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Questions and Answers
Which period is associated with the 'Age of Mammals'?
Which period is associated with the 'Age of Mammals'?
Which era is known as the 'Age of Reptiles'?
Which era is known as the 'Age of Reptiles'?
Which period is associated with the 'Age of Invertebrates'?
Which period is associated with the 'Age of Invertebrates'?
Which eon are we currently living in?
Which eon are we currently living in?
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Which epoch is the most recent in the geologic time scale?
Which epoch is the most recent in the geologic time scale?
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The Precambrian is the earliest span of time in the geologic time scale.
The Precambrian is the earliest span of time in the geologic time scale.
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The Paleozoic era is known as the 'Age of Mammals'.
The Paleozoic era is known as the 'Age of Mammals'.
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The Quaternary period is part of the Cenozoic era.
The Quaternary period is part of the Cenozoic era.
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The Holocene epoch is the most recent epoch in the geologic time scale.
The Holocene epoch is the most recent epoch in the geologic time scale.
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The Cambrian period is associated with the 'Age of Reptiles'.
The Cambrian period is associated with the 'Age of Reptiles'.
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Study Notes
Geologic Time Scale Overview
- A framework used to describe the timing and relationships between events in Earth’s history.
- Organized into hierarchical segments: Eons, Eras, Periods, and Epochs.
Eons
- Precambrian Eon: Earliest and longest span of geological time, covering 88% of Earth's history.
- Phanerozoic Eon: Encompasses all of the visible life and geological events we know, beginning around 541 million years ago.
Eras within Phanerozoic Eon
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Paleozoic Era: Known as the "Age of Invertebrates," featuring the development of diverse marine life.
- Key Periods: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Pennsylvanian.
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Mesozoic Era: Recognized as the "Age of Reptiles," dominated by dinosaurs and early mammals.
- Key Periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
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Cenozoic Era: Known as the "Age of Mammals," marked by the evolution and dominance of mammals and birds.
- Key Periods: Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary.
Periods within Eras
- Cambrian Period: Significant for the first appearances of many major animal phyla, known for abundant fossils like Dickinsonia costata.
- Ordovician Period: Characterized by a diverse marine ecosystem with organisms such as Haikouichthys ercaicunensis.
- Silurian Period: Marked the emergence of jawed vertebrates and terrestrial flora.
- Devonian Period: Known as the "Age of Fish," with significant marine and terrestrial evolutionary developments.
- Carboniferous Period: Notable for extensive coal formation and dominant forests.
- Permian Period: The final period of the Paleozoic, ended with the largest mass extinction.
- Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous Periods (Mesozoic): Sequential periods known for the rise and fall of dinosaurs.
- Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary Periods (Cenozoic): Marked by significant mammalian diversification and ultimately human evolution.
Epochs within Periods
- Holocene Epoch: Current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago after the last Ice Age.
- Pleistocene Epoch: Preceded the Holocene, known for glaciers covering significant parts of the Earth.
- Key earlier epochs in the Cenozoic include Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene characterized by significant climate and ecological changes.
Noteworthy Fossils
- Dickinsonia costata: One of the earliest multi-cellular organisms; found in Cambrian deposits.
- Haikouichthys ercaicunensis: Early vertebrate, providing insight into the evolution of jawed vertebrates.
Memory Aid
- "Camels often sit down carefully perhaps their joints creak" helps to remember the order of geological periods within the Paleozoic Era: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Pennsylvanian.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the geologic time scale and its various divisions, including periods, eras, and eons. Explore the Precambrian and Phanerozoic eons, the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, and the different periods within each era. Discover fascinating facts about the ages of invertebrates, reptiles, and mammals. Challenge yourself with this quiz and see how well you know the geologic history of our planet.
