Geologic Time Scale

What is the Earth’s time scale?

• The Geological time scale is a record of

the life forms and geological events in
Earth’s history.
• Scientists developed the time scale by
studying rock layers and fossils world
wide.
• Radioactive dating helped determine the
absolute divisions in the time scale.
Why is a time scale used to represent Earth’s
history instead of a calendar?
Earth’s history is so long

When did Geologic time begin?

4.6 billion years ago

When does Geologic time end?

It doesn’t. We are now in the Quaternary Period of
the Cenozoic Era.

How long is a geologic period?

A period doesn’t have an exact length.
 Life forms found in each Era
• On your worksheet,:
- List Geologic Events found in
each Era.
- List Life forms found in each Era.
- Draw pictures of Life Forms…
Make sure you are putting them in the
correct block!!
 Divisions of Time
• EON – largest division of geologic time

• ERA – 2nd largest, includes two or more periods

• PERIOD – 3rd largest, unit into which eras are divided

• EPOCH – 4th largest, the subdivision of a period

EON > ERA > PERIOD > EPOCH

 EONS

• Archean – earliest rocks on Earth form

• Proterozoic – marine invertebrates begin

• Phanerozoic – means “visible life”

well represented in the fossil record
 Divisions of Geologic Time
• Eras are subdivided into periods...periods
are subdivided into epochs.
Era

Period

Epoch

E + P = EP
 EONS

• Archean – earliest rocks on Earth form

• Proterozoic – marine invertebrates begin

• Phanerozoic – means “visible life”

well represented in the fossil record
 ERAS
• Paleozoic – “early life” 542  251 mya

• Mesozoic – “middle life” 251  65.5 mya

• Cenozoic – “recent life” 65.5 mya 

present

Which one do you live in today?

 FOUR Eras…
• PRE-CAMBRIAN – 88% of earth’s history

• Paleozoic (ancient life)

– 544 million years ago…lasted 300 million yrs

• Mesozoic (middle life)

– 245 million years ago…lasted 180 million yrs

• Cenozoic (recent life)

– 65 million years ago…continues through present day
 PERIODS
PAST Cambrian – Explosion of life
Ordovician – 1st Vertebrates
Silurian – 1st Land Plants
Devonian – Age of Fish
Mississippian – Winged insects
Pennsylvanian – First reptiles
Permian – Age of Amphibians
Triassic – First Dinosaurs/Small mammals
Jurassic – First Birds/Flowering Plants
Cretaceous – Heyday of Dinosaurs
Tertiary – Mammals Thrive
Quaternary – Age of Man/Technology
PRESENT
 Today…
• Today we are in the Holocene Epoch of
the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic
Era.

Which unit is the largest?

Which unit is the smallest?
 Paleozoic Era (Ancient Life)
• The Cambrian period is the 1st period of the Paleozoic
Era. “Age of the Trilobites”
• Explosion of life in the oceans began during this era.
• Most of the continents were covered in warm, shallow
seas.
– Invertebrates were dominate - 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.
 Cambrian Period
• Cambrian Explosion-so many new life
forms appeared within a short time.
• 1st time organisms had hard parts-shells
and outer skeletons.
• All animals lived in the sea.
• Many were invertebrates-jellyfish,
sponges, worms drifted through the
water.
• Brachipods (clams) and trilobites were
common in the Cambrian seas.
 Trilobites

• Lived in Earth’s ancient seas

• Extinct before the dinosaurs
came into existence
• Cambrian Period is know as
the “Age of the Trilobites”
(put in on table)
Trilobite
 Brachiopods

• Marine animals that resemble clams.

 Ordovician Period
• Seas still cover the earth
• Ice cap covers what is now North Africa.
• Ancestors of squid and octopus appear.
• Jawless fish evolve—first vertebrates.
Ancestor of octopus
Early Fish

Early fish did not have jaws.

Some species of sharks
were in existence at this
time.
 Silurian Period
• Coral reefs develop.
• Prior to this period, only one-celled
organisms lived on land. Land plants
appear.
• Fish with jaws appear.
• Insects and spiders appear.
Frilled Shark that was found in Japan in January 2007. This shark was
considered a “living fossil”
 Devonian Period
• Often called Age of Fishes.
• Every main group of fishes were present in
the ocean.
• Most fish had jaws, skeletons and scales on
their bodies.
• Sharks appeared late in the period.
• Animals begin to invade land.
• 1st vertebrates on land were lungfish. 1st
amphibians evolved from the lungfish.
Lungfish
 Carboniferous Period
• Broken into Mississippian and
Pennsylvanian.
• Life expanded over continents.
Appalachian Mountains began to form.
• Small reptiles developed
• Winged insects evolved-huge
dragonflies and cockroaches.
• Giant ferns & cone bearing plants and
trees formed. “Coal forest”
Sequoia Tree
 Early Land Plants

Mosses

Cone bearing plants

Ferns
 Mesozoic Era – Middle Life
• At the beginning of this era the continents
were joined as Pangaea.
• 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
 Mesozoic Era
• 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.
Asteroid coming toward Earth
 Triassic Period
• Fish, insects, reptiles and cone bearing trees
survived Permian extinction.
• 1st dinosaurs appear.
• 1st mammals appear-size of mouse.
• 1st turtles and crocs appear.
• Conifers, palm-like trees (cycads), ginko trees
dominate forest.
• Pangaea holds together. Hot, dry conditions
dominate center of Pangaea.
Ginko Tree
 Jurassic Period
• Dinosaurs become dominant land animal.
• Some were plant eaters, some were meat
eaters.
• Different types lived at different times.
• 1st birds appear. Archaeopteryx means
“ancient wing thing.”
• 1st flying reptiles-pterosaurs appear.
• Pangaea breaks apart-N. America and S.
America separate.
Archaeopteryx Fossil
 Cretaceous Period
• Continents moved toward present location.
• Widespread volcanic activity.
• Flying reptiles and birds competed.
• Birds hollow bones and feathers made them
better adapted.
• 1st flowering plants. Flowering plants produce
seeds that are inside fruit. Fruit helps seed
survive.
• Dinosaurs dominate-T-rex.
• 1st snakes appear.
 Mesozoic Era
• 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.
Mesozoic Reptiles
 Mesozoic 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 Plants

Flowering plants evolved

towards the end of the
Mesozoic Era.
Most Accepted Theory
 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.

• However, not all forms of life died during this

event. Many animals that you see today are
descendants from the survivors of this extinction
event.
Dinosaurs
Mesozoic Reptiles
Mesozoic Mammals
Mesozoic Plants

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

• Many mountain ranges formed during the Cenozoic

Era
– Alps in Europe and Himalayas in India; Rocky Mountains in
the USA
Dolphin Fossil
 Cenozoic Era
• 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”
 Cenozoic Era
• 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.
Cenozoic Mammals
Flowering Plants were common
during the Cenozoic Era
•
Tertiary Period
Climate was warm and mild.
• Rockies and Himalayas form.
• Continental glacier covers Antarctica.
• 1st grasses appear-provide food
source for grazing animals.
(ancestors of cattle, deer, sheep.)
• Flowering plants thrive.
• Ancestors of humans evolve.
 Quaternary Period
• 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.
 Quarternary Period
• Divided into the Pleistocene and Holocene
• Climate cooled-causing a series of ice ages.
• 20,000 years ago climate began to warm.
• Modern humans-Homo sapiens evolved as
early as 100,000 years ago. 12,000-15,000
humans had migrated around the world.
• Mammals, flowering plants and insects
dominate land.
• Giant mammals of N. America and
Eurasia become extinct.
Cenozoic Mammals
Ancestors of Humans
Homosapien