Transcript Chapter 21 – Earth’s History

Chapter 21 – Earth’s
History
21.1 – The Rock Record
Why study Earth’s history?

Scientists organize geologic time to help
them communicate about Earth’s history.
Organizing Time
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Fossils = the remains, traces, or imprints
of ancient organisms.
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By studying rock layers and the fossils
within them, geologists can reconstruct
aspects of Earth’s history and interpret
ancient environments
Geologic Time Scale

A record of Earth’s history from its origin
4.6 billion years ago (bya) to the present.
– The geologic time scale enables scientists to
find relationships among the geological
events, environmental conditions, and
fossilized life-forms that are preserved in the
rock record
http://geology.com/time/geologic-time-scale-550.gif
Visualizing Geologic Time
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Eons = is the largest of these time
units and encompasses the others
– Divided into 4 different eons = Hadean,
Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic
– The three earliest eons make up 90
percent of geologic time, known
together as the Precambrian.
 During the Precambrian, Earth was formed
and became hospitable to modern life.
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Eons are further divided into eras
Eras

Usually tens to hundreds of
millions of years in duration.
– Divided into 4 different eras =
Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic,
Cenozoic
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Eras are divided into periods
Periods
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Tens of millions of years in
duration
– Each period in the geologic time
scale contains epochs.

Epochs = hundreds of
thousands to millions of years
in duration
http://www.habitat.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/kbrr/coolkbayinfo/kbec_cd/html/image/figures/geotime.gif
In-Class Assignment/Homework

Your Geologic Time Scale
21.1 – Notes Continued
Succession of Life-Forms
Phanerozoic Eon
- multicellular
life began to
diversify
 Paleozoic Era the oceans
became full of
many different
kinds of
organisms

http://www.palaeos.org/Paleozoic
Succession of Life-Forms
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Trilobites = Small,
segmented animals
among the first hardshelled life-forms.
– They dominated the
oceans in the early part
of the Paleozoic Era.

Land plants appeared
later, followed by land
animals.
Succession of Life-Forms
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End of the Paleozoic is marked by the
largest mass extinction event in Earth’s
history
– In a mass extinction, many groups of
organisms disappear from the rock record at
about the same time
– At the end of the Paleozoic, 90 percent of all
marine organisms became extinct
Succession of Life-Forms
Mesozoic Era is
known for the
emergence of
dinosaurs
 Many other
organisms
appeared, including
large predatory
reptiles and corals
in the oceans
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http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/50/8050-004-55077BBF.jpg
Succession of Life-Forms
During the Mesozoic, water-dwelling
amphibians began adapting to terrestrial
environments
 Insects, some as large as birds, lived
 Mammals evolved and began to diversify
 Flowering plants and trees emerged

Succession of Life-Forms
End of the Mesozoic is marked by a large
extinction event
 Many groups of organisms became
extinct, including the non-avian dinosaurs
and large marine reptiles

Succession of Life-Forms
Cenozoic Era - mammals increased both in
number and diversity
 Human ancestors, the first primates,
emerged in the epoch called the
Paleocene, and modern humans appeared
in the Pleistocene Epoch
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In-Class Assignment/Homework

21.1 WKT (Transparency & Study Guide)