Earth History- The

Geologic Time Scale

The Age of the Earth

4.6 billion years old =

4,600,000,000

The Geologic Time Scale

The history of the
Earth is broken up
into a hierarchical
set of divisions for
describing geologic
time

Precambrian
Eon
4.6 billion years before present to 544 million

years before present

Longest era with a sparse fossil record

Origin of earths crust, first atmosphere, and

first seas

Earliest fossils of cyanobacteria use

photosynthesis to produce oxygen

Ozone layer in the atmosphere is formed from

oxygen

Archaean Era
3.8 to 2.5 Billion Years Ago
The atmosphere was very different from

what we breathe today

The Earth's crust cooled enough that
rocks and continental plates began to
form
Life first appeared on Earth
bacteria microfossils

Phanerozoic Eon

Majority of macroscopic organisms,

fungal, plant and animals lived

Appearance of animals that evolved
external skeletons like shells and
animals that formed internal skeletons
like vertebrates

Paleozoic era
544 million years before present

to 245 million years before

present

Marine communities flourish

Early fishes develop
Origin of amphibians, insects &

reptiles

Recurring ice ages/

Appalachians mountains form

Spore-bearing plants dominate

Paleozoic era
(continued)
286 - 248 million years

before present:
Supercontinent of Pangea
forms

248 million years before

present: MASS EXTINCTION90 % of all known families

lost!

Mesozoic Era
248 to 65 Million Years Ago
Mesozoic means "middle animals
Lasted 70 Million Years
Time of transition
The world-continent of Pangaea existed
The time in which life as it now exists on Earth came

together
Important today because of the fossils and oil left
behind

Mesozoic Era
248 to 65 Million Years Ago
Divided into three time periods:
the Triassic (245-208 Million Years Ago)
the Jurassic (208-146 Million Years Ago)
the Cretaceous (146-65 Million Years
Ago)

Dinosaurs in the Mesozoic Era

Dinosaurs...
Evolved in the Triassic Period
Became more diversified in the Jurassic Period
Became extinct in the late Cretaceous Period
Fossils of some of the last dinosaurs to walk the Earth can be found in

Montana

65 million years
before present.
ASTEROID IMPACT!
Mass extinction of ALL

dinosaurs and many

marine organisms

End of the Mesozoic

era

Cenozoic Era
The most recent of

the three major

subdivisions of
animal history

The other two are the

Paleozoic and the

Mesozoic

Spans only about 65

million years
Sometimes called
the Age of
Mammals

And during the

Cenozoic era
The most primitive hominid (human

ancestor) evolves - approximately

4.4million years before present

The first modern humans (homo

sapiens) evolved approximately

100,000 years before present

Determining the Age

of Rocks

Relative Dating of
Rocks
The relative age of rocks

determines the age of rock

layers as younger or older, but
does not give the exact age.

The principle of
uniformitarianism
states that forces that shaped the

Earth in the past continues to shape

the earth today (volcanoes and
weathering and erosion by wind and
water)

Principle of original
horizontality
Sedimentary rocks formed from

sediment deposited millions of

years ago. Sedimentary rocks are
deposited in horizontal layers.
(principle of original
horizontality)

Principle of
superposition
Sedimentary rock is deposited in

horizontal layers over geologic time

with the oldest layer on bottom and
the youngest layer at the top
(principle of superposition)

Faults and Igneous

Intrusions
Sometimes sedimentary rock layers are disturbed by

geological forces. A crack in the rock layer is called a

fault. When igneous rock (volcanic lava) intrudes or cuts
through layers of sedimentary rock it is called an igneous
intrusion.
The principle of cross-cutting relationships states

that a fault or igneous intrusion is always younger than

the rock it cuts across.

Igneous Intrusion in
Rock Layers
Remember that igneous

intrusions (lava) are

always younger than the
rock layers they cut
through. Note the igneous
intrusions (volcanic rock)
cutting through the rock
layer

Relative Age of Rock

The Relative Age of the rock can be determined

by the sequence of the rock layers using the

Principle of Superposition (oldest on the
bottom and youngest at the top).

If the sedimentary rock layer has been disturbed

by a fault or igneous intrusion, the fault or

intrusion is always younger than the rock layer
they cut through (cross-cutting)

 Certain fossils called Index fossils help geologists

determine the Relative Age of rocks.

To be a useful Index fossil:

- the fossil must be widely distributed different

geographic areas
- and represent an organism that existed only
briefly

Index fossils
Trilobites were a group of hard shelled

animals that evolved in shallow sea more

than 500 million years ago (trilobites became
extinct at the end of the Paleozoic Era)
Trilobites are useful as index fossils because

they were widely distributed geographically

and represent an organism that existed
briefly.

Example of an index fossil (trilobite) in

layers of sedimentary rock. How old is the
bottom layer?

Absolute Age of Rocks

To determine the Relative Age of Rocks geologists use

the Principles of Superposition, Cross-Cutting

Relationships, and Index fossils.

To determine the Absolute Age (exact age) of rock,

geologists use Radiometric Dating.

How did geologist determine the Earth was 4.6 billion

years old?