Chapter : Geographic Setting and Impacts to the Environment

Geological time with major evolutionary events in the

fossil record
William L. Kruczynski and Pamela J. Fletcher
MYA Eon MYA Era Period Major events
0 0
1.8
PHANEROZOIC

Cenozoic Quaternary:

Cenozoic
65
Mesozoic Tertiary: Human evolution
251
Mammals diversify
Paleozoic
542 65
Cretaceous:
Proterozoic: Extinction of dinosaurs,
Life begins in sea First primates,
Mesozoic First flowering plants
145
Jurassic:
First birds,

Geographic Setting and Impacts to the Environment

Dinosaurs diversify
199
Triassic:
First mammals, First dinosaurs
251
Permian:
PRECAMBRIAN

Major extinction, Reptiles diversify

299
2500

Adapted from Encyclopedia Britanica and www.enchantedlearning.com

Carboniferous:
Archean: First reptiles,
Oldest rocks, Trees, seed ferns
Earth curst forms
359
Devonian:
Paleozoic

First amphibians,
4000 Fish diversity
416
Hadean: Silurian: First vascular plants
444
Earth forms Ordovician:
Major diversification of animal life
488
Cambrian:
First fish,
First chordates (animal with backbone)
4600 542

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in the geologic record. Geologists and earth scientists have used the relationship between layers and types of rocks,
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occurred over geologic time.
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Periods, a unit of geologic time in which a single type of rock system is formed. Some Periods are divided into
Epochs that are not shown on this chart, but a discussion of Epochs appears on subsequent pages in this chapter
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appearance and disappearance of shorelines and coral reefs.
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