Links to help understand the immensity of the Geologic Time Scale
http://www.bonnechere.ca/naturalhistory.htm
http://comp.uark.edu/~sboss/geotime.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/1650/The-geologic-time-scale-from-650-million-years-ago-to
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/prehistoric-time-line/
http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~museum/hughes/TimeScale.pdf
http://www.rocksinmyheadtoo.com/TimeLine.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth
http://geology.com/time.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r10oh1NHKv4&safe=active
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PQURsc2SYs
http://www.classzone.com/science_book/mls_grade7_FL/473_479.pdf
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/index.html
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/time/timeline/home.html
http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/evolvingplanet/POST/EP_V8.swf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxDxDE666vw&safe=active
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/brief-history-life.html
http://www.earthsciweek.org/classroom-activities/geologic-time-scale-analogy
http://www.uh.edu/~jbutler/physical/chap9mult.html
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
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Knowing the Acronyms
b.y.a.. = __________________________ m.y.a. = _________________________
Things to know about the Geologic Time Scale
Beginning of the Earth ________________ b.y.a.
➜ The beginning of the Hadean Eon was _________________ b.y.a.
➜ The beginning of the Archeozioc Eon was ___________________ b.y.a.
➜ The beginning of the Proterozoic Eon was ________________ b.y.a.
➜ The beginning of the Phanerozoic Eon was _________________ m.y.a.
✱ The beginning of the Paleozoic Era was ___________________ m.y.a.
✱ The beginning of the Mesozoic Era was _________________ m.y.a.
✱ The beginning of the Cenozoic Era was ___________________ m.y.a.
✦ The last Period of the Cenozoic Era is the quarternary period which began
___________________ m.y.a
✧ The last epoch of the Cenozoic Era was the Holocene epoch which
began ____________________ years ago.
Examples
➜ Trilobite
Found in the _________________ era and first appeared ________________m.y.a.
➜ First appearance of fish
Found in the ________________ era and first appeared ___________________ m.y.a.
➜ Tyrannosaurus rex
Found in the _________________ era and first appeared _______________ m.y.a.
➜ Homo sapiens (humans)
Found in the __________________ era and first appeared _______________ years ago
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of California
Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. To view
a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford,
California 94305, USA.
Eon
Era
Period
Mesozoic Era
Paleozoic Era
Phanerozoic Eon
Cenozoic Era
Neogene
Millions
of years
ago
Today –
23
Paleogene
23 –
65
Cretaceous
65 –
145
Jurassic
145 – 200
Triassic
200 – 251
Permian
251 – 299
Carboniferous
299 – 359
Devonian
354 – 417
Silurian
417 – 443
Ordovician
443 – 488
Cambrian
488 – 543
Proterozoic Eon
543 –
2,500
Archean Eon
2,500 –
3,800
Hadean Eon
3,800 –
4,570
Major biological events
The beginning of the Neogene is when the first hominids
(early humans) appeared. Modern humans appeared and
developed civilization by the end of this period.
Mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant camels
dominated until 10,000 years ago when many large
mammals went extinct.
Rise of the mammals and birds. Rodents, primates, pigs,
cats, dogs, bears and whales appear. Flowering plants
spread across the globe.
Dinosaurs continue to dominate the land. Marsupials,
modern sharks, bees and butterflies appear. Flowering
plants appear. Period ends with the mass extinction of the
dinosaurs and many plants.
Dinosaurs dominate the land. Mammals are common but
small. Feathered dinosaurs and birds appear. The most
common land plants are ferns, palm-like trees called
cycads, and grasses.
The few survivors of the Permian extinction go on to
populate the land and oceans. New species like mammals,
dinosaurs and crocodiles appear.
Amphibians dominate the land. Early cone-bearing plants
like pine trees appear. Period ends with the largest mass
extinction known with 95% of all marine species and 50%
of all animals going extinct.
Many swamps on land and sponge reefs in the oceans.
Reptiles appear. Early winged insects and cockroaches
appear.
Fish spread across the oceans. Amphibians appear. The
first trees and other plants spread across the land creating
the first forests.
Spiders, scorpions, insects, complex plants, and fish with
bony jaws appear. Fish adapt to living in rivers and fresh
water for the first time.
First land plants appear. Primitive fungi and sea weed
appears. The oceans are full of corals, mollusks, worms,
primitive fish, and echinoderms like starfish.
A large number of new animal species appear in a
relatively short time. First fish appear. No known life on
land yet.
First multi-celled organisms like sponges appear. Earliest
complex life forms are algae from 1.4 billion years ago.
Oxygen begins to accumulate in the atmosphere.
Earliest life on Earth are bacteria from 3.5 billion years
ago. Earth is very different from today. The atmosphere is
mostly methane and ammonia. The continents only just
have begun to form.
No known life. The Earth’s crust cools and solidifies. The
moon forms.
Assembled from the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2004 report A Geologic Time Scale and from information on the Univeristy of
California Museum of Paleontology website (http://www.ucmp.org). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons,
559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.