Introduction to the
Geologic Time
Scale
The geologic time scale is a system
used by geologists and
paleontologists to represent the
history of the Earth. It is divided into
several divisions, each of which
represents a period of time with
distinct characteristics and defining
events.
by Ruth Grace Comodero
RG
What does the time scale represent?
The geologic time scale divides up the history of the
earth based on life-forms that have existed during specific
times since the creation of the planet. These divisions are
called geochronologic units (geo: rock, chronology:
time).
Most of these life-forms are found as fossils, which are
the remains or traces of an organism from the geologic
past that has been preserved in sediment or rock.
Without fossils, scientists may not have concluded that
the earth has a history that long precedes mankind.
The Geologic Time Scale is divided by the
following divisions:
Eons: Longest subdivision; based on the abundance of
certain fossils
Eras: Next to longest subdivision; marked by major
changes in the fossil record
Periods: Based on types of life existing at the time
Epochs: Shortest subdivision; marked by
differences in life forms and can vary from continent
to continent.
Due to the fact that early geologists had no way
of knowing how the discoveries of the Earth were
going to develop, geologist over time have put the
time scale together piece by piece.
Units were named as they were discovered.
Sometimes unit names were borrowed from local
geography, from a person, or from the type of rock
that dominated the unit.
Examples
Cambrian: From the Latin name for Wales.
Named for exposures of strata found in a type-
section in Wales by British geologist Adam
Sedgwick.
Devonian: Named after significant outcrops
first discovered near Devonshire, England
Jurassic: Named for representative strata first
seen in the Jura Mountains by German geologist
Humboldt in 1795)
Cretaceous: From the Latin “creta” meaning
chalk by a Belgian geologist
The earliest time of the Earth is called the Hadean and
refers to a period of time for which we have no rock record,
and the Archean followed, which corresponds to the ages of
the oldest known rocks on earth. These, with the Proterozoic
Eon are called the Precambrian Eon. The remainder of
geologic time, including present day, belongs to the
Phanerozoic Eon.
While the units making up the time scale are called
geochronologic units, the actual rocks formed during those
specific time intervals are called chronostratigraphic units.
The actual rock record of a period is called a system, so
rocks from the Cambrian Period are of the Cambrian system.
Precambrian Eon: The Longest and
Oldest Division
Formation of Earth Early Life Forms
The Precambrian eon represents During this eon, the first single-
the vast time from the formation celled and later multicellular life
of the Earth about 4.6 billion forms emerged, laying the
years ago to the beginning of the groundwork for the explosion of
Cambrian period, around 541 complex life in the following eons.
million years ago.
Paleozoic Era: The Era of Ancient Life
Diverse Marine Life Land Plants
The Paleozoic era is This era witnessed
known for the the rise of terrestrial
abundance and diversity plants, including
of marine life, with early primitive forests and
fish, corals, and the first seed-bearing
invertebrates dominating plants.
the oceans.
Mass Extinction Events
The Paleozoic era ended with the largest mass
extinction event in Earth's history, marking the
boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic
eras.
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:
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:
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 (Age of the
Fish)
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:
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:
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.
Mesozoic Era: The Era of Dinosaurs
1 Triassic Period
The Mesozoic era began with the Triassic period,
characterized by the rise of the first dinosaurs
and the diversification of early mammals.
2 Jurassic Period
In the Jurassic period, dinosaurs reached their
peak in diversity, and iconic species like
Diplodocus and Stegosaurus roamed the Earth.
3 Cretaceous Period
The era ended with the Cretaceous period, which
saw the dominance of the largest dinosaurs like
Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops.
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:
Pangea still breaking
apart
Dinosaurs flourish
“Golden age of dinosaurs”
First birds appear
North America
continues to rotate away
from Africa
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.
Cenozoic Era: The Era of Mammals
1 Adaptive Radiation 2 Human Evolution
The Cenozoic era saw It is in the Cenozoic era
the rapid diversification that the first prehistoric
and expansion of humans emerged,
mammals, filling evolving from early
ecological niches left primate ancestors.
vacant by the
3 extinction
Ice Agesof dinosaurs.
The latter part of the era experienced fluctuating
climate patterns, leading to the onset of ice ages and
significant changes in global ecosystems.
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:
Modern humans develop and ice sheets
are predominant- Ice age (Pleistocene)
Holocene Humans flourish (Holocene)
PaleoMaps used with permission from Christopher Scotese and are under copyright
of C.R. Scotese, 2002
Quaternary Period: The Most
Recent Period
Glacial Periods Extinction Events
The Quaternary Several megafauna
period is extinction events
characterized by occurred during this
repeated glaciations, period, leading to the
featuring both glacial disappearance of iconic
and interglacial Ice Age creatures such
periods that shaped as mammoths and
the Earth's sabre-toothed cats.
landscapes.
Holocene Epoch: The Current Epoch
Human Civilization Climate Change
The Holocene epoch encompasses the rise It also signifies the onset of
and expansion of human civilizations, anthropogenic climate
marked by significant advancements in change, with human
technology, agriculture, and culture. activities influencing the
Earth's climate patterns on a
global scale.
Major Events in Geologic History
1 Formation of Earth
The formation of Earth and the origin of the solar
system set the stage for the unfolding drama of
geologic time.
2 Mass Extinction Events
Throughout history, mass extinction events have
reshaped the Earth's biodiversity, leading to the
rise and fall of dominant species.
3 Human Impact
The advent of human civilization has introduced
unprecedented changes to the Earth's
environment, leaving a lasting imprint on the
planet.
Fossil Record and the Study of Geologic
Stratigraphy Radioisotope Dating
Geologists use the study of rock Radioactive dating methods
layers and fossils to understand provide valuable tools for
the sequence of events in assigning accurate ages to
Earth's history, a discipline rocks, fossils, and geologic
known as stratigraphy. events, enhancing our
understanding of the geologic
Conclusion and Summary
Continuous Change Scientific Insights Future Discoveries
The geologic time scale Understanding the Ongoing research and
illustrates the ever- divisions of the discoveries in geology
changing nature of the geologic time scale and paleontology
Earth, with periods of offers valuable continue to refine our
stability and dramatic insights into the understanding of the
transformations history of life on geologic time scale,
shaping the planet over Earth and the forces uncovering new
billions of years. that have shaped the chapters in Earth's
world we live in story.
today.
