
in Earth's atmosphere to just before the proliferation of complex life (such as
trilobites or corals) on the Earth.
The name Proterozoic is from ultimately Greek origin: protero- meaning "former,
earlier", and -zoic, a suffix related to zoe "life".

What are the well-identified events during Proterozoic?

• transition to an oxygenated atmosphere during the Paleoproterozoic;

• several glaciations, which produced the hypothesized Snowball Earth during
the Cryogenian Period in the late Neoproterozoic Era;
• and the Ediacaran Period (635 to 541 Ma) which is characterized by the
evolution of abundant soft-bodied multicellular organisms and provides us
with the first obvious fossil evidence of life on earth.
What was happening on Earth during Phanerozoic Eon?
The Phanerozoic is the current geologic eon in the geologic time scale, and
the one during which abundant animal and plant life has existed. It covers 541
million years to the present. The Phanerozoic is divided into three eras: the Paleozoic,
Mesozoic, and Cenozoic, which are further subdivided into 12 periods.

Paleozoic Era -time of Ancient life (the rise of fish, amphibians and reptiles.)
The Paleozoic is a time in Earth's history when complex life forms evolved,
took their first breath of oxygen on dry land, and when the forerunners of all life on
Earth began to diversify. The six periods in the Paleozoic era are Cambrian,
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian.
1. Cambrian Period (541 to 485 million years ago )
(Plants like algae evolved and Age of trilobites)
The Cambrian Period is the first period of the Paleozoic Era.

• The Cambrian sparked a rapid expansion in evolution in an event known as

the Cambrian explosion during which the greatest number of creatures
evolved in a single period in the history of Earth.
• Plants like algae evolved, and the fauna was dominated by armored
arthropods, such as trilobites. Almost all marine phyla evolved in this
period. During this time,
• The super-continent Pannotia began to break up, most of which later
recombined into the super-continent Gondwana.
2. Ordovician Period (485 million years to 444 million years ago)
( Age of Graptolites )
• The Ordovician was a time in Earth's history in which many species still
prevalent today evolved, such as primitive fish, cephalopods, and coral.
• The most common forms of life, however, were trilobites, snails and shellfish.
• The first arthropods crept ashore to colonize Gondwana, a continent empty
of animal life. By the end of the Ordovician, Gondwana had moved from the
equator to the South Pole, and Laurentia had collided with Baltica, closing the
Iapetus Ocean.
• The glaciation of Gondwana resulted in a major drop in sea level, killing off all
life that had established along its coast.
• Glaciation caused a snowball Earth, leading to the Ordovician–Silurian
extinction, during which 60% of marine invertebrates and 25% of families
became extinct.
• This is considered the first mass extinction and the second deadliest in the
history of Earth.

3. Silurian Period (444 million years to 419 million years ago)

(First freshwater fish evolved)

• This period saw the mass evolution of fish, as jawless fish became more
numerous, jawed fish evolved, and the first freshwater fish evolved, though
arthropods, such as sea scorpions, remained the apex predators.
• Fully terrestrial life evolved, which included early arachnids, fungi, and
centipedes.
• The evolution of vascular plants (Cooksonia) allowed plants to gain a foothold
on land.
• These early terrestrial plants are the forerunners of all plant life on land.
• During this time, there were four continents: Gondwana (Africa, South
America, Australia, Antarctica, India), Laurentia (North America with parts of
Europe), Baltica (the rest of Europe), and Siberia (Northern Asia).
• The recent rise in sea levels provided new habitats for many new species.

4. Devonian Period (419 million years to 359 million years ago)

(Age of Fish and First amphibians evolved)
• Also informally known as the "Age of the Fish", the Devonian features a huge
diversification in fish, including armored fish like Dunkleosteus and lobe-
finned fish which eventually evolved into the first tetrapods.
• On land, plant groups diversified; the first trees and seeds evolved. By the
Middle Devonian, shrub-like forests of primitive plants existed: lycophytes,
horsetails, ferns, and progymnosperm.
• This event also allowed the diversification of arthropod life as they took
advantage of the new habitat.
• The first amphibians also evolved, and the fish were now at the top of the food
chain.
• Near the end of the Devonian, 70% of all species became extinct in an event
known as the Late Devonian extinction, which is the second mass extinction
known to have happened

5. Carboniferous Period (359 million to 299 million years ago)

(The evolution of amniotic eggs)
• During this period, average global temperatures were exceedingly high the
early Carboniferous averaged at about 20 degrees Celsius (but cooled to 10
degrees during the Middle Carboniferous).
• Tropical swamps dominated the Earth, and the large amounts of trees created
much of the carbon that became coal deposits (hence the name
Carboniferous).
• The high oxygen levels caused by these swamps allowed massive arthropods,
normally limited in size by their respiratory systems, to proliferate.
 • The evolution of amniotic eggs, which allowed amphibians to move farther
inland and remain the dominant vertebrates throughout the period.
• The first reptiles and synapsids evolved in the swamps.
• Throughout the Carboniferous, there was a cooling pattern, which eventually
led to the glaciation of Gondwana as much of it was situated around the South
pole, in an event known as the Permo-Carboniferous glaciation or the
Carboniferous rainforest collapse.

6. Permian Period (299 million to 252 million years ago)

(First conifers evolved)

The last period of the Paleozoic era. At its beginning, all continents came together to
form the super-continent Pangaea, surrounded by one ocean called Panthalassa

• The Earth was very dry during this time, with harsh seasons, as the climate
of the interior of Pangaea wasn't regulated by large bodies of water.
• Reptiles and synapsids flourished in the new dry climate. Creatures such as
Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus ruled the new continent.
• The first conifers evolved, then dominated the terrestrial landscape.
• Nearing the end of the period, Scutosaurus and gorgonopsids filled the arid
landmass. Eventually, they disappeared, along with 95% of all life on Earth
in an event simply known as "the Great Dying",
• The world's third mass extinction event and the largest in its history.

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1-A

Direction: There are two sentences in each number. Write

A- If the two sentences are true
B- If the two sentences are false
C- If the first sentence is true and the second sentence is false
D- If the first sentence is false and the second is true
______1. Permian Period is the last period of the Paleozoic era.
The first conifers evolved during Permian Period.
______2. Phanerozoic is the current geologic eon in the geologic time scale.
The Phanerozoic is divided into six Eras
______3. Carboniferous Period is the Age of Fish and First amphibians evolved.
Devonian Period is the evolution of amniotic eggs.
______4. The Silurian is the first period of the Paleozoic Era.
During the Silurian Period the first freshwater fish evolved.
______5. The Hadean eon happened 4,500 - 4,000 million years ago.
The Archean eon happened 4,000 - 2,500 million years ago
Activity 1-B
Write and identify at least two geological events that happened in each Eon, Era, and
Period

1. Hadean eon 1.
2.
2. Paleozoic Era 1.
2.
3. Ordovician 1.
Period
2.

4. Carboniferous 1.
Period
2.

5. Permian Period 1.
2.

Activity I-C

I. Identification
__________________________1. Age of trilobites
__________________________2. Time of ancient life
__________________________3. The world's third mass extinction event and the
largest in its history.
__________________________4. The largest intervals of geologic time
__________________________5. The evolution of amniotic eggs
II. Essay
Answer the following questions.
1. What are the major events that happened during the Precambrian
time?
2. Why is the Paleozoic Era important?

WRAP-UP

To summarize what you have learned about the history of the Earth through
geologic time (Pre-Cambrian time and Paleozoic Era). Create any graphic organizer
in one whole sheet of paper that shows the history of the Earth through geologic time
under Pre-Cambrian time and Paleozoic Era.
 VALUING

Geologic history is very important for us to better understand the story

recorded in the rocks and to know when the living things evolved on Earth. As to
value the importance of Geologic history, your task is to paste your pictures in one
long bond paper from birth to present. Write what are the special events that
happened during those time.

POSTTEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which of the following describes the Paleozoic era?

a. The age of the dinosaurs
b. The end of the age of the dinosaurs
c. Is the time of the mammals, and more recently, human
d. Is a time in Earth's history when complex life forms evolved
2. Which of the following period of Paleozoic Era is the Age of Fish and First
amphibians evolved?
a. Cambrian c. Cambrian
b. Devonian d. Silurian
3. The Phanerozoic is the current geologic eon in the geologic time scale. How
many Eras and Period are there in Phanerozoic Eon?
a. Three Eras and Five Periods c. Three Eras and Twelve Periods
b. Three Eras and Six Periods d. Three Eras and Fifteen Periods
4. Why do we need to study the Geologic history?
a. To know deeply about human behavior so that we can understand
people
b. To learn a lot of skills and knowledge that we can apply to other jobs
or to your personal life.
c. To better understand the story recorded in the rocks and to know how
and when the living things evolved on Earth.
d. To learn more about how development occurs, how personality forms,
and how factors like society and culture impact behavior.
5. Which is NOT true about Permian Period?
a. The Earth was very dry during this time, with harsh seasons.
b. Also informally known as the "Age of the Fish”
c. The last period of the Paleozoic era.
d. The first conifers evolved.