Senior High School

General Biology 2
Quarter 3-Module 2:
History of Life on Earth

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General Biology 2 – Grade 12
Quarter 3– Module 2: History of Life on Earth
Second Edition, 2021

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Compiler/Writer: Ms. Cristina C. Genosa
Editors/Reviewers: Ms. Celia C. Gepitulan
Mrs. Jocelyn C. Butanas
Mr. Bonnie James A. Saclolo
Language Editor: Mrs. Roquesa B. Sabejon

Management Team: Dr. Rhea Mar A. Angtud

Schools Division Superintendent
Dr. Bernadette A. Susvilla
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Dr. Grecia F. Bataluna
Chief, Curriculum Instruction Division

Mrs. Vanessa L. Harayo, LLB.

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Dr. Raylene S. Manawatao
EPS, Science

Department of Education – Schools Division of Cebu City, Region VII

Office Address: New Imus Road, Day-as, Cebu City, Philippines

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 MODULE 2
History of Life on Earth

Quarter : Third Quarter

Content Standard : The learners demonstrate an understanding of the
history of life on Earth.
Performance Standard : The learners should be able to illustrate through a
diagram the sequence of the geologic time scale and the
major groups of organisms present during these time
periods.
Learning Competency : Describe general features of the history of life on
Earth, including generally accepted dates and sequence
of the geologic time scale and characteristics of major
groups of organisms present during these time periods
(STEM_BIO11/12-IIIc-g-8)
Duration : 1 Week
Topic : History of Life on Earth

Hello STEM learners!

In this module, you will travel back in time to revisit the beginnings of life
on Earth and discover the major groups of organisms that represented the
periods in the geologic time scale. You will also learn about the events that lead
to the diversity of organisms and the extinctions of major group of organisms.
The module is divided into two lessons, namely:
Lesson 1—The Precambrian Supereon
Lesson 2—The Phanerozoic Eon

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. distinguish between eons, eras, periods, and epochs;
2. describe the characteristics of the major groups of organisms present
during the periods of the geologic time scale;
3. illustrate through a diagram the sequence of events of the geologic time
scale;
4. identify the major mass extinctions that happened in the past and
determine their roles in the diversification of life in the present Earth;
5. appreciate the contributions of geology in the development of the
geologic time scale.

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Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which geologic era is known as the "Age of Invertebrates”?

A. Cenozoic C. Paleozoic
B. Mesozoic D. Proterozoic
2. Which of the following represents the longest time?
A. Cenozoic C. Phanerozoic
B. Mesozoic D. Precambrian
3. Which of these is NOT a period of the Paleozoic Era?
A. Jurassic C. Ordovician
B. Mississippian D. Permian
4. Which geologic period is known as the "Age of Amphibians"?
A. Carboniferous C. Permian
B. Ordovician D. Silurian
5. Which geologic era is known as the "Age of Mammals"?
A. Cenozoic C. Paleozoic
B. Mesozoic D. Proterozoic
6. Which of these eras was dominated by dinosaurs?
A. Cenozoic C. Paleozoic
B. Mesozoic D. Proterozoic
7. When did the first true mammals first appear?
A. Triassic period C. Paleogene period
B. Jurassic period D. Cretaceous period
8. Which geologic period ended the reign of the dinosaurs?
A. Cretaceous B. Jurassic C. Paleogene D. Permian
9. Which geologic period did the "mother of mass extinctions" occur, wiping out
more than 90% of species?
A. Cretaceous B. Devonian C. Ordovician D. Permian
10. Which geologic period did most of the coal beds form that is the main source
of the fossil fuel we have today?
A. Cambrian C. Cretaceous
B. Carboniferous D. Permian
11. How old is the oldest fossil of the first eukaryote?
A. 1.2 byo B. 1.6 byo C. 3.8 byo D. 4.6 byo
12. Which dating method can provide geologists with the exact age in years of
rocks, fossils, and other ancient materials on Earth?
A. Relative dating C. Fossil Succession
B. Absolute dating D. All of the given.
13. How many mass extinction events were recorded in the geologic time scale?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
14. Which geologic era is known as the "Age of Reptiles"?
A. Cenozoic C. Paleozoic
B. Mesozoic D. Proterozoic
15. At what period of time did the first modern human beings appear?
A. Holocene B. Miocene C. Pleistocene D. Pliocene

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 Introduction: Geology and the Geologic Time Scale

The science that deals with studying the Earth—its materials and
processes is known as geology. Modern geology began in late 1700s when James
Hutton introduced the Principle of Uniformitarianism, which became the
fundamental principle of geology today. The principle states that forces and
processes that can be observed shaping the Earth at present, have been at work
for a long time since the Earth’s beginnings. Many of the important contributions
in the advancement of geology began with the study of rocks and its layering
(strata). Ancient rocks have unlocked various types of evidences of ancient lives
that have been hidden for millions, even billions of years. Today, scientists like
geologists, paleontologists (scientist who study fossils), chemists, and biologists
have worked together to analyze the physical, chemical, and biological materials
in ancient rocks. Geologists use the principles of relative dating and the
principle of fossil (remains of dead organisms) succession in determining the
age of rocks, which became the start of the development of the geologic timescale,
a scale that can place rock evidence into specific time interval and recreate the
events of the past to the present time. These methods were limited at comparing
the relative age (older vs younger) of the layers of rocks and comparing rock
layers with layers from other locations.

The discovery of radioactive isotopes in rocks and the hidden materials

within it, allowed chemists to introduce an absolute dating method that uses
these radioactive isotopes to determine the exact age (in years) of rocks, fossils,
and other materials. This method is also known as radiometric dating and
together with relative dating methods have allowed geologists to retell the history
of the Earth and most importantly, the history of life on Earth, in the geologic
time scale. It is important to remember that several evidences are still being
unearthed even up to now and so, we must understand that the geologic time
scale is still a work in progress.

Let us review
Direction: Answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Differentiate the following terms:
a) Geology vs Paleontology-__________________________________________

b) Relative age vs Absolute age-______________________________________

2. What is the importance of fossils in the construction of the geologic time

scale?
_______________________________________________________________________

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The Geologic Time Scale

The geologic time scale divides the history of the Earth into time intervals
which are: eons, eras, periods, and epochs. The longest time interval is eon
which can be subdivided into smaller intervals called eras, and eras can be
divided into periods, and periods into much smaller intervals called epochs. The
geologic time scale gets the formal names based on rock evidence (which may
include fossils and other chemical evidence) that is date specific. The
International Committee on Stratigraphy (ICS), a committee of the
International Union of Geological Sciences are responsible for determining and
formalizing the time intervals of the Geologic Time Scale.

Figure 2.1. The Geologic Time Scale

As you can see in figure 2.1, the geologic time scale is divided into the
Precambrian supereon and Phanerozoic eon. The Precambrian supereon is an
informal name for the longest time interval which represents about 88% of the
Earth history which began 4.6 billion years ago (bya). This time interval is
divided into the Hadean (informal name) eon, Archean eon, and Proterozoic eon.
Informal names are names given to the earliest time intervals where no available
details or evidence exist, these times are uncertain but are otherwise given
informal names to represent them.

The Phanerozoic eon is the time interval that began 541 million years ago
(mya) and is derived from Greek words meaning “visible life”, which is
appropriate as this eon represents a large collection of evidences of diverse life
forms that showed major evolutionary transitions.

Directions: Answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Study figure 2.1 above. How long (in years) did the Precambrian supereon
happen before the Phanerozoic eon started? (Use your Math skills to
answer the question.) Hint: 1 billion years=1,000 million years
_______________________________________________________________________

2.Arrange the following time intervals from the longest (4) to the shortest (1)
time interval.
a) Eon _____
b) Epoch _____
c) Era _____
d) Period _____

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 Lesson 1: The Precambrian Supereon

Archean eon
The Archean eon is said to be the time when first signs of life began. The
oldest rock known is found in an area of Greenland called the Isua formation
which is about 3.85 billion years old. These rocks contain quartz crystals that
preserved organic deposits of carbon isotopes which are found in organisms.
This finding showed a glimpse of the first simple organisms that lived in this
eon. They did not use oxygen but used organic molecules that formed near the
end of the Hadean eon, which became sources of carbon and energy. Carbon
dioxide was also said to be abundant in the atmosphere during the Archean eon.
Then, after millions of years, organisms started to evolve and utilize light energy
and atmospheric CO2 for photosynthesis. These organisms were known as
photosynthetic bacteria and archea, thus, the term Archean eon for the
dominant groups of bacteria (classified as prokaryotes) that are able to survive
in extreme environment.

By that time, the Earth’s atmosphere changed dramatically becoming rich

with oxygen gas. Many of the organisms were believed to have died due to the
presence of oxygen which was toxic for them. But, for those able to evolve and
utilize oxygen gas, gave rise to the aerobic organisms. This evolution of simple
anaerobic to aerobic organisms went on for millions of years. Evidence of the
oldest known fossils were about 3.7 billion years old in rocks found in Australia
and South Africa which resembled the huge formations of cyanobacteria called
stromatolites. The massive oxygenation event in the Archean eon can be
evidenced by the extensive iron deposits in layers of sedimentary rocks dated
2.0 bya. The iron which were said to be previously dissolved in the oceans
reacted with dissolved O2 in the oceans, these created a rusty colored layering
in these rock sediments.

Proterozoic eon
After the prokaryotes dominated the archean eon, the rise of the
eukaryotes (unicellular organisms with true nucleus) followed. Fossil evidence
show that eukaryotes emerged about 1.9 to 1.4 bya. Recorded fossils from
Australia dated 1.69 byo are chemically similar to eukaryotic membranes. The
evolution of eukaryotes can be explained in the Endosymbiotic Theory
proposed by Lynn Margulis.

In another million years after the eukaryotes evolved, the multicellular

organisms arose which is said to have occurred 1.2 bya. The earliest fossil
evidence of multicellular organisms are from the red alga dated about 1.25 bya
to 950 million years ago (mya) in Canada and abundant fossils are also found in
eastern Russia dated 1.0 bya.
For many millions of years, unicellular (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) and
multicellular organisms evolved while some became extinct due to many events

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that shaped the Earth. The events that we have been experiencing at present are
similar events that have shaped the Earth in the past, these are important events
that have allowed organisms to evolve. While many became extinct during these
events, it paved the way for new organisms to flourish.

Did you know…

Did you know that the suffix -zoic found in the names of the events in the
geologic time scale refer to animal life forms? This means that animal life forms
were dominant during these events.

Comparing Fossil Evidence in the Precambrian supereon

Directions: Copy column A and column B. Put a check ( ) mark under the
column of the eon if the identified fossil evidence dates to that eon.
Fossil evidence A. B.
Archean Proterozoic
1. red alga (1.25 bya)
2. quartz crystals containing organic deposits (3.85
bya)
3. huge formations of cyanobacteria called
stromatolite (3.7 bya)
4. fossils containing similar chemical components of
eukaryotic membranes (1.69 bya)
5. iron-containing sediments (2.0 bya)

Lesson 2: The Phanerozoic Eon

The geologic time scale is divided into the Precambrian supereon and the
Phanerozoic eon.
Directions: Fill in the names of the events in the figure below. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Figure 2.2 The Geologic Time Scale—Label the Events.

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 The Phanerozoic eon is the more recent eon and is subdivided into eras
which include Paleozoic era, Mesozoic era, and Cenozoic era (shown in figure
2.3). These eras are further subdivided into periods and the most recent periods
are subdivided into shorter time intervals called epochs. Phanerozoic is derived
from the Greek word that means “visible life” which is appropriate as this eon
represents the widest collection of small to large fossils from different organisms
that show evolutionary transitions which are found in rock layers dated from
541 mya to present.

Figure 2.3. Geologic Time Scale- Phanerozoic Eon

In the following section, we will know more about the subdivisions of the
phanerozoic eon.

Paleozoic Era (“Age of Invertebrates”)—541-252 mya

The Paleozoic Era represents the time of the “ancient life” which was
dominated by ancient marine invertebrates. Paleozoic era is subdivided into six
periods namely: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and
Permian, arranged in sequential events from the oldest to the more recent event.
The subdivisions are represented in figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4. Geologic Time Scale- Paleozoic Era

Cambrian Period
This period is also known as “Cambrian explosion” as fossils of major
groups of animals diversified within a few million years of each other. Most
important fossils were from organisms with hard parts including the insect-like
trilobites, nautiloids, scorpion-like eurypterids, and brachiopods, which looked
like clams. Many of these invertebrates were identified only as “small, shelly
fossils” and coexisted with the abundant red and green algae, sponges,
jellyfishes, and worms which were found in the Cambrian seas.

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Ordovician Period
Fossil evidence of the first vertebrates, jawless fishes called ostracoderms,
appeared during this period. Fossil evidence also showed that spore-forming
primitive plants (resembled nonvascular plants today) may have moved to land.
The Ordovician period ended with a large-scale mass extinction of marine
invertebrates.

Silurian Period
The first plants with water-conducting and mineral conducting tissues
known as vascular plants evolved at this time. The first land animals also left
fossil evidence which looked like scorpions which were predators of smaller
animals. Fungi are said to have also colonized land. Aquatic animals also
continued to diversify which is very common after a mass extinction event.
Varied forms of fishes (jawless and jawed) lived in freshwater and marine
environments, the oceans were rich in corals, trilobites and mollusks.

Devonian Period
This period is known as the “age of fishes” as more fishes diversified as
bony and cartilaginous fishes. By the end of the period, the first amphibian
appeared which resembled fishes but with paddlelike legs and toes. Mass
extinction of marine organisms ended the Devonian period, although many land-
dwelling organisms, such as the highly diversified plants, were mostly not
affected.

Carboniferous Period
This period is known as the “age of amphibians” as more amphibians
dominated both land and water. The carboniferous period is subdivided into two
epochs, namely (oldest to more recent): Mississippian and Pennsylvanian.
Many land plants like ferns and early seed plants and many different kinds of
insects dominated the Carboniferous (meaning “coal bearing”) period. By the end
of the period, many of these plants died which were buried beneath swamps
which formed the rich coal layers of the Earth, which is the source of the fossil
fuel (coal) that we have today.

Permian Period
During this period, gymnosperms (non-flower bearing plants) became
dominant while reptiles were the dominant animals including the ancestors of
dinosaurs. The Permian period ended with the most catastrophic mass
extinctions, also known as “the mother of mass extinctions,” as it affected 90%
of species, which were mostly marine invertebrates found in shallow areas of the
seas.
Mesozoic Era (“Age of Reptiles”)—252-66 mya
The Mesozoic was dominated by small and huge reptiles called the
dinosaurs. This era is subdivided into three periods, namely: Triassic, Jurassic,
and Cretaceous periods (shown in figure 2.5).

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 Figure 2.5. Geologic Time Scale- Mesozoic Era
Triassic Period
The ancestors of the now-extinct dinosaurs called the archosaurs
increased during this period paving the way of the “age of reptiles”. The ancestors
of mammals called therapsids also appeared and coexisted with the reptiles in
the forested lands. Forests were mainly dominated by gymnosperms such as
cycads, ginkgos, and conifers. Another mass extinction occurred by the end of
the Triassic period affecting smaller reptiles, amphibians, and marine animals.
The larger, more adapted reptiles dominated the land which included the
dinosaurs.

Jurassic Period
This period is known as the “age of dinosaurs” as this was dominated by
them. Both herbivorous and carnivorous reptiles dominated the land, including
large marine crocodiles, the ancestors of birds (Archeopteryx) and dinosaurs. The
first flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared during this period, but forests were
still dominated by gymnosperms. The first frogs and the first true mammals,
which were the size of rats, appeared at this time.
Cretaceous Period
Huge diversification of organisms both plants and animals occurred at this
time. Flowering plants diversified so fast, and many insects also appeared.
Reptiles hunting other groups of animals and even those of their own was very
common at this time. The Cretaceous period ended with the mass extinction of
75% of species including the large reptiles, the dinosaurs, and thus, ending the
Mesozoic era. The mass extinction cleared the way for the dominance of smaller
organisms that survived the asteroid impact (said to be the cause of the mass
extinction) which included the birds, amphibians, and mammals.

Cenozoic Era (“Age of Mammals”)—66 mya-present

The Cenozoic era is the most recent era and has been dominated by the
greatly diversified mammals. This era is subdivided into three periods, namely:
Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary periods (as shown in figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6. Geologic Time Scale-Cenozoic Era

Paleogene Period
Subdivided into three epochs:
• Paleocene epoch—early placental mammals appeared including
the first primates, speciation of birds and insects.

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 • Eocene epoch—angiosperms dominated, origin of the mammalian
orders including the appearance of the primitive whales.
• Oligocene epoch—origins of the different primate groups including
the apes; tropical rainforests appeared in many continents; pigs,
cats and rhinos appeared; marine life was dominated by mollusks.

Neogene Period
Subdivided into two epochs:
• Miocene epoch—coevolution of angiosperms and insects;
continued speciation of mammals.
• Pliocene epoch—origin of the hominids (Homo)

Quaternary Period (most recent)

Subdivided into two epochs:
• Pleistocene epoch—origin of modern humans; major glaciation
events occurred (ice ages)

Did you know…

Did you know that the oldest fossils ever recorded in the Philippines dates
back between 777 to 631 thousand years ago (tya) during the Pleistocene epoch?
These findings were discovered in Kalinga, Cagayan Valley of northern Luzon. It
included remains of rhinoceros, stegodon, brown deer, and early hominins yet
to be identified. The most recent identified hominin is Homo luzonensis or Callao
Man dated 67 tya which was found in Callao Cave, Peñablanca, Cagayan by
Armand Mijares and his team from the University of the Philippines.

• Holocene epoch—rise of human civilization, impact of human

activities are widespread and continues to the present time

Did you know…

Did you know that many scientist think that we are now in a new epoch
called the Anthropocene which is marked by extensive human impacts to the
environment? Geologists use markers in the rock strata to determine the end
and beginning of a time in the goelogic time scale, the anthropocene is marked
by road buildings, microplastics, pollutants, extinctions of species, greenhouse
gases and many more wastes found since the beginning of the industrial
revolution or globalization in the 1950s.

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 Features of the Phanerozoic Eon
Direction: Copy the table below. Put a check ( ) mark under the column which
best fits the description given in the first column from the left.
Description Cenozoic Mesozoic Paleozoic
1. “Age of Mammals”
2. “Age of Reptiles”
3. “Age of Invertebrates”
4. Marked by time of the Cambrian
explosion and the “mother of mass
extinctions”
5. The longest era, so far, in the
phanerozoic eon.
6. Marked by the dominance and
extinction of dinosaurs
7. Marked by the rise and dominance of
humans and other mammals.

Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the statements
below. Write your answers on a separate sheet paper.
1. The _______________________ is a tool that geologists use to subdivide the
history of the Earth into events.
2. The geologic events are subdivided into time intervals which include
______, eras, ______, and ______.
3. The longest time interval (formal) is an _______ and the shortest (in our
notes) is an _______.
4. To construct the geologic time scale, geologists rely on two methods to
determine the age or date of the layers of rocks, these are _____________and
____________ dating.
5. The major part or 88% of the Earth’s history is identified as the
_________________ supereon.
6. The most recent eon is referred to as the ____________________ eon.
7. Geologists subdivided the Precambrian supereon into the _____________
(informal name), ________________, and _______________ eons.
8. The Hadean eon is estimated to have started ____________ billion years ago
(bya), which said to be the age of the Earth.
9. The single-celled organisms, also known as __________________ organisms,
first appeared in the Archean eon which were mostly anaerobic bacteria.
10. By the end of the Proterozoic eon, _________________ organisms arose 1.25
bya, which is evidenced by fossils of the ancient red alga found in Canada.

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 11.The _______________________ eon is the more recent eon in the geologic time
scale. This eon is subdivided into: ___________, Mesozoic, and __________
eras.
12. The __________________ era is referred to as the era of “ancient life” which
was mostly dominated by marine ____________________.
13. The __________________ era is referred to as the “middle life” era as
this was in the middle of the phanerozoic eon.
14.The Cenozoic era is subdivided into three periods, they are:
_______________, __________________, and Quaternary.
15.The ____________________ epoch is said to be the time when human
civilizations rose, and human activities changed the face of the Earth.

Illustrating the Supereon-Performance assessment

Instructions
1. On a separate bond paper draw either the Precambrian supereon or
Phanerozoic eon to illustrate the kind of landscape and organisms that
may have dominated during that time.
2. Include the most significant things that can be used to describe that eon
and label them. Color your illustration. (Refer to the rubric for the
illustrations.)
3. Write a short narrative of the major events of your chosen eon.

Rubrics for the Illustrations

CATEGORY Excellent (10) Very good (8) Good (6) Poor (4)
Visual The drawing The drawing
The drawing
Presentation clearly The drawing communicates
does not
communicates communicates limited ideas.
sufficiently
the many ideas more important
communicate
and supporting ideas.
any idea.
information.
Creativity The graphics The graphics The graphics The graphics
portray or show portray or show portray or does not
clear and more clear show few portray or
complete representations of representations show the
representations the eon. of the eon. representation
of the eon. of the eon.
Relevance of The illustrations
The illustrations The The
the are accurate,
are accurate and illustrations illustrations
Content comprehensive,
relevant to the are related to are not related
and relevant to
topic. the topic. to the topic.
the topic.
Required All required All required Few required The
Elements elements are elements are elements are illustrations
(labelling and included, well included and well- included. lack the
significant presented with presented. required
events) additional elements.
information.

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Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is the SECOND event in the geologic time scale?
A. Eukaryotes arose. C. First multicellular organisms arose.
B. Prokaryotes arose. D. O2 accumulated in the atmosphere.
2. Which of the following represents 88% of the Earth’s history?
A. Cenozoic era C. Phanerozoic eon
B. Mesozoic era D. Precambrian supereon
3. How did the photosynthetic organisms affect the early Earth? They _________
A. depleted the ozone layer.
B. added O2 in the atmosphere.
C. introduced the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
D. increased the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the early ocean.
4. Which represents the correct order of appearance, from the earliest to the
most recent group of organisms in the geologic time scale?
A. Ferns, humans, dinosaurs, mammals
B. Fishes, reptiles, seed plants, trilobites
C. Reptiles, fishes, angiosperms, amphibians
D. Ancient red alga, invertebrates, fishes, gymnosperms
5. Which dating method can provide geologists of the age in years of rocks,
fossils, and other ancient materials of the Earth?
A. Relative dating C. Fossil Succession
B. Absolute dating D. All of the given
6. How many mass extinction events were recorded in the geologic time scale?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
7. When did the "mother of mass extinctions" occur, wiping out more than 90%
of species?
A. Cretaceous period C. Ordovician period
B. Devonian period D. Permian period
8. Which of these is NOT a period of the Paleozoic Era?
A. Carboniferous C. Jurassic
B. Ordovician D. Permian
9. Which of these bests describes the Mesozoic era?
A. Mass extinctions of dinosaurs and large reptiles ended the Mesozoic
era.
B. It was an era marked by the domination of reptiles and flowering
plants.
C. This era is subdivided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous
periods.
D. All of the above.

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10. Which of these bests describes the Archean and the Proterozoic eons?
A. Both eons are subdivisions of the Phanerozoic supereon.
B. No life is possible during these eons because the Earth was still
inhospitable to living organisms.
C. Both eons provided the timeline for simple organisms (both prokaryotes
and eukaryotes) to evolve to give rise to the multicellular organisms
which eventually lead to the diversity of life-forms we have today.
D. All of the above.
11. When did most of the coal beds form which is the main source of the fossil
fuel we have today?
A. Permian period C. Cretaceous period
B. Cambrian period D. Carboniferous period
12. What is the oldest recorded fossil?
A. Fossils of trilobites.
B. Ancient red alga found in Canada.
C. Microfossils of cyanobacteria called stromatolites.
D. Fossils that contain similar chemical signatures as eukaryotic
membranes
13. How old is the oldest recorded fossil that is said to be the evidence of the first
eukaryote?
A. 1.2 byo B. 1.6 byo C. 3.8 byo D. 4.6 byo
14. Which of these bests describes the Cenozoic era? It is/was ___________.
A. dominated by small and huge reptiles called the dinosaurs.
B. dominated by marine invertebrates which included the Cambrian
explosion.
C. the most recent era and has been dominated greatly by the diversified
mammals.
D. largely populated by simple-celled organisms that evolved to become
the first photosynthetic organisms.
15. Modern human beings appeared during which geologic period?
A. Miocene C. Holocene
B. Pliocene D. Pleistocene

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