ENV: 1203

Fundamentals of Earth
Science
Fowzia Ahmed
Lecturer
Department of Environmental Science
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)
Email: [email protected]
 What is a geologic time scale?

System of chronologic measurement relating to

stratigraphy to time that is used by geologist
and other earth scientists
• 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.
 Several major incidences have happened in the
history of the earth.
a) mass extinctions,
b) appearance of new species or genera of life,
c) mountain-building movements
d) drifting of continents
e) spreading of ocean floors
f) widespread glaciations
g) dominance of certain species
h) massive migration of life between land and water
 Period
Era Epoch
Eon Period
Era Period
• The period is the basic unit of geological time in which a single type of rock system is
formed.

• Two or more periods comprise a geological Era.

• Two or more Eras form an Eon, the largest division of geologic time.

• Some periods are divided into epochs.

• a) EON is the mega unit comprising a duration of half a billion years (or)
more time
• b) ERA is used to refer the duration of several hundred millions of years
• c) PERIOD is used to cover hundreds of millions of years
• d) EPOCH is used to denote the duration of Tens of Millions of years and
• e) AGE is used to cover a duration of Millions of years in the earth’s
history.
The Geologic Time Scale of the earth’s is divided into two major
eons as

Cryptozoic/precambria
Phanerozoic eon
n eon.
 Today…

• Today we are in the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period

of the Cenozoic Era.
 Precambrian
Hadean Eon Archeozoic Eon Proterozoic Eon 
4.6 to 3.9 billion (Archean) 2.5 billion years ago
years ago 3.9 to 2.5 billion to 540 mya
years ago *multi-celled, animals
“Rockless Eon" - The appear, including
"Ancient Life"
solidifying of the sponges.
Earth's continental The first life forms
*First multicellular life:
evolve
and oceanic crusts. colonial algae and soft-
bodied invertebrates
appear.
 The Precambrian era

1. First appearance of life on earth

2. Tectonic Plates were present and began moving
3. Atmosphere became enriched in oxygen
4. Dry and cold climate to warm and moist conditions prevailed
on the earth.
 The Archean Era
• Extensive mountain-building,
• Existence of shallow seas
• Accumulation of free oxygen, and
• Origin of life, especially the prokaryotes, bacteria and blue-
green algae.
 The Proterozoic Era
• Dry and Cold climate
• Warm and moist conditions
• Origin of Eukaryotic cells and multicellular life
• Occurrence of earliest known fossils including of soft-bodied marine
invertebrates,
• Origin of Sponges, Cnidarians and Annelids.
 Phanerozoic eon
Paleozoic Era:
The Paleozoic is bracketed by two of the most
important events in the history of animal life.
1. Multicellular animals went dramatic
diversity explosion
2. Largest Mass extinction of mostly 90% of
marine organisms
 Paleozoic era
Cambrian Period
"The Age of Trilobites"
540 to 500 mya
 Cambrian period

• Shelled Marine invertebrates

• Explosive growth of Eukaryotic organisms
• Appearance of Trilobites, Brachiopods, Gastropods, radiolarians, sponges,
echinoderms, starfish, sea cucumbers, jelly fish, worms and water scorpions
• Existence of plants was observed only as algae.
• Absence of land plants.
• Prosperity of life in the oceans than lands.
 Trilobites

• Lived in Earth’s ancient seas

• Extinct before the dinosaurs came
into existence
• Cambrian Period is know as the
“Age of the Trilobites”
 Paleozoic era

Ordovician Period
505 to 438 mya
 Early Land Plants

Mosses

Cone bearing plants

Ferns
 The Ordovician period

• All plants and animals still restricted to water

• First vertebrates originated as jawless fishes
• Invertebrates dominated
• First fungi originated
• Invasions of land by plants started
• Southern Continents were collected into a single land mass. It was named as
Gondwana Land.
 Paleozoic era

Silurian Period
438 to 408 mya
 The Silurian Period
• Notable Mountain building occurred in Europe
• Rise of fishes and reef building corals
• Abundance of shell-forming sea animals
• Invasion of land by arthropods
• Origin of the earliest Vascular Plants on earth
• Modern group of Algae and Fungi got evolved.
 Paleozoic era

Devonian Period
"The Age of Fishes"
408 to 360 mya
 The Devonian Period
• Age of fishes, sharks and rays
• Fishes move into the open seas.
• Lunged fishes, amphibians appeared in Devonian.
• Mollusks were abundant
• Extinction of primitive vascular plants happened
• Origin of modern Vascular plants with true leaves, roots and stems
• Earth appeared to look green
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”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2J0ZQWvr8s
 Paleozoic era
Carboniferous Mississippian
Period
360 to 325 mya
 Paleozoic era
Carboniferous
Pennyslvanian Period
325 to 280 mya
 The Carboniferous Period
• It is known for its coal deposits, lime stones and Grit stones
• Abundant life on land and water.
• Large Primitive Trees,
• First land vertebrates
• First Reptiles laid eggs with shells in this period.
• Highest ever atmospheric oxygen levels seen on earth was in this period.
 Paleozoic era
Permian Period
"The Age of Amphibians"
280 to 248 mya
 The Permian Period
• Reduction in all types of life.
• Almost 95% of life on the earth became extinct.
• Primitive reptiles dominated in places.
• Extinction of all Trilobites, Graptolites and Blastoids.
• Beetles and flies got evolved.
• Marine life flourished in warm shallow reefs.
 The Triassic Period
• Continent emergent
• Seas marginal
• Appearance of Primitive Mammals
• Domination of Reptiles and Cycads.
• First mammals and crocodilian appeared.
• Modern Corals appeared.
• Appearance of modern conifers, cycadeoids, first turtles, lizards, mammals and
dinosaurs.
 The Jurassic Period
• Many types of Dinosaurs-Sauropods, Carnosaurs and steepsaurs dominated.
• Great plant eating dinosaurs were in existence.
• Oceans were with full of fish, squids and coiled ammonites.
• Appearance of the first frogs, salamanders, crocodiles, flying reptiles and birds were
noticed.
• The First birds and lizards appeared.
• Breakup of Pangaea into Gondwana and Laurasia happened during this period only.
 The Cretaceous Period
• This is the last period of the age of Dinosaurs.
• First primates, angiosperms appeared.
• Primitive birds appeared (toothed birds and flying reptiles)
• Breakup of Gondwana and beginning of Rocky Mountains.
• Modern sharks appeared in the sea.
What Killed the Dinosaurs?
 Palaeocene Period
• Climate Tropical
• Modern plants appear.
• Mammals diversity into a number of primitive lineages following the
extinction of the dinosaurs.
• First large mammals.
 Eocene Period
• Extensive terrestrial sedimentation
• Dawn of mammalian dominance.
• Moderate, cooling climate
• Archaic mammals flourished
• Primitive whales diversity was seen.
• First grasses appeared.
 Oligocene Period
• Rapid evolution and diversification of fauna especially the mammals and
modern flowering plants.
• Early ancestral elephants.
 Miocene Period

• Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable.

• First Apes appeared.
• Whales, Apes and grazing mammals dominated.
• Widespread volcanism and basalt flows were seen.
• Notable advances in the horses and elephant families.
• Spread of grasslands as forests contracted.
 Pliocene Period
• Continental uplift and mt building.
• Ice Age begins.
• Many of the existing generation of mammals and recent mollusks appear.
• Homo habilis appears.
• Horses and Elephants became almost modern in appearance.
• First known appearance of hominids (human like primates).
 Pleistocene Period
• The Era of ice ages.
• Glacial climate.
• Fluorishing and then extinction of many large mammals.
• Evolution of modern humans.
• Planetary spread of Honosapiens over Eurasia.
• Extinction of many species due to ice ages.
• Extinction of many large mammals and birds due to humans.
 Holocene Period
• Rise of human civilization.
• Major habitat changes and deforestations caused by Introduction of Pests and habitat destruction.
• Beginning of Agriculture.
• Humans built cities.
• Copper Age 3500 BC
• Bronze Age 2500 BC
• Iron Age (1200 BC)
• Man used iron implements in 1350 BC.
• Youthful landforms, high relief.
Thank you