GEOLOGIC
TIME SCALE
OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe how the Earth’s history can
be interpreted from the geologic time
scale
2. Identify the different division of the
geologic time
3. Classify the different living
organisms in each geological time
4. Interpret the Geologic time scale
table.
RECAP
This is the fossil
index; it represents
a group of fossils in
different time
scale.
The fossils were discovered in
different rock strata and by
correlating the rock in different
region, also with the use of
relative and absolute dating,
scientist began to trace the time
scale were the organisms
belong.
GEOLOGIC
TIME SCALE
The first basis of mapping and
determining the history of the
Earth was by looking at the
rock layers using relative
dating. With the help of
absolute dating, scientists
began to give the numerical
dates of the rock.
Fossils are the
geological marker
used by geologists to
identify which
organisms lived in a
certain period.
Using this process, they
were able to order the
rocks into the geologic
column showing the
correlation of the relative
age of the rock in many
regions of the world
Geologic time scale
has four major
divisions of time, the
Eon, Era, Period, and
Epoch.
Eon – is the largest
division. It spans
hundreds to
thousands of
millions of years.
According to
Geologist, it is divided
into two major eons;
the Precambrian time
and phanerozoic eon.
Precambrian time is
composed of three eons, the
Hadean, Archean, and
Proterozoic. This time
establishes the formation of
the Earth until the time when
multicellular organisms
appeared.
Era – the subdivision of eons
is the era. The span-time
periods are tens to hundreds
of millions of years. There
are three major eras: the
Paleozoic, the Mesozoic,
and the Cenozoic era.
Periods – one of numerous
subdivisions of geologic time
allowing cross-referencing of
rocks and geologic events
from place to place. Period
used to split the hierarchy
divisions of Earth’s history.
Epoch – is a subdivision that is
longer than an age and
shorter than a period. This is
most commonly used by the
younger Cenozoic era
wherein the greater collection
of fossils have been found.
EARTH’S
HISTORY
HADEAN EON – it was
name after the Greek
god and ruler Hades,
which means hell and
was considered as the
chaotic eon.
The earth was bombarded with
meteors and severe volcanic
activities. The atmosphere as
well as the ocean were just
forming. The core and the
crust were stabilized. Planet
Earth during this eon is
inhospitable for life.
ARCHEAN EON – at this
eon, planet Earth was
probably warm. The
atmosphere has no
oxygen and mostly
methane content.
Earth was covered with ocean
and the continent began to
arise during the Archean eon.
There was an abundance of
volcanoes during this eon, the
sky is filled with methane. The
shoreline was marked with
stromatolites.
PROTEROZOIC EON – It is
the longest time scale that
lasted almost haft the age
of the Earth. This time
period was known as the
time for great change.
The atmosphere was filled with
oxygen giving the single unit
eukaryotic cell to arise, the
appearance of multicellular
and animal life. The Continent
was also moving drifting to
other regions.
PHANEROZOIC EON –
plants and animals are
abundant in this
geologic time. It covers
up to 541 million years
up to the present.
Phanerozoic eon
means visible life. This
eon has three eras: the
Paleozoic era, the
Mesozoic era, and the
Cenozoic era.
PALEOZOIC ERA – marine organism
dominates during this era. The fossil
trilobites were so common all over
the world and it has been used in
index fossils. Trilobites dominate
the ocean until a marine organism
developed teeth and jaws, and
armored giant placoderms
become its competition.
MESOZOIC ERA – This era
recovered from the great
dying but and it took a
million years ago. Mesozoic
means “middle life”, form
245 million years to 65
million years ago.
As Continents are breaking
apart or Pangaea, living
organisms developed. This era
was known as the age of
reptiles, mostly the dinosaurs.
Scientists believed that the
ancestor of these dinosaurs in
this era were the survivors of the
Paleozoic Era.
CENOZOIC ERA –
Cenozoic era is known as
the “modern life”. It is also
known as the age of
mammals. Mammals
dominated after the
extinction of the dinosaurs.
ACTIVITIES
