Recording natural history

Break-down of time Different periods of Earth’s history are broken into periods of time,just like a year is broken into months, weeks, days and hours Earth’s history is broken into eons, eras, periods, and epochs

Eons – Billions of years Haden: Earth before life evolved 3.5 to 3.9 Billion years ago Achaean: Earth with only prokaryotic cells 3.9 to 2.5 Billion years ago Proterozoic: Current Eon 2.5 BYA to present

How time periods are distinguished Major geological events: The movement of tectonic plates to form continents and super-continents Changes in climate: a change from an ice ace to a warming period Mass extinctions or explosions: Changes in the types of life forms on earth

Haden Eon 4.5-3.9 BYA The first 13% of the Earth’s history Earth is a solid lifeless planet No liquid water, little O2 in the atmosphere Relative to a calendar year: Jan 1st – Feb. 25th

Achaean Eon 3.9-2.5 BYA Earth has a crust & ocean Life forms in the sea Prokaryotes including photosynthetic blue-green algae & later bacteria Feb. 25th - April 17th

Proterozoic Eon: Precambrian Era 2.5 BYA – 540MYA Super continent Rodinia 21% O2 in Atmosphere First Eukaryotic cells & sexual reproduction July 13th First Multicellular organism (seaweed/algae) Aug 31st

Review of Earth’s first 3.9 Billion years Haden lifeless Earth Proterozoic Eukaryotic life, multicellular plants, Achaean Prokaryotic life Little O2 First plants & soft bodied animals in oceans later vascular plants fish, arthropods in ocean Insects, amphibians & reptiles on land

From the Cambrian explosion to the Permian extinction Paleozoic Era From the Cambrian explosion to the Permian extinction

Cambrian Explosion 540-490 MYA Paleozoic Era 2 continents: mild climate All life in ocean only Sponges & coral Then mollusks (clams) Later arthropods (trilobites) Finally chordates – pre-vertebrate ancestors Nov. 17 - Nov. 21st

Ordovician Period 490-443 MYA Paleozoic Era Ordovician Period 490-443 MYA More Continents First vertebrates – armored fish First plants & invertebrates on land Nov. 21st – Nov. 24th

Silurian Period 443-417 MYA Most continents are near equator Paleozoic Era Most continents are near equator First: nautilus, jawed fish, shark, lungfish Lots of arthropods more complex plants on land (vascular) Nov 24th – Nov. 27th

Devonian Period 417-354 Paleozoic Era Europe & N. America at equator & S America & Africa over S. pole Warm & moist First: air breathing Arthropods First: insects (beetles), amphibians, seed plants (ferns) Nov. 27th - Dec 1st

Carboniferous Period 354-290 MYA Paleozoic Era First swampy & warm then cold glaciers Oceans: armored fish extinct greater diversity of fish etc. Land: Giant insects, first reptiles Dec 1nd – Dec 6th

Permian Period: 290-248 Supercontinent Pangaea – all climate zones Paleozoic Era Permian Period: 290-248 Supercontinent Pangaea – all climate zones Glaciers & deserts Mass extinction 99% of all life gone Modern insects, fewer amphibians, many reptiles Dec. 6th - Dec 10th

Mesozoic Era The rise and fall of dinosaurs

Triassic Period 248-206 MYA Pangea covers ¼ Earth’s surface Mesozoic Era Pangea covers ¼ Earth’s surface Warm and dry climate On land: 1st small dinosaurs Plants: Ferns, ginkgoes, & conifers In ocean: 1st reptiles Dec. 10- Dec. 14

Jurassic Period 206-144 MYA Pangaea begins to break apart Mesozoic Era Pangaea begins to break apart Dinosaurs dominate land and sea First bird Early amphibians go extinct, replaced by frogs & salamanders First mammals (small shrew like) Dec. 14th - Dec. 19th

Cretaceous Period 144-65 MYA Mesozoic Era Cretaceous Period 144-65 MYA Sea levels rise: no ice at poles Large dinosaurs dominate most modern insects First flowering plants Ends with mass extinction of Dinosaurs Dec. 19th – Dec 25th

Cenozoic Era                                                                                                                                                      

Paleocene Epoch 65-55 MYA Mammals diversify: first only marsupials Inland seas dry up, Australia breaks free Later placental mammals First dogs & cats Dec 25th

Oligocene Epoch 34-24 MYA Cenozoic Era Lots a tectonic plate movement temperate climate Grass land expand forest decline First primate Dec. 28                       

Miocene Epoch 24-5 MYA Climate cools Half of modern mammals exist Many modern bird groups First: apes Dec 29th – Dec. 31st 3PM

Pliocene Epoch 5-1.8 MYA Alps rise & Central America formed Cenozoic Era Alps rise & Central America formed Camels, horses, & giant ground sloths in N. America Australopithecines – 1st human ancestor Dec 31st 3:00 PM – 10 PM

Pleistocene Epoch 1.8 M- 10,000 Great ice age – 30% earth covered in ice Wooly mammoths & saber-tooth cats go extinct Homo Habilis: tool maker Dec. 31st: 10PM – 11:48 PM

Holocene Epoch 10 TYA - today Glaciers retreat, sea levels rise, deserts form 1st humans modern civilizations The world as we know it                                           

Review of last 240 Million years First human First monkey Last Dinosaurs First bird Flowering Plants First Mammals First Dinosaurs Review of last 240 Million years

Review What was the surface of the earth life for most of the Haden Era? During which era did multicellular life evolve? Which is a shorter period of time and eon or an era? During which period did flowering plants evolve? When did the first birds evolve? What were the first vertebrates? When did the first air breathing arthropods evolve. What was the name of the supercontenent formed during the Permian?