The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relating strata to time) and geochronology (scientific branch of geology that aims to determine the age of rocks). It is used primarily by Earth scientists (including geologists, paleontologists, geophysicists, geochemists, and paleoclimatologists) to describe the timing and relationships of events in geologic history. The time scale has been developed through the study of rock layers and the observation of their relationships and identifying features such as lithologies, paleomagnetic properties, and fossils. The definition of standardized international units of geologic time is the responsibility of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), a constituent body of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), whose primary objective[1] is to precisely define global chronostratigraphic units of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (ICC)[2] that are used to define divisions of geologic time. The chronostratigraphic divisions are in turn used to define geochronologic units.[2]
While some regional terms are still in use,[3] the table of geologic time presented in this article conforms to the nomenclature, ages, and color codes set forth by the ICS as this is the standard, reference global geologic time scale – the International Geological Time Scale.[1][
7. 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.
9. The history of life on Earth about 3.8 billion
years ago, initially with single-celled
prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria.
Multicellular life evolved over a billion years
later and its only in the last 570 million years
that the kind of life forms we are familiar will
began to evolved, starting with arthropods,
followed by fish 530 million years ago (Ma),
land plants 475Ma and forest 385Ma.
10. The Geologic Time Scale is a model of
chronological dating that describes the timing
and relationships of major biological and
geological events that have occurred during the
Earth’s history. It is primarily divided into eons.
Eons are divided into eras which are in turn
divided into periods, epochs, and ages.
11.
12. Divisions of Geologic Time
• Eras are subdivided into periods...periods
are subdivided into epochs.
Era
Period
Epoch
E + P = EP
13. Divisions of Geologic Time
• Geological time begins with Precambrian
Time. Precambrian time covers
approximately 88% of Earth’s history.
14.
15. One Super Eon and Four Eras
• PRE-CAMBRIAN Super Eon – 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
16. 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?
17.
18. Archean eon
It was during Archean eon that life first arose on
Earth. At this time there were no continents, just
small islands in a shallow ocean. There was vast
amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but
since the sun was much fainter back then, the
combined effect did not raise Earth’s temperature
to an extreme. Such levels of carbon dioxide
would be toxic to the majority of animals alive
today-as would the low oxygen levels.
It began 3.8 billion years ago and ended 2.5
billion years ago.
19. Cryogenian period
A succession of incredibly harsh ice ages waxed and
waned during the cryogenian. It is nicknamed snowball
Earth as its been suggested the glaciation was so severe it
may even have reached the equator. Life during the
cryogenian consisted of tiny organism-the microscopic
ancestors of fungi, plants, animals and kelps all evolved
during this.
It began 850 million years ago and ended 635 million
years ago.
20. Ediacaran period
It is known as the Vendian, the ediacaran. It was the
final stage of Precambrian time. All life in the Ediacaran
was soft-bodied – there were no bones, shells, teeth, or
other hard parts. As soft bodies don’t fossilise very well.
Remains from this period are rare. The World’s first ever
burrowing animals evolved in the Ediacaran, though we
don’t know what they looked like. The only fossils that
have been found are of the burrows themselves, not
the creatures that made them. This period got its name
from Ediacara Hills in Australia, where famous fossils of
this age were found.
22. The Paleozoic era is also known as “Old
life”. It started with the breakup of one
supercontinent in the continents of
Gondwana and Laurentia. In this era, plants
became prevalent and the first vertebrate
animals colonized the land. This era is
divided into six period: Cambrian,
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian,
Carboniferous, and Permian.
23. Cambrian Period
The Cambrian period is famed for its explosion of abundant
and diverse life forms. Life had diversified into any forms and
many ways of living: animals swam, crawled, burrowed,
hunted, defended themselves and hid away.
Some creature had evolved hard parts such as shells, which
readily fossilized and left a clear record behind. However,
sometimes geologist got lucky and find beautiful fossil of soft
and squishy creatures – as at the Burgess Shale site. In
Cambrian times there was no life on land and in little or none
in freshwater. The sea was still very much the center of living
activity.
It began 545 million years ago and ended 495 million years
ago.
24. Ordovician period
During the Ordovician period, a few plants and animals
began to explore the margins of the land, but nothing
colonized beyond these beachheads, so the majority of life
was still confined to the seas, the Ordovician began with
shallow, warm seas but the end of the period, experienced
5000,000 yearlong ica age, triggered by the drift of the
supercontinent. Gondwana, to the south polar regions. The
Ordovician ended with a mass extinction.
25. Paleozoic Era (Ancient Life)
• The Cambrian period is the 1stperiod of the Paleozoic
Era. “Age of the Trilobites” or the “Age of Fish”
• 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 (Carboniferous Period)
26. Paleozoic Era
• Much of the limestone quarried for building and
industrial purposes, as well as the coal deposits
of western Europe and the eastern United
States, were formed during the Paleozoic.
• The Cambrian (beginning) opened with the
breakup of the world-continent Rodinia and
closed with the formation of Pangaea, as the
Earth's continents came together once again.
– This event is thought to have caused the
climate changes that led to mass extinction
event.
• The Appalachian mountains were formed during
this time.
27. Paleozoic Era
• 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
28. Trilobites
•
•
•
Lived in Earth’s ancient seas
Extinct before the dinosaurs
came into existence
Cambrian Period is know as
the “Age of the Trilobites”
33. 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
34. 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.
35.
36. 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.
37. 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.
• Meteorite Impact Hypothesis
38.
39.
40. 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.
45. 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
46. 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”
47. 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.
