Geologic Time and Earth’s

Biological History
 What is the Geologic Time Scale
The Geological time scale is a record of the life forms and geological
events in Earth’s history.

It is a chronologic schema (or idealized model) relating to time

that is used by geologist, palaeontologists and other Earth
scientists to describe the timing and relationships between
events that have occurred during the history of the Earth.
Geologic time is broken up into sections
based on major changes on Earth.
Eon: half a billion years or more
Era: several hundred million years
Period: one hundred million years
Epoch: tens of million of years
Age: million of years
 GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
MYA ERA PERIOD EPOCH PLATE TECTONICS LIFE

-Mastadons become extinct

-Human culture flourishes
0.01 Holocene Beaches and barrier islands form
-Accelerating extinction of many
Quaternary species

-Modern humans develop

1.8 Pleistocene Ice sheets form -Asians arrive and settle the
Americas

-Volcanic activity in North

5.3 Pliocene America and Africa Hominids develop
-Grand Canyon forms
Cenozoic
Horses, mastadons, mammoths,
“Age of
23.8 Miocene Sandhills form in S.C. tigers, and camels live in South
Mammals”
Carolina

Appalachians uplift; erosion

33.7 Oligocene Cats, dogs, and apes appear
Tertiary increases

-Grass spreads widely

Sea levels rise; deposits of marine
-Diverse array of animals develop,
54.8 Eocene sediments – limestone in S.C.;
including whales, rhinos, and
land bridges form
elephants

Earthquakes common; Georgia

-First horses appear (size of a cat)
65.0 Paleocene Embayment, Cape Fear Arch
-Tropical plants dominate
forms in Southeast

Mass extinction occurs at the end -T-Rex develops but number of

of the period caused by a dinosaur species decline
144 Cretaceous meteorite impact (Dinosaurs, -Snakes appear and first primates
ammonites and 25% of marine life appear
become extinct) -Angiosperms appear
Mesozoic
“Age of Western US: orogeny of Rockies;
-First birds appear
206 Reptiles” Jurassic North America continues to rotate
-Golden age of dinosaurs
away from Africa

-Pangea begins to break apart First dinosaurs, mammals,

248 Triassic -Rocky Mountains and Sierra crinoids, and modern echinoids
Nevada form appear

-90% of Earth’s species become

extinct, including trilobites,
-Pangea forms
290 Permian blastoids, fish and amphibians
-Appalachians rise
because of heavy volcanism in
Siberia
 -Reptiles develop from
Great swamps develop (future
320 Pennsylvanian amphibians
coal deposits

Carboniferous
-Flying insects appear

-First seed plants appear

Much of North America is under -Sea life flourishes including
354 Mississippian
water coral, brachiopods, blastoids, and
bryozoa

-Dominant animals: fish

Acadian Orogeny – SC
417 Devonian -Amphibians, evergreens and
Paleozoic metamorphism
ferns appear
“Age of
Invertebrates” First land plants appear and land
443 Silurian Extensive erosion
animals follow
-Beginning of the construction of
-First animals with bones appear
South Carolina
-Dominant animals: marine
490 Ordovician -Great extinction due to growth of
invertebrates including corals and
ice caps including in what is now
trilobites
northern Africa
-Explosion of life
-All existing phyla came into
being here
S.C. near the equator; island arc
-Life forms in warm seas as
540 Cambrian continues to move toward North
oxygen levels rose enough to
America
support life
-Dominant animals: trilobites and
brachiopods
Earth takes 10 million years to
No life possible as the Earth
cool: initial atmosphere escapes
initially forms 4.6 billion years
into space (H&He) and the core
ago.
forms (Fe&Ni)
Simple, single-celled forms of life
Volcanic outgassing of water and
appear 3.8 billion years ago.
Precambrian carbon dioxide occurred for
4600 They will become more complex
(Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic Ages) millions of years, helping to build
and successful over the next 3
atmosphere and then oceans
billion years: Prokaryotes then
At 3 billion years ago, banded
Eukaryotes
iron formation rocks appear due
Cyanobacteria begins producing
to rising oxygen levels in the
free oxygen (photosynthesis)
atmosphere and sea
Eons:
Precambrian: Earliest span of time
Phanerozoic: Everything since

Eras:
Paleozoic Periods:
Mesozoic Cambrian
Cenozoic Ordovician
Silurian
Paleozoic Devonian
“Age of
Invertebrates” Carboniferous
(Missipp. & Pennsylvanian)
Permian Epochs:
Triassic Paleocene
Jurassic Eocene
Mesozoic Cretaceous Oligocene
“Age of Reptiles”
Paleogene
Neogene Miocene
Cenozoic Quaternary Pliocene
“Age of
Mammals”
Pleistocene
Holocene
We are living in the Phanerozoic Eon, Cenozoic Era,
Quaternary Period, Holocene Epoch
 If we represent Earth’s
history on a 24 hour clock…
 Precambrian
(543 million years ago to 4 billion years ago)
– “Age of bacteria”
– Oldest Eon
• Life: Very little life: only basic forms
• Photosynthesis added oxygen to the early atmosphere,
paving the way for land life.
• Precambrian time covers approximately 88% of Earth’s
history.
 Hadean era
formation of the Earth
(4.6-4 billion years ago)
 Archean era
cooling of the Earth’s crust
(4-2.5 billion years ago)
 Proterozoic era
cooling of the Earth’s crust
2.5 billion years ago- 541 million years ago
 What Happened During the
Precambrian Era?

• Earth formed
• Life arose
• First tectonic plates arose and began to
move
• Eukaryotic cells evolved
• Atmosphere became enriched in oxygen
• And, just before the end of the Precambrian,
complex multicellular organisms, including the
first animals, evolved.
 Precambrian Animals
• Most organisms had soft bodies which looked
like modern jellyfish and worms
• Stromatolites: layered mats formed by colonies
or groups of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae
thought to be one of the earliest life forms on
Earth.)
• Invertebrates (animals with no backbone)
appeared near the end of the Precambrian Time
Proterozoic Era
During the Precambrian time, there were fewer
life forms. These life forms are more difficult to
identify and the rocks have been disturbed.
 MASS EXTINCTION
• MASS EXTINCTION IS THE EVENT THAT
ENDED PRECAMBRIAN TIME.

• Precambrian time were marked by a prolonged

global ice age. This may have led to widespread
extinctions
 Paleozoic
543 million years ago to 248 million years ago

• “Age of the Fish”

• Explosion of life in the sea: trilobites,
shellfish, Fish
• Life appears on land: Ferns, Amphibians
• Pangaea formed
• Largest mass extinction ever at the end of
the Paleozoic. 90% of species became
extinct.
 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 Pangea, 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.
 Paleozoic Era (Ancient Life)
• The Cambrian period is the 1st period of the Paleozoic Era.
“Age of the Trilobites”
• Explosion of life in the oceans began during this era.
• Most of the continents were covered in warm, shallow
seas.
– Invertebrates were dominate - 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.
Cambrian:
 Cambrian
 Explosion of life
 All existing phyla come into being at this time
 Life forms in warm seas as oxygen levels rise enough
to support life
 Dominant animals: Marine invertebrates (trilobites and
brachiopods)
 Supercontinent Gondwana forms near the South Pole
(note position of present-day Florida)
Ordovician
 Ordovician
 The 1st animals with bones appear, though
dominant animals are still trilobites, brachiopods
and corals
 The beginning of the construction of South
Carolina
 A very cold time in Earth’s history: there was a
great extinction due to ice caps in present-day
Africa
 Four main continents: Gondwana, Baltica,
Siberia and Laurentia
Silurian
 Silurian

 First land plants appear and land animals follow

 Laurentia collides with Baltica and closes
Iapetus Sea.
 Coral reefs expand and land plants begin to
colonize barren land.
 First millipede fossils and sea scorpions
(Euryptides) found in this period
Devonian
 Devonian
 Pre-Pangea forms. Dominant animal: fish
 Oceans still freshwater and fish migrate from
southern hemisphere to North America.
 Present-day Arctic Canada was at the equator and
hardwoods began to grow.
 Amphibians, evergreens and ferns appear
 The Acadian Orogeny, leading to S.C.
metamorphism
Mississippian and Pennsylvanian:
Carboniferous Period
 Mississippian and Pennsylvanian:
Carboniferous Period
Mississippian:
 First seed plants appear
 Much of North America is covered by shallow seas and sea
life flourishes (bryoza, brachipods, blastoids)

Pennsylvanian:
 Modern North America begins to form
 Ice covers the southern hemisphere and coal swamps
formed along equator.
 Lizards and winged insects first appear.
Permian
 Permian
 Last period of the Paleozoic
 Pangea forms. Reptiles spread across
continents.
 The Appalachians rise
 90% of Earth’s species become extinct
due to volcanism in Siberia. This marks the
end of trilobites, ammonoids, blastoids, and
most fish.
Pangea formed
 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)
 Brachiopods

• Marine animals that resemble clams.

Early Fish

Early fish did not have jaws.

Some species of sharks
were in existence at this
time.
Frilled Shark that was found in Japan in January 2007. This shark was
considered a “living fossil”
 Early Land Plants

Mosses

Cone bearing plants

Ferns
 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
 Mesozoic
248 mya- 65mya
• The middle life
• “Age of the Reptiles”
• Life: Reptiles are the dominant life on
land. Dinosaurs exist. Birds appear.
Forests of trees appear
• Pangea broke apart during this period.
• Dinosaurs become extinct in a mass
extinction at the end of the Mesozoic.
 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.
Reptiles: Appeared in the Permian and quickly became the
dominant life form.

…until Dinosaurs
took over.

They ruled the planet

throughout the
Mesozoic era (the
“Age of Dinosaurs”).
 Mesozoic Era
• The main plant life of this time were
Gymnosperms or plants that produce seeds,
but no flowers.
– Pine Trees
• Angiosperms are Flowering plants that
during the END of this era.
 Birds
Some of the
dinosaurs are
thought to have
evolved into birds.

Archaeopteryx is
the oldest fossil
bird found to date.
Triassic
 Triassic
 First dinosaurs appear
 First mammals- small rodents appear
 Life and fauna re-diversify
 Rocky Mountains form.
 First turtle fossil from this period
 Pangea breaks apart
Jurassic
 Jurassic
 Pangea still breaking apart
 Dinosaurs flourish “Golden age of
dinosaurs”
 First birds appear
 North America continues to rotate
away from Africa
Cretaceous
 Cretaceous
 T-Rex develops
 First snakes and primates appear
 Deciduous trees and grasses common
 First flowering plants
 Mass extinction marks the end of the Mesozoic Era,
with the demise of dinoaurs and 25% of all marine life.
 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.
 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.

• Many scientists believe that this event was

caused by a comet or asteroid colliding with
the Earth.
Mesozoic Mammals
 Cenozoic
65 mya- present

• “Age of the Mammals”

• Life: Large mammals appear,
Humans appear
• Ice ages occur
 Mammals

Mammals first appeared in the Mesozoic as small

rodents. After the dinosaurs were erased at the
end of the Mesozoic, Mammals quickly evolved
to become the dominant life form.
The Cenozoic is the “Age of Mammals”.
 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”
 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.
Cenozoic Mammals
Flowering Plants were common
during the Cenozoic Era
Tertiary
 Tertiary
 First horses appear and tropical plants dominate
(Paleocene)
 Grasses spread and whales, rhinos, elephants
and other large mammals develop. Sea level rises
and limestone deposits form in S.C. (Eocene)
 Dogs, cats, and apes appear (Oligocene)
 Horses, mastadons, camels, and tigers roam free
in S.C. (Miocene)
 Hominids develop and the Grand Canyon forms
(Pliocene)
Quaternary
 Quaternary
 Modern humans develop and ice sheets are
predominant- Ice age (Pleistocene)
 Holocene Humans flourish (Holocene)
 Impact of an asteroid or
comet
• What is the difference between asteroids
and comets? The main difference
between asteroids and comets is what
they are made of. Asteroids are made
up of metals and rocky material, while
comets are made up of ice, dust and
rocky material. Both asteroids and
comets were formed early in the history
of the solar system about 4.5 billion
years ago.
• Asteroids formed much closer to the
sun, where it was too warm for ices to
remain solid. Comets formed farther
from the sun where ices would not
melt. Comets which approach the sun
loose material with each orbit because
some of their ice melts and vaporizes
to form a tail.
 Impact of an asteroid or
comet
• Earth’s atmosphere protects the planet
from many of the meteors that enter it,
resulting in their burning up before
striking the surface.
• At the end of the Mesozoic Era, when
reptiles, early birds and mammals thrived,
many groups of animals disappeared
suddenly.
• Scientists hypothesize that possibly a
large asteroid or comet impacted with
Earth.
• This impact caused dust and smoke to
rise into the atmosphere and cause
climatic changes, as well as the dying of
many forms of plant life and animals that
depended on those plants for food.
• A major life form that disappeared at
this time was the dinosaur.
 Climatic changes
• Earth’s environments have many
different climates even today. Climate
is an ever-changing condition on Earth.

• Earliest life forms were influenced by the

climates produced by the forming
atmosphere and oceans of Earth.
•  
• Life on land developed and flourished
in the tropical climates and warm
shallow seas during the Paleozoic Era.
Throughout this era as different land
environments formed and sea levels
changed, new life forms developed.
Other life forms that could not adapt or
find suitable conditions, especially
many marine species, disappeared.
• During the Mesozoic era, many climate
changes occurred due to plate
tectonics and the movement of
landmasses. Plants and animals that
survived through this time had structures
and systems that allowed for greater
adaptations, such as seed coverings for
plant seeds and protective body
coverings or constant internal
temperature for animals.
• During the present Cenozoic era, climate
conditions continue to change. Major ice
ages caused the climate to become much
cooler as ice sheets and glaciers covered
many areas of Earth. Many mountain
ranges formed causing climate
differences due to elevation and due to
location near those ranges.
•  
 Volcanic activity
• From the earliest days while Earth was
forming to present day, volcanic
activity has been part of the nature of
this changing planet.
• During the Precambrian time volcanic
activity was one of the most natural
events, but lava flows, ash clouds in the
atmosphere, and heat made conditions
for life forms extremely difficult.
• Volcanic activity continued to be
common in the Paleozoic era. During
the rapid movement of plates in the
Mesozoic era, collisions and
subduction produced extensive
volcanic activity around plate
boundaries.
• Plate boundaries are still the location of
much of Earth’s volcanic activity.
• Very explosive volcanic activity can
send ash and dust high into the
atmosphere where it is carried great
distances around the Earth. The Sun
can be blocked for long periods of time.
This violent type of activity can disrupt
many of Earth’s processes and
ultimately the life forms that depend on
those processes.
• The eras of Earth history can be studied in
light of conditions on Earth, the effect of
those conditions on life-forms, and the
possibilities of rapid changes to both
(environmental conditions and life forms)
due to catastrophes.