12 Questions
What is the purpose of the Geologic Time Scale?
To identify and describe crucial episodes in life’s history
Why did scientists turn to rocks to comprehend the full expanse of time?
Because rocks contain evidence of crucial episodes in life’s history
What did Danish scientist Nicolas Steno publish in 1669?
The first laws of stratigraphy
What did geologists use to identify and describe crucial episodes in life’s history?
The layers beneath our feet
What was the main challenge for humans in comprehending the vast stretches of time covered by the history of life?
Inability to imagine long periods of time
What was the significance of the bursts of evolutionary diversity and disastrous extinction events in the history of life on Earth?
They framed the chapters in the story of life on earth
Who argued that the layers closer to the surface must be younger than the layers below them?
Steno
In which decade did Giovanni Arduino study the Italian Alps and organize their layers based on their depth and composition?
1760s
What did William Smith use to compare rocks from different locations and match their ages?
Fossils
What did Italian geologist Giovanni Arduino name the top layers of softer alluvial deposits?
Tertiary and Quaternary
What allowed geologists to compare rocks from one location to another and create a universal time scale?
Fossils
What is the name of the system that modern scientists have used to organize Earth's history based on clues from early geologists like Steno, Arduino, and Smith?
Geologic Time Scale (GTS)
Explore the vast timeline of life on Earth, spanning over billions of years, and gain a deeper comprehension of the evolution of species and the significance of human existence in the context of this expansive history.
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