Geological Time Scale

Geologic Timescale
Measuring Time
• The Geological time scale is a record of the life
forms and geological events in Earth’s history.
• Scientists developed the time scale by studying rock

layers and fossils world wide.
•
Radioactive dating helped determine the
absolute divisions in the time scale.
Giving Time a Name
• The largest sections are called
“eons”.
• “Eons” are divided into “eras”
(the 2ndlargest section).
• “Eras” are divided into
“periods”.
• ‘Periods’ are
divided into ‘epochs”.
Eons
• Largest, most general division
of time.
• 2 Eons
• The eons are: Cryptozoic
(Precambrian) eon and
Phanerozoic eon.
• Precambrian and
Phanerozoic eon both
consists of three eras as
shown in the figure.
Eras
• EachEon is broken up into Eras. Major eras in
Earth’shistory:
• • Archean (4600 mya - 2500mya)
• Proterozoic (2500 mya - 540mya)
• Paleozoic (540mya - 250mya)
• Mesozoic (250 mya - 65.5mya)
• Cenozoic (65.5 mya –present)
*mya refers to million years ago.

Periods
• Each Era is divided into even more
specific blocks of time called
periods.
• Various geologic events are
associated with each period.
• Each period is again classified
into different epochs.
How is Time Divided?
◦ Major changesin Earth’s history mark theboundaries between thesections.
• ◦ Most sections have been divided becauseamajor organism developed or went extinct
ineach section.
•
Cryptozoic eon (Precambrian time)
• Lasted from 540 million years agoto
4600 million yearsago.
• Oldest and longest (covers almost 90% of
earth’s history).
• simple organisms- bacteria, algae,
protozoa was born.
• Oldest rocks that we know werefound in
this eon which dates to about 3.5 billion
yearsold.
• Divided into 2 eras: Proterozoicand
Archean era.
Archean era
• Lasted from 2500 million years

ago – 4600 million years ago.
• Earliest plants (marine algae)
developed.
• The first life bacteria cameinto
existence (3800 million years
ago).
• The oldest rocks (3500 million
years ago) were formed in this
era.
Proterozoic era

ago to 2500 million yearsago.
• Marine invertebrates were
probably common, few with
shells.
• Glaciations took place in this
era, probably worldwide.
Phanerozoic eon
• Began from 540 million years

ago and is still continuing today.
• Divided into three eras:
i) Paleozoic era (Past life)
ii)Mesozoic era (Middle life)
iii)Cenozoic era (Present life)
Palaeozoic Era
• Began 570 million years ago and
ended 250 million yearsago.
• Divided into 6 periods (Permian,
Carboniferous period, Devonian,
Silurian, Ordovician, Cambrian).
• For the first time on Earth, organisms
had hard parts (shells, exoskeletons).
Evolution and development of
• pteridophytes, amphibians, reptiles,
fishes, wing bearing insects, trilobites etc.
Mesozoic era

ago to 65 million yearsago.
• Popularly known as Time of
Reptiles.
• Divided into three periods:
Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.
• Dinosaurs, mammals and
gymnosperms appeared.
Cenozoic era
• From 65 million yearsago

to present days.
• Divided into two periods:
Tertiary and Quarterny.
• Development of modern
mammals, angiosperms
and human beings.
Phanerozoic Eon in brief:
i) Carboniferous Period
It lasted from 360 millionyears to
300 Million years. It is animportant period
of Paleozoicera.
During this period, first reptiles and
pteridophytes wereformed and coal
plants got spread. The dead bodies got
buried in this
period forming the coals that weuse today.
ii) Permian
It lied between 300 million years
to 250 million years. It is also an
important period of Palaeozoic
era. Largest mass extinction
happened in this period.
Scientists are not sure what
caused this mass extinction
(maybe climate change &
volcanoes). 90% of ocean life
and 78% of land life died.
iii) Jurassic
Jurassic is an important
period of Mesozoic era. It
lasted from 250 million years
ago to 200 million years ago.
During this period, first birds
and mammals were formed.
Gymnosperms were dominating
plants. The dinosaurs were
formed in Triassic period
reached at their peak in this
period.
iv) Cretaceous
It is a period of Mesozoic era which
lasted from 150 million years ago to
65.5 million years ago. It marked the
end of the Mesozoic Era and the
beginning of the Cenozoic Era. All of
the dinosaurs and half of the other
animals & plants went extinct in this
period. Scientists think an asteroid
hit Earth, the dustclouds blocked
out the sun. As a result, plants died,
then herbivores,then carnivores.
v)Quarternery period
It is a period of Cenozoicera
which has been lasting from
1.8 million years ago to
present days. In this period,
the humans evolved as the
most intelligent creature of
earth and took over. It is
divided into 2 epochs
namely: Pleistocene and
Holocene.

Geological Time Scale

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Geologic Timescale

• Scientists developed the time scale by studying rock

*mya refers to million years ago.

• Lasted from 2500 million years

• Lasted from 540 million years

• Began from 540 million years

• Lasted from 250 million years

• From 65 million yearsago

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