GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE Earth today have been at work

throughout Earth’s history.

o James Hutton- cottish geologist,
chemist, naturalist, and
originator of one of the
fundamental principles of
geology—uniformitarianism
 Today, geologists realize that neither
uniformitarianism nor catastrophism
accounts for all geologic change.
 While most geologic change is
gradual and uniform, catastrophes do
cause some geologic change.

Geologic Time Scale

A record of the life forms and geological
events in Earth's history.
 The “calendar” for events in Earth
history
It 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.

GEOLOGY AGE OF THE EARTH: 4 BILLION

 Geology is the scientific study of the YEARS OLD
origin, history, and structure of Earth
and the processes that shape it. Divisions of Geologic Time Scale

Catastrophism Eon Longest subdivision; based on

 Catastrophism is the principle that the abundance of certain
states that all geologic change occurs fossils
suddenly. Era Next to longest subdivision,
o Georges Cuvier- French marked by major changes in
zoologist and statesman, who the fossil record
established the sciences of Period Based on types of life existing
comparative anatomy and at the time
paleontology Epoch Shortest subdivision: marked
by differences in life forms
Uniformitarianism and can vary from continent
 Uniformitarianism is the idea that the to continent.
same geologic processes that shape
Ways to relate time in geology:

Relative Dating Absolute Dating

Estimate whether an Provide more
object is younger or specific origin dates
older than other and time ranges,
things found at the such as an age range
site. in years
Does not offer
specific dates.

Nicholas Steno
 A Danish physician (1638-1687)
described how the position of a rock
layer could be used to show the
relative age of the layer.

Principle of Superstition
 Within a sequence of layers of
sedimentary rock, the oldest layer is at
the base and that the layers are
progressively younger with ascending
order in the sequence.

Principle of Original Horizontality

 States that layers of sediment are
originally deposited horizontally
under the action of gravity.
 Inclusion Principle
 Small fragment of one type of rock
Principle of Lateral Continuity but embedded in a second type of rock
 States that layers of sediment initially must have formed first and were
extend laterally in all directions. included when the second rock was
forming.

Abraham Gattlob Werner

 Became famous for his proposal that
all rocks came from the ocean
environment. (Neptunism).
 He and is followers were called
“neptunists”.

James Hutton
 Formulated an opposing view THE EARTH THROUGH TIME
(plutonism) which states that rock Archean Eon
forming processes are driven by heat  Also spelled Archean Eon, the earlier
contained within the interior of the of the two formal divisions of
Earth. Precambrian time (about 4.6 billion to
541 million years ago) and the period
William Smith when life first formed on Earth.
 Devised the principle of fossil
succession (also called principle of Proterozoic Eon
faunal succession) where fossil  Extended from 2.5 billion to 541
organisms succeed one another million years ago and is often
upward through rock layers in a divided into the Paleoproterozoic
definite and determinable order (2.5 billion to 1.6 billion years ago),
the Mesoproterozoic (1.6 billion to 1
Charles Lyell billion years ago), and the
 Published a book called “Principles of Neoproterozoic (1 billion to 541
Geology”, which became a very million years ago) eras.
important volume in Great Britain.
Phanerozoic Eon
Principle of Cross-cutting Relationships  Span of geologic time extending about
 A rock feature that Cuts across 541 million years from the end of
another feature must be younger that the Proterozoic Eon (which began
the rock that it cuts. about 2.5 billion years ago) to the
present.
Paleozoic Era  Neogene (23 million to 2.6 million
 also spelled Palaeozoic, major interval years ago)
of geologic time that began 541  Quaternary (2.6 million years ago to
million years ago with the Cambrian the present)
explosion.
 The Paleozoic takes its name from the Cambrian Period
Greek word for ancient life.  Explosion of life
o All existing phyla come into
The major divisions of the Paleozoic Era, being at this time
from oldest to youngest:  Life forms in warm seas as oxygen
 Cambrian (541 million to 485.4 levels rise enough to support life
million years ago)  Dominant animals: Marine
 Ordovician (485.4 million to 443.8 invertebrates (trilobites and
million years ago) brachiopods)
 Silurian (443.8 million to 419.2
million years ago) Ordovician Period
 Devonian (419.2 million to 358.9  The 1st animals with bones appear,
million years ago) though dominant animals are still
 Carboniferous (358.9 million to 298.9 trilobites, brachiopods, and corals.
million years ago), and  A very cold time in Earth’s history:
 Permian (298.9 million to 252.2 there was a great extinction due to ice
million years ago) periods. caps in present-day Africa.

Mesozoic Era Silurian Period

 Second of Earth’s three major  First land plants appear and land
geologic eras of Phanerozoic time animals follow.
 Derived from the Greek term for  Coral reefs expand and land plants
“middle life" begin to colonize barren land.
 Began 252.2 million years ago,  First millipede fossils and sea
following the conclusion of the scorpions (Euryptides) found in this
Paleozoic Era, and ended 66 million period.
years ago, at the dawn of the Cenozoic
Era. Devonian Period (Age of Fishes)
 Pre-Pangea froms. Dominant animal:
The major divisions of the Mesozoic Era fish
are, from oldest to youngest:  Oceans still freshwater and fish
 Triassic Period migrate from southern hemisphere to
 Jurassic Period, and North America.
 Cretaceous Period  Amphibians, evergreens and ferns
appear.
Cenozoic Era
 Third of the major eras of Earth’s Mississippian Period
history, beginning about 66 million  First seed plants appear.
years ago and extending to the  Much of North America is covered by
present. shallow seas and sea life flourishes
 Derived from the Greek for recent life. (bryoza, brachiopods, blastoids)

Generally divided into three periods: Pennsylvania Period

 Paleogene (66 million to 23 million  Ice covers the southern hemisphere
years ago) and coal swamps formed along
equator.
  Lizards and winged insects first At Present…
appear. We are in the Holocene Epoch, of the
Quaternary Period, in the Cenozoic Era if
Permian Period the Phanerozoic Eon.
 Last period of the Paleozoic era
 Pangea forms. Reptiles spread across
continents.
 90% of Earth’s species become extinct
due to volcanism in Siberian. This
mark the end of tributes, ammonoids,
blastoids, and most fish.

Triassic Period
 First dinosaurs and first mammals
appear
 Life and fauna re-diversity
 First turtle fossil from this period
 Pangea breaks apart

Jurassic Period
 Pangea still breaking apart
 Dinosaurs flourish “Golden age of
Dinosaurs”
 First birds appear

Cretaceous Period
 First snakes and primates appear;
flowering plants appear
 Mass extinction marks the end of the
Mesozoic Era, with the demise of
dinosaurs and 25% of all marine life.

Tertiary
 First horses appear and tropical plants
dominate (Paleocene)
 Grasses spread and whales, rhinos,
elephants and other large mammals
develop (Eocene)
 Dogs, cats, and apes appear
(Oligocene)
 Horses, mastodons, camels, and tigers
roam free (Miocene)
 Hominids develop and the Grand
Canyon forms (Pliocene)

Quaternary
 Modern humans develop and ice
sheets are predominant- Ice age
(Pleistocene)
 Human flourish (Holocene)