1. WHAT IS THE GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE?
Essential Question
WHAT IS THE GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE?

2. Standard
Standard 8.E.6 The student will demonstrate an understanding of Earth’s geologic history and its diversity of life over time.

3. The Geological Time Scale
Performance Indicator
 8.E.6A.1: Develop and use models to organize Earth’s history (including era, period, and epoch) according to the geologic time scale using evidence from rock layers. 


4. What is the Earth’s time scale?
The geologic time scale is a record of the major events and diversity of life forms present in Earth’s history. The geologic time scale began when Earth was formed and goes on until the present. It divides Earth’s long history into units of time.
Scientists developed the time scale by studying rock layers and fossils world wide.

5. What about the Geologic Time Scale?
Precambrian is the name given to the earliest span of time in Earth history. 


6. Reading and About the geologic time scale divisions
The geologic history of the Earth is broken up into hierarchical chunks of time. From largest to smallest, this hierarchy includes EONS, ERAS, PERIODS, AND EPOCHS. All of these are displayed in the portion of the geologic time scale shown below.

7. The geologic time scale divides Earth’s long history into units of time: There are 4 major subdivisions of Geologic Time
Eons which subdivides into eras
Eras which subdivides into periods
Periods which subdivides into epochs
Eons
Eras
Periods
Epochs
BIG E = E + P = EP

8. These subdivisions are based on large scale events in Earth’s history that are identified in the fossil record and rock layers.

9. The Phanerozoic Eon is subdivided into three major divisions: the PALEOZOIC, MESOZOIC, AND CENOZOIC Eras. The "-zoic" suffix comes from the root "zoo," which means animal.
Cen-" means __RECENT_, "Meso-" means _MIDDLE__, and "Paleo-" means ___ANCIENT_.

10. What is the present day or modern day Eon, Era, Period, and EPOCH we live in?
EON: PHANEROZOIC
ERA: CENOZOIC
PERIOD: QUARTNERY
EPOCH: HOLOCENE

11. Geologic time has not ended.
Cambrian being the first period is important.
With a more complete fossil record available, the periods of the Cenozoic era are subdivided further into epochs.
Geologic time has not ended.

12. At the end of each era a major mass extinction occurred, many kinds of organisms died out, although there were other extinctions going on during each period of geologic time.
The layers of rock on Earth serve as evidence when identifying the geologic time scale. Using the fossil record, paleontologists (scientist who studies fossils) have created a picture of the different types of common organisms in each geologic period.

13. Check Point
Name the divisions in order from the largest to the smallest?
Name the divisions in order from the smallest to the largest?
Name the 3 Eras.
What is the present day or modern day Eon, Era, Period, and EPOCH we live in?
Triassic is a _________
Precambrian has ____ Eons.
Name the 1st period and which Era do it belong to?
_______________ is the only Era that contains epochs.
All Eras end with the suffix _____________.
All epochs end with the suffix _________________.
Has the Geologic time ended? How do you know?

14. Different types of Geologic Time Scale

18. Major information found on the geologic time scale includes:
During the first billion years of Earth’s history, the land was covered with volcanoes. Over the next 3 billion years, simple life-forms began to live in oceans.

19. TAKING A LOOK AT EACH DIVISION

20. The Precambrian Time!

21. The Precambrian Record

22. EARTH DURING PRECAMBRIAN TIME

23. TIMEFRAME
4.6 billion to 544 million years ago

24. IMPORTANT FACTS - Earliest part of Earth’s history
- covered approximately 88% of Earth’s history which makes it the longest part of Earth’s history.
Earth formed
Life arose
First tectonic plates arose and began to move
Atmosphere became enriched in oxygen
Is known as a Supereon because it is divided into 3 eons (Proterozoic, Achaean, and Hadean)

25. Precambrian Time

26. Animals (Biological) Features
Most organisms had soft bodies which looked like modern jellyfish and worms
Many Precambrian fossils are Trace fossils.

27. 630 MYA Precambrian Time
Multicellular organisms evolve with soft bodies
Species include: jelly fish; coral stalks; segmented worms; algae

28. Animals (Biological) Features Land (Geological) Features
Primarily covered by the ocean
Had a lot of volcanic activity

29. MASS EXTINCTION
MASS EXTINCTION IS THE EVENT THAT ENDED PRECAMBRIAN TIME.
* glaciation event
Precambrian time were marked by a prolonged global ice age. This may have led to widespread extinctions.

30. Check Point Precambrian Time was mostly covered by what?
Precambrian Time was the ______ part of the Earth’s history
What types of animals lived during Precambrian time?
Precambrian Time is known as a ________ because it contains 3 eons.
What caused the mass extinction of Precambrian Time?

32. PALEOZOIC ERA
KNOWN AS THE AGE OF FISH OR TRILOBITES

34. Paleozoic Era Timeframe
544 million to 248 million years ago

35. Carboniferous-2 periods included
Paleozoic Era
Life starts in the seas and moves onto land
Six periods:
Cambrian
Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous-2 periods included
Permian

36. Important Facts
Pangea was forming during this era as far as coming together
Cambrian being the first period is important.
The Cambrian Explosion was a time where there was a relatively rapid appearance of most major animal phyla as evidenced by the fossil record.

37. Cambrian “explosion”
For reasons unclear, 13 million years after the start of the Cambrian (so 530 my), there was a tremendous diversification of marine life forms, some of which have never been reproduced.
Cambrian Explosion – Most major animal phyla are found in the fossil record (mostly aquatic invertebrates with exoskeletons).

38. Animals (Biological) Features
Began with the early invertebrates, such as trilobites and brachiopods
WHAT FIRST APPEARED:
Trilobites
fish
arachnids and insects
first amphibians
near the era’s end the reptiles became dominant.
WHAT BECAME DOMINANT:
Fish

39. 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)

40. Brachiopods
Marine animals that resemble clams.

41. Early Fish Early fish did not have jaws.
Some species of sharks were in existence at this time.

42. Frilled Shark that was found in Japan in January 2007
Frilled Shark that was found in Japan in January This shark was considered a “living fossil”

43. Land (Geological) Features
During most of the Era, warm shallow seas covered much of the planet.
WHAT FIRST APPEARED:
Simple mosses
Ferns
Cone-bearing plants
Seed plants

44. Early Land Plants
Mosses
Cone bearing plants
Ferns

45. HOW EARTH LOOKED DURING THE PALEOZOIC ERA

47. Mass Extinction
The mass extinction that ended the era caused most marine invertebrates as well as amphibians to disappear.

About 95 percent of marine species and 70 percent of land animals were wiped out after the Permian mass extinction.
It is suspected that periods of rapid global warming and cooling that happened so quickly most organisms were not able to adjust.

48. WHAT CATASTROPHIC EVENT CAUSED THE MASS EXTINCTION??? 3 THINGS
1. volcanic activity
2. Climate Changes
3. lowering of sea levels as Pangaea was forming (convergent boundaries)

49. Mesozoic Era (Age of the Dinosaurs or Reptiles)
Three Periods
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous

51. TIMEFRAME
Occurred between 248 to 65 million years ago

52. IMPORTANT FACTS Time marked by rapid movements of plates
A major geologic event of the Mesozoic was the break-up of the super continent of Pangaea into several large continents.
At the beginning of this era Pangaea formed and during the Triassic Period

53. Mesozoic Era Triassic Period (225-180 MYA)
Pangaea (supercontinent) existed

54. PANGAEA

55. Mesozoic Era Jurassic Period (180-135 MYA)
Pangaea starts to separate

56. Mesozoic Era Cretaceous Period (135-65 MYA)
Continents in modern positions

57. ANIMALS/ORGANISMS (BIOLOGICAL)
WHAT FIRST APPEARED?
DINOSAURS
SMALL MAMMALS
BIRDS
WHAT ANIMAILS BECAME DOMINANT?
REPTILES

58. Mesozoic Era Triassic Period (225-180 MYA)
First Dinosaurs (small in size)
Pisanosaurus
Length:3 feet Height:1 foot Weight:15 pounds
Eoraptor:
Length:3 feet Height: 1 foot Weight:20 pounds

59. Mesozoic Era Jurassic Period (180-135 MYA)
1st mammals (small rodents).

60. Mesozoic Era Jurassic Period (180-135 MYA)
1st birds (Archaeopteryx).
Jaws and bone structure like dinosaurs
Bones are hollow, like birds
Had feathers

61. LAND (GEOLOGICAL) FEATURES
WHAT LAND FEATURES FIRST APPEARED?
Flowering plants
WHAT LAND FEATURES BECAME DOMINANT?
1. SEED PANTS

62. Mesozoic Era Cretaceous Period (135-65 MYA)
Flower plants CALLED (angiosperms) 1ST APPEARED

63. WHAT CATASTROPHIC EVENT CAUSED THE MASS EXTINCTION?
Scientists hypothesize that possibly a large _asteroids__ or _comets__ impacted with Earth.
The mass extinction that ended the era caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.

64. MASS EXTINCTION
Asteroids, METEORITE, or Comets collided into the Earth AND CAUSED Mass Extinction

68. How could a meteorite impact cause a mass extinction?
The impact caused shock waves, tidal waves, and sent a tremendous amount of dust into the atmosphere
As the dust re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, it would have instantly heated the atmosphere causing tremendous forest fires
Dust from impact blocked out the sun and caused major climate change and plants to die
Plants, animals, etc. went extinct due to the climate changes and competition between organisms

69. Cenozoic Era (Age of the Mammals)
Two Periods
Tertiary
Quaternary

70. TIMEFRAME
TIMEFRAME: 65 million years ago to Present Day

71. IMPORTANT FACTS: Present day Earth is in this era.
The diversity of life forms increased because of the variety of different animal and plant species that formed.
New mammals appeared while others became extinct.
A major geologic event of the Cenozoic is the further splitting and moving of continents to their current positions.

74. ANIMALS/ORGANISMS (BIOLOGICAL)
WHAT MAMMALS/ANIMALS FIRST APPEARED?
Humans
WHAT MAMMALS/ANIMALS BECAME DOMINANT?
1. MAMMALS

75. HUMANS 1ST APPEARED (HOMO SAPIENS)

76. Cenozoic Mammals

77. MAMMALS

78. GEOLOGICAL (Land) FEATURES
WHAT LAND FEATURES BECAME DOMINANT?
1. FLOWERING PLANTS

79. Flowering Plants were common during the Cenozoic Era

81. WHAT CAUSED THE MASS EXTINCTION?
There have been SOME extinctions CAUSED BY Climatic Changes & Glacier Events (Ice Ages) during the Cenozoic as there were during the Mesozoic and Paleozoic, but not as many animals and plants have disappeared.
The “Great Ice Age”, ice sheets covered 30% of all land

82. The Great Ice Age

83. 5 Question Quiz Which era is the age of dinosaurs?
Which era is the age of trilobites?
Which era is the age of mammals?
What is the connection between periods, eons, eras, and epochs?
5. Give 2 facts about the Precambrian Time.