Geologic time scale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This clock representation shows some of the major units of geological time and definitive events of Earth history. The Hadean eon represents the time before fossil record of life on Earth; its upper boundary is now regarded as 4.0 Ga(billion years ago).[1] Other subdivisions reflect the evolution of life; the Archean and Proterozoic are both eons, the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic are eras of the Phanerozoic eon. The two million year Quaternary period, the time of recognizable humans, is too small to be visible at this scale.

The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system of chronological measurement that relates stratigraphy to time, and is used by geologists, paleontologists, and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred throughout Earth's history. The table of geologic time spans presented here agrees with thenomenclature, dates and standard color codes set forth by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Evidence from radiometric dating indicates that the Earth is about 4.54 billion years old. The geology or deep time of Earth's past has been organized into various units according to events which took place in each period. Different spans of time on the GTS are usually delimited by changes in the composition of strata which correspond to them, indicating major geological or paleontological events, such as mass extinctions. For example, the boundary between theCretaceous period and the Paleogene period is defined by

the CretaceousPaleogene extinction event, which marked the demise of the dinosaurs and many other groups of life. Older time spans which predate the reliable fossil record (before the Proterozoic Eon) are defined by the absolute age.
Contents
[hide]

1 Terminology 2 History and nomenclature of the time scale 3 Condensed graphical timelines 4 Table of geologic time

4.1 Proposed Precambrian timeline

5 See also 6 Notes and references 7 Further reading 8 External links

Terminology[edit]
e h

Units in geochronology and stratigraphy[2]

Segments of rock (strata) inchronostratigraphy

Time spans ingeochronology

Notes to geochronological units

Eonothem

Eon

4 total, half a billion years or more

Erathem

Era

10 total, several hundred million years

System

Period

Series

Epoch

tens of millions of years

Stage

Age

millions of years

Chronozone

Chron

subdivision of an age, not used by the ICS timescale

The largest defined unit of time is the supereon, composed of eons. Eons are divided into eras, which are in turn divided into periods, epochs and ages. The terms eonothem, erathem, system, series, and stage are used to refer to the layers of rock that correspond to these periods of geologic time in earth's history. Geologists qualify these units as Early, Mid, and Late when referring to time, and Lower, Middle, and Upper when referring to the corresponding rocks. For example, the Lower Jurassic Series in chronostratigraphy corresponds to the Early Jurassic Epoch in geochronology.[3] The adjectives are capitalized when the subdivision is formally recognized, and lower case when not; thus "early Miocene" but "Early Jurassic." Geologic units from the same time but different parts of the world often look different and contain different fossils, so the same period was historically given different names in different locales. For example, in North America the Lower Cambrian is called the Waucoban series that is then subdivided into zones based on succession of trilobites. In East Asia and Siberia, the same unit is split into Alexian, Atdabanian, and Botomian stages. A key aspect of the work of the International Commission on Stratigraphy is to reconcile this conflicting terminology and define universal horizons that can be used around the world.[4]

History and nomenclature of the time scale[edit]

Main articles: History of geology and History of paleontology

Graphical representation of Earth's history as a spiral

A comparative geological timescale

In Ancient Greece, Aristotle saw that fossil seashells from rocks were similar to those found on the beach and inferred that the fossils were once part of living animals. He reasoned that the positions of land and sea had changed over long periods of time. Leonardo da Vinci concurred with Aristotle's view that fossils were the remains of ancient life.[5] The 11th-century Persian geologist Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and the 13th century Dominican bishop Albertus Magnus (Albert of Saxony) extended Aristotle's explanation into a theory of a petrifying fluid.[6] Avicenna also first proposed one of the principles underlying geologic time scales, the law of superposition of strata, while discussing the origins of mountains in The Book of Healing in 1027.[7][8] The Chinese naturalist Shen Kuo (10311095) also recognized the concept of 'deep time'.[9] The principles underlying geologic (geological) time scales were later laid down by Nicholas Steno in the late 17th century. Steno argued that rock layers (or strata) are laid down in succession, and that each represents a "slice" of time. He also formulated the law of superposition, which states that any given stratum is probably older than those above it and younger than those below it. While Steno's principles were simple, applying them to real rocks proved complex. Over the course of the 18th century geologists realized that: 1. Sequences of strata were often eroded, distorted, tilted, or even inverted after deposition; 2. Strata laid down at the same time in different areas could have entirely different appearances; 3. The strata of any given area represented only part of the Earth's long history. The first serious attempts to formulate a geological time scale that could be applied anywhere on Earth were made in the late 18th century. The most influential of those early attempts (championed by Abraham Werner, among others) divided the rocks of the Earth's crust into four types: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary. Each type of rock, according to the theory, formed during a specific period in Earth history. It was thus possible to speak of a "Tertiary Period" as well as of "Tertiary Rocks." Indeed, "Tertiary" (now Paleocene -

Pliocene) and "Quaternary" (now Pleistocene and Holocene) remained in use as names of geological periods well into the 20th century. The Neptunist theories popular at this time (expounded by Werner) proposed that all rocks had precipitated out of a single enormous flood. A major shift in thinking came when James Hutton presented his Theory of the Earth; or, an Investigation of the Laws Observable in the Composition, Dissolution, and Restoration of Land Upon the Globe before the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March and April 1785. It has been said that "as things appear from the perspective of the 20th century, James Hutton in those readings became the founder of modern geology"[10] Hutton proposed that the interior of the Earth was hot, and that this heat was the engine which drove the creation of new rock: land was eroded by air and water and deposited as layers in the sea; heat then consolidated the sediment into stone, and uplifted it into new lands. This theory was dubbed "Plutonist" in contrast to the "Neptunist" flood-oriented theory. The identification of strata by the fossils they contained, pioneered by William Smith, Georges Cuvier, Jean d'Omalius d'Halloy, and Alexandre Brogniart in the early 19th century, enabled geologists to divide Earth history more precisely. It also enabled them to correlate strata across national (or even continental) boundaries. If two strata (however distant in space or different in composition) contained the same fossils, chances were good that they had been laid down at the same time. Detailed studies between 1820 and 1850 of the strata and fossils of Europe produced the sequence of geological periods still used today. The process was dominated by British geologists, and the names of the periods reflect that dominance. The "Cambrian", (the classical name for Wales) and the "Ordovician", and "Silurian", named after ancient Welsh tribes, were periods defined using stratigraphic sequences from Wales.[11] The "Devonian" was named for the English county of Devon, and the name "Carboniferous" was simply an adaptation of "the Coal Measures", the old British geologists' term for the same set of strata. The "Permian" was named after Perm, Russia, because it was defined using strata in that region by Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison. However, some periods were defined by geologists from other countries. The "Triassic" was named in 1834 by a German geologist Friedrich Von Alberti from the three distinct layers (Latin trias meaning triad) red beds, capped by chalk, followed by black shales that are found throughout Germany and Northwest Europe, called the 'Trias'. The "Jurassic" was named by a French geologist Alexandre Brogniart for the extensive marine limestone exposures of the Jura Mountains. The "Cretaceous" (from Latin creta meaning 'chalk') as a separate period was first defined by Belgian geologist Jean d'Omalius d'Halloy in 1822, using strata in the Paris basin[12] and named for the extensive beds of chalk (calcium carbonate deposited by the shells of marine invertebrates). British geologists were also responsible for the grouping of periods into Eras and the subdivision of the Tertiary and Quaternary periods into epochs. In 1841 John Phillips published the first global geological time scale based on the types of fossils found in each era. Phillips' scale helped standardize the use of terms

like Paleozoic ("old life") which he extended to cover a larger period than it had in previous usage, and Mesozoic ("middle life") which he invented.[13] When William Smith and Sir Charles Lyell first recognized that rock strata represented successive time periods, time scales could be estimated only very imprecisely since various kinds of rates of change used in estimation were highly variable. While creationists had been proposing dates of around six or seven thousand years for the age of the Earth based on the Bible, early geologists were suggesting millions of years for geologic periods with some even suggesting a virtually infinite age for the Earth. Geologists and paleontologists constructed the geologic table based on the relative positions of different strata and fossils, and estimated the time scales based on studying rates of various kinds of weathering, erosion, sedimentation, and lithification. Until the discovery ofradioactivity in 1896 and the development of its geological applications through radiometric dating during the first half of the 20th century (pioneered by such geologists as Arthur Holmes) which allowed for more precise absolute dating of rocks, the ages of various rock strata and the age of the Earth were the subject of considerable debate. The first geologic time scale that included absolute dates was published in 1913 by the British geologist Arthur Holmes.[14] He greatly furthered the newly created discipline of geochronology and published the world renowned book The Age of the Earth in which he estimated the Earth's age to be at least 1.6 billion years.[15] In 1977, the Global Commission on Stratigraphy (now the International Commission on Stratigraphy) started an effort to define global references known as GSSP (Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Point)s for geologic periods and faunal stages. The commission's most recent work is described in the 2004 geologic time scale of Gradstein et al.[16] A UML model for how the timescale is structured, relating it to the GSSP, is also available.[17]

Condensed graphical timelines[edit]

The following four timelines show the geologic time scale. The first shows the entire time from the formation of the Earth to the present, but this compresses the most recent eon. Therefore the second scale shows the most recent eon with an expanded scale. The second scale compresses the most recent era, so the most recent era is expanded in the third scale. Since theQuaternary is a very short period with short epochs, it is further expanded in the fourth scale. The second, third, and fourth timelines are therefore each subsections of their preceding timeline as indicated by asterisks. The Holocene (the latest epoch) is too small to be shown clearly on the third timeline on the right, another reason for expanding the fourth scale. The Pleistocene (P) epoch. Q stands for the Quaternary period.

Millions of Years

Table of geologic time[edit]

The following table summarizes the major events and characteristics of the periods of time making up the geologic time scale. As above, this time scale is based on the International Commission on Stratigraphy. (See lunar geologic timescale for a discussion of the geologic subdivisions of Earth's moon.) This table is arranged with the most recent geologic periods at the top, and the most ancient at the bottom. The height of each table entry does not correspond to the duration of each subdivision of time. The content of the table is based on the current official geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy,[18] with the epoch names altered to the early/late format from lower/upper as recommended by the ICS when dealing with chronostratigraphy.[3]

Sup Eon ereo

V T E

Geologic time scale[hide]

Era Peri Epoch od[19] Age[20] Major events Start ,

milli on years ago[2

0]

Quaternary Ice Age recedes, and the current interglacial begins; rise of human civilization.Sahara forms from savannah, and agriculture begins. Stone Age cultures give way chrons: Subatlantic Subbore toBronze Age (3300 BC) and Iron Age (1200 BC), Holoce giving rise to many pre-historic culturesthroughout al Atlantic Boreal Prebor the world. Little Ice Age (stadial) causes brief ne cooling in Northern Hemispherefrom 1400 to 1850. eal Following the Industrial Revolution, Atmospheric CO2 levels rise from around 280 parts per million volume (ppmv) to the current level of 400[23] ppmv.[24][25] Late (locally Tarantian Tyrr Flourishing and then extinction of many henian Eemian Sangamoni large mammals (Pleistocene megafauna). Evolution an) of anatomically modern humans. Quaternary Ice Quat Age continues with glaciationsand interstadials (and ernar Middle (formerly Ionian) the accompanying fluctuations from 100 to 300 y ppmv inatmospheric CO2 levels[24][25]), further Calabrian intensification of Icehouse Earth conditions, roughly 1.6 Ma. Last glacial maximum (30000 years ago), last glacial period (1800015000 years ago). Pleistoc Dawn of human stone-age cultures, with increasing ene technical complexity relative to previous ice age cultures, such as engravings and clay statues (e.g.Venus of Lespugue), particularly in the Mediterranean and Europe. Lake Gelasian Phan Tobasupervolcano erupts 75000 years before present, Cenozo erozo [22] causing a volcanic winter that pushes humanity to ic ic the brink of extinction. Pleistocene ends with Oldest Dryas, Older Dryas/Allerd and Younger Dryas climate events, with Younger Dryas forming the boundary with the Holocene. Piacenzian/Blancan Pliocen e

0.011 7[26]

0.126 0.781 1.806

*

2.588
*

n/a
1]

[2

Zanclean

Intensification of present Icehouse 3.600 * conditions, present (Quaternary) ice age begins roughly 2.58 Ma; cool and dry climate. Australopithecines, many of the existing 5.333 * genera of mammals, and recent mollusks appear. Homo habilis appears. Moderate Icehouse climate, punctuated by ice ages; Orogeny in northern hemisphere. Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable. Horses and mastodonsdiverse. Grasses become ubiquitous. First apes appear (for reference see the article: "Sahelanthropus tchadensis"). Kaikoura Orogeny forms Southern Alps in New Zealand, continues today. Orogeny of the Alps in Europe slows, but continues to this day.Carpathian orogeny forms Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe. Hellenic orogeny in Greece and Aegean Sea slows, but continues to this day. Middle Miocene Disruption occurs. Widespread forests slowly draw in massive amounts of CO2, gradually lowering the level of atmospheric CO2 from 650 ppmv down to 7.246
*

Messinian Tortonian Serravallian Miocen Langhian e Burdigalian

11.62
*

Neog ene

13.82
*

15.97 20.44

Aquitanian

23.03
*

around 100 ppmv.[24][25] Chattian Oligoce ne Rupelian Priabonian Bartonian Lutetian Warm but cooling climate, moving towards Icehouse; Rapid evolution and diversification of fauna, especially mammals. Major evolution and dispersal of modern types offlowering plants Moderate, cooling climate. Archaic mammals (e.g. Creodonts, Condylarths, Uint atheres, etc) flourish and continue to develop during the epoch. Appearance of several "modern" mammal families. Primitive whales diversify. First grasses. Reglaciation of Antarctica and formation of its ice cap; Azolla event triggers ice age, and the Icehouse Earth climate that would follow it to this day, from the settlement and decay of seafloor algae drawing in massive amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide,[24][25] lowering it from 3800 ppmvdown to 650 ppmv. End of Laramide and Sevier Orogenies of the Rocky Mountains in North America. Orogeny of the Alps in Europe begins. Hellenic Orogeny begins in Greece and Aegean Sea. 28.1 33.9* 38.0 41.3 47.8*

Eocene Paleo gene Ypresian

56.0*

Thanetian Selandian Paleoce ne Danian

Climate tropical. 59.2* Modern plants appear; Mammals diversify into a 61.6* number of primitive lineages following the extinction of the dinosaurs. First large mammals (up to bear or small hippo size). Alpine orogeny in Europe and Asia begins. Indian Subcontinentcollides 66.0* with Asia 55 Ma, Himalayan Orogeny starts between 52 and 48 Ma. 72.1 0.2
*

Maastrichtian

Campanian Late Santonian Coniacian Turonian Creta Mesoz ceou s oic Cenomanian Albian Aptian Barremian Early Hauterivian Valanginian Berriasian Juras Late Tithonian Flowering plants proliferate, along with new types of insects. More modern teleost fish begin to appear. Ammonoidea, belemnites, rudist bivalves, ec hinoids and sponges all common. Many new types of dinosaurs (e.g. Tyrannosaurs, Titanosaurs, duck bills, andhorned dinosaurs) evolve on land, as do Eusuchia (modern crocodilians); andmosasaurs and modern sharks appear in the sea. Primitive birds gradually replacepterosaurs. Monotremes, marsupials and plac ental mammals appear. Break up ofGondwana. Beginning of Laramide and Sevier Orogenies of the Rocky Mountains.Atmospheric CO2 close to present-day levels.

83.6 0.2 86.3 0.5 89.8 0.3 93.9* 100.5

*

c. 113.0 c. 125.0 c. 129.4 c. 132.9 c. 139.8 c. 145.0

Gymnosperms (especially conifers, Bennettitales and 152.1

sic Kimmeridgian Oxfordian Callovian

Bathonian Middle Bajocian

cycads) and ferns common. Many types of dinosaurs, such as sauropods, carnosaurs, and stegosaurs. Mammals common but small. First birds and lizards. Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs diverse.Bivalves, Ammonites and belemnites abunda nt. Sea urchins very common, along withcrinoids, starfish, sponges, and terebratulid and rhynchonellid brachiopods. Breakup ofPangaea into Gondwana and Laurasia. Nevadan orogeny in North America. Rantigataand Cimmerian Orogenies taper off. Atmospheric CO2 levels 45 times the present day levels (12001500 ppmv, compared to today's 385 ppmv[24][25]).

0.9 157.3 1.0 163.5 1.0 166.1 1.2 168.3 1.3

*

170.3 1.4
*

Aalenian

174.1 1.0
*

Toarcian

182.7 0.7 190.8 1.0

*

Pliensbachian Early Sinemurian

199.3 0.3
*

Hettangian

201.3 0.2
*

Rhaetian Late Norian Carnian Trias sic Ladinian Anisian Olenekian Early Induan

Middle

Archosaurs dominant on land as dinosaurs, in the oceans as Ichthyosaurs andnothosaurs, and in the air as pterosaurs. Cynodonts become smaller and more mammal-like, while first mammals and crocodilia appear. Dicroidiumflor a common on land. Many large aquatic temnospondyl amphibians. Ceratitic ammonoids extremely common. Modern corals and teleost fish appear, as do many modern insect clades.Andean Orogeny in South America. Cimmerian Orogeny in Asia. Rangitata Orogenybegins in New Zealand. Hunter-Bowen Orogeny in Northern Australia, Queensland andNew South Wales ends, (c. 260225 Ma)

c. 208.5 c. 228 c. 235* c. 242* 247.2 251.2 252.2 0.5

*

Changhsingian Lopingi an Paleoz Perm oic ian Wuchiapingian

Guadal Capitanian upian Wordian/Kazanian

Landmasses unite into supercontinent Pangaea, creating the Appalachians. End of PermoCarboniferous glaciation. Synapsid reptiles (pelycosaurs and therap sids) become plentiful, while parareptiles and temnospondyl amphibians re main common. In the mid-Permian, coal-age flora are replaced by cone-bearing gymnosperms (the first true seed plants) and by the first true mosses. Beetles and flies evolve. Marine life flourishes in warm shallow

254.2 0.1
*

259.9 0.4
*

265.1 0.4
*

268.8

Roadian/Ufimian

Kungurian Artinskian Cisurali an Sakmarian

reefs; productid and spiriferid brachiopods, bivalves, forams, and ammonoids all abundant. Permian-Triassic extinction event occurs 251Ma: 95% of life on Earth becomes extinct, including all trilobites, graptolites, and blastoids. Ouachitaand Innuitian orogenies in North America. Uralian orogeny in Europe/Asia tapers off.Altaid orogeny in Asia. Hunter-Bowen Orogeny on Australian Continent begins (c. 260 225 Ma), forming the MacDonnell Ranges.

0.5
*

272.3 0.5
*

279.3 0.6 290.1 0.1 295.5 0.4 298.9 0.2

*

Asselian Winged insects radiate suddenly; some (esp. Protodonata and Palaeodictyoptera) are quite large. Amphibians common and diverse. First reptiles and coal forests (scale trees, ferns, club trees, giant horsetails, Cordaites, etc.). Highestever atmospheric oxygenlevels. Goniatites, brachiopods, bryozoa, bivalves, and corals plentiful in the seas and oceans. Testate forams proliferate. Uralian orogeny in Europe and Asia. Variscan orogeny occurs towards middle and late Mississippian Periods. Large primitive trees, first land vertebrates, and amphibious sea-scorpions live amidcoal-forming coastal swamps. Lobe-finned rhizodonts are dominant big fresh-water predators. In the oceans, early sharks are common and quite diverse; echinoderms(especially crinoids and blastoi ds) abundant. Corals, bryozoa, goniatites and brachiopods (Productida, Spiriferida, etc.) very common, but trilobites and nautiloidsdecline. Glaciation in East Gondwana. Tuhua Orogeny in New Zealand tapers off.

Gzhelian Kasimovian Pennsyl vanian Moscovian

303.7 0.1 307.0 0.1 315.2 0.2 323.2 0.4

*

Bashkirian Carb onifero us[27]

Serpukhovian

330.9 0.2 346.7 0.4

*

Visan Mississi ppian Tournaisian

358.9 0.4
*

Famennian Late Frasnian First clubmosses, horsetails and ferns appear, as do the first seed-bearing plants (progymnosperms), first trees (the progymnosperm Archaeopteris), and first (wingless)insects. Strophomenid and atrypid brachio pods, rugose and tabulate corals, and crinoidsare all abundant in the oceans. Goniatite ammonoids are plentiful, while squid-likecoleoids arise. Trilobites and armoured agnaths decline, while jawed fishes (placoderms, lobe-finned and ray-finned fish, and early sharks) rule the seas. Firstamphibians still aquatic. "Old Red Continent" of Euramerica. Beginning of Acadian Orogeny for Anti-Atlas Mountains of North Africa, and Appalachian Mountains of North America, also the Antler, Variscan, and Tuhua Orogeny in New Zealand.

372.2 1.6
*

382.7 1.6
*

Givetian Devo Middle nian Eifelian

387.7 0.8
*

393.3 1.2
*

Emsian Early Pragian

407.6 2.6
*

410.8 2.8
*

Lochkovian

419.2 3.2
*

Pridoli

423.0 2.3
*

Ludlow /Cayug an

Ludfordian First Vascular plants (the rhyniophytes and their relatives), first millipedes andarthropleurids on land. First jawed fishes, as well as many armoured jawless fish, populate the seas. Sea-scorpions reach large size. Tabulate and rugose corals,brachiopods (Penta merida, Rhynchonellida, etc.), and crinoids all abundant. Trilobitesand mollusks diverse; graptolites not as varied. Beginning of Caledonian Orogeny for hills in England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Scandinavian Mountains. Also continued into Devonian period as the Acadian Orogeny, above. Taconic Orogeny tapers off. Lachlan Orogeny on Australian Continent tapers off.

425.6 0.9
*

Gorstian

427.4 0.5
*

Homerian/Lockportian Silur Wenloc ian k Sheinwoodian/Tonawandan

430.5 0.7
*

433.4 0.8
*

Telychian/Ontarian Llando very/ Aeronian Alexan drian Rhuddanian

438.5 1.1
*

440.8 1.2
*

443.4 1.5
*

Hirnantian

445.2 1.4
*

Late

Katian Invertebrates diversify into many new types (e.g., long straight-shelled cephalopods). Early corals, articulate brachiopods (Orthida, Strophomenida, etc.), bivalves, nautiloids,trilobites, ostracods, bryozo a, many types of echinoderms (crinoids, cystoids, starfish, etc.), branched graptolites, and other taxa all common. Conodonts (early planktonicvertebrates) appear. First green plants and fungi on land. Ice age at end of period.

453.0 0.7
*

Sandbian Ordo vicia n

458.4 0.9
*

Darriwilian Middle Dapingian

467.3 1.1
*

470.0 1.4
*

Floian (formerly Arenig) Early Tremadocian Major diversification of life in the Cambrian Explosion. Numerous fossils; most modernanimal phyla appear. First chordates appear, along with a number of extinct, problematic phyla.

477.7 1.4
*

485.4 1.9
*

Cam Furongi brian an

Stage 10 Jiangshanian

c. 489.5 c. 494*

Paibian

Guzhangian

Series 3

Drumian

Stage 5 Stage 4 Series 2 Stage 3 Stage 2 Terrene uvian

Reef-building Archaeocyatha abundant; then vanish. Trilobites, priapulid worms,sponges, inarticulate brachiopods (unhinged lampshells), and many other animals numerous. Anomalocarids are giant predators, while many Ediacaran fauna die out.Prokaryotes, protists (e.g., forams), fungi and alg ae continue to present day. Gondwanaemerges. Petermann Orogeny on the Australian Continent tapers off (550535 Ma). Ross Orogeny in Antarctica. Adelaide Geosyncline (Delamerian Orogeny), majority of orogenic activity from 514500Ma. Lachlan Orogeny on Australian Continent, c. 540440Ma.Atmospheric CO2 content roughly 2035 times present-day (Holocene) levels (6000 ppmv compared to today's 385 ppmv)[24][25]

c. 497* c. 500.5
*

c. 504.5
*

c. 509 c. 514 c. 521 c. 529 541.0 1.0

*

Fortunian

Good fossils of the first multi-celled animals. Ediacaran biota flourish worldwide in seas. Simple trace fossils of possible worm-likeTrichophycus, etc. Edia First sponges and trilobitomorphs. Enigmatic forms include many soft-jellied creatures caran shaped like bags, disks, or quilts (likeDickinsonia). Taconic Orogeny in North America. Aravalli Range orogeny in Indian Subcontinent. Beginning of Petermann Orogeny on Australian Continent. Beardmore Orogeny in Antarctica, 633620Ma. NeoCryo Possible "Snowball Earth" period. Fossils still rare. Rodinia landmass begins to break up. protero genia Late Ruker / Nimrod Orogeny in Antarctica tapers off. [29] zoic n Rodinia supercontinent persists. Trace fossils of simple multi-celled eukaryotes. First radiation of dinoflagellate-like acritarchs. Grenville Orogeny tapers off in North Toni America. Pan-African orogeny in Africa. Lake Ruker / Nimrod Orogeny in Antarctica, an 1000 150 Ma. Edmundian Orogeny (c. 920 - 850Ma), Gascoyne Complex, Western Australia. Adelaide Geosyncline laid down on Australian Continent, beginning of Adelaide Geosyncline (Delamerian Orogeny) in that continent. Prec Prote am- rbria ozoic Meson[28] [29] protero zoic[29] Narrow highly metamorphic belts due to orogeny as Rodinia forms. Late Ruker / Nimrod Steni Orogeny in Antarctica possibly begins. Musgrave Orogeny (c. 1080 Ma), Musgrave an Block, Central Australia. Ectas Platform covers continue to expand. Green algae colonies in the seas. Grenville Orogeny in ian North America. Caly Platform covers expand. Barramundi Orogeny, McArthur Basin, Northern Australia, and mmi Isan Orogeny, c.1600 Ma, Mount Isa Block, Queensland an First complex single-celled life: protists with nuclei. Columbia is the primordial supercontinent. Kimban Orogeny in Australian Continent ends. Yapungku Orogeny Stath on Yilgarn craton, in Western Australia. Mangaroon Orogeny, 1680 1620 Ma, on erian the Gascoyne Complex in Western Australia. Kararan Orogeny (1650-Ma), Gawler Craton, South Australia.

c. 635*

850[3
0]

1000[
30]

1200[
30]

1400[
30]

1600[
30]

1800[
30]

Paleoprotero zoic[29]

The atmosphere becomes oxygenic. Vredefort and Sudbury Basin asteroid impacts. Much orogeny. Penokean and Trans-Hudsonian Orogenies in North America. Early Ruker Orosi 2050[ Orogeny in Antarctica, 2000 - 1700 Ma. Glenburgh Orogeny, Glenburgh Terrane, Australian 30] rian Continent c. 20051920 Ma. Kimban Orogeny, Gawler craton in Australian Continent begins. Rhya Bushveld Igneous Complex forms. Huronian glaciation. 2300[

cian Sider Oxygen catastrophe: banded iron formations forms. Sleaford Orogeny on Australian ian Continent, Gawler Craton 24402420 Ma.

30]

2500[
30]

Stabilization of most modern cratons; possible mantle overturn event. Insell Orogeny, Neoarc 2800[ [29] 2650 150 Ma. Abitibi greenstone belt in present-day Ontarioand Quebec begins to form, stablizes 30] hean by 2600 Ma. Mesoar [2 Arch chean [29 9] ean ] Paleoar chean[2
9]

First stromatolites (probably colonial cyanobacteria). Oldest macrofossils. Humboldt Orogeny in Antarctica. Blake River Megacaldera Complex begins to form in present-day Ontario and Quebec, ends by roughly 2696Ma. First known oxygen-producing bacteria. Oldest definitive microfossils. Oldest cratons on Earth (such as the Canadian Shield and the Pilbara Craton) may have formed during this period[31]. Rayner Orogeny in Antarctica.

3200[
30]

3600[
30]

Eoarch Simple single-celled life (probably bacteria and archaea). Oldest probable microfossils. ean[29] Early Indirect photosynthetic evidence (e.g., kerogen) of primordial life. This era overlaps the end of Imbria [29][33] the Late Heavy Bombardment of the inner solar system. n Nectari [29][33 Hade an ] an [29][32] Basin Groups
[29][33]

4000 c.410 0 c.430 0 c.450 0 c.456 7

This unit gets its name from the lunar geologic timescale when the Nectaris Basin and other greater lunar basins form by big impact events. Oldest known rock (4030 Ma)[34]. The first life forms and self-replicating RNA molecules evolve around 4000 Ma, after the Late Heavy Bombardmentends on Earth. Napier Orogeny in Antarctica, 4000 200 Ma.

Cryptic Oldest known mineral (Zircon, 4404 8 Ma).[35] Formation of Moon(4533 Ma), probably [29][33] from giant impact. Formation of Earth (4567.17 to 4570Ma)

Proposed Precambrian timeline[edit]

The ICS's Geologic Time Scale 2012 book which includes the new approved time scale also displays a proposal to substantially revise the Precambrian time scale to reflect important events such as the formation of the Earth or the Great Oxidation Event, among others, while at the same time maintaining most of the previous chronostratigraphic nomenclature for the pertinent time span.[36]

Hadean Eon - 45674030 MYA

Chaotian Era - 45674404 MYA - the name alluding both to the mythological Chaos and the chaotic phase of planet formation[36][37][38]

Jack Hillsian or Zirconian Era - 44044030 MYA - both names allude to the Jack Hills Greenstone Belt which provided the oldest mineral grains on Earth, zircons[36][37]

Archean Eon - 40302420 MYA

Paleoarchean Era - 40303490 MYA

Acastan Period - 40303810 MYA - named after the Acasta Gneiss[36][37]

Isuan Period - 38103490 MYA - named after the Isua Greenstone Belt[36]

Mesoarchean Era - 34902780 MYA

Vaalbaran Period - 34903020 MYA - a portmanteau based on the names of the Kapvaal (Southern Africa) and Pilbara (Western Australia) cratons[36]

Pongolan Period - 30202780 MYA - named after the Pongola Supergroup[36]

Neoarchean Era - 27802420 MYA

Methanian Period - 27802630 MYA - named for the inferred predominance of methanotrophic prokaryotes[36]

Siderian Period - 26302420 MYA - named for the voluminous banded iron formations formed within its duration[36]

Proterozoic Eon - 2420541 MYA

Paleoproterozoic Era - 24201780 MYA

Oxygenian Period - 24202250 MYA - named for displaying the first evidence for a global oxidizing atmosphere[36]

Jatulian or Eukaryian Period - 22502060 MYA - names are respectively for the Lomagundi-Jatuli 13C isotopic excursion event spanning its duration, and for the first fossil appearance of eukaryotes[36]

Columbian Period - 20601780 MYA - named after the supercontinent Columbia[36]

Mesoproterozoic Era - 1780850 MYA

Rodinian Period - 1780850 MYA - named after the supercontinent Rodinia, stable environment[36]

Neoproterozoic Era - 850541 MYA

Cryogenian Period - 850635 MYA - named for the occurrence of several glaciations[36]

Shown to scale:

Ediacaran Period - 635541 MYA

Compare with the current official one:

See also[edit]
Age of the Earth Anthropocene Bubnoff unit Deep time Evolutionary history of life Geological history of Earth Geology of Mars/areology List of fossil sites Logarithmic timeline Lunar geologic timescale Natural history New Zealand geologic time scale Prehistoric life Timeline of the Big Bang Timeline of evolution Timeline of the geologic history of the United States Timeline of human evolution Timeline of natural history Timeline of paleontology

Graphical timeline of the universe History of the Earth History of geology History of paleontology

Notes and references[edit]

1. Jump up^ International Commission on Stratigraphy 2008:stratigraphy.org

, retrieved 9 March 2009.

2.

Jump up^ Cohen, K.M., Finney, S., Gibbard, P.L. (2013), International Chronostratigraphic Chart

, International Commission on Stratigraphy.

3.

^ Jump up to:

a b

International Commission on Stratigraphy.

"Chronostratigraphic Units." International Stratigraphic Guide. Accessed 14 December 2009. stratigraphy.org

4.

Jump up^ Statutes of the International Commission on Stratigraphy

, retrieved 26 November 2009

5.

Jump up^ Correlating Earth's History

, Paul R. Janke

6.

Jump up^ Rudwick, M. J. S. (1985), The Meaning of Fossils: Episodes in the History of Palaeontology, University of Chicago Press, p. 24, ISBN 0226-73103-0

7.

Jump up^ Fischer, Alfred G.; Garrison, Robert E. (2009), "The role of the Mediterranean region in the development of sedimentary geology: A historical overview", Sedimentology 56: 3,Bibcode:2009Sedim..56....3F

, doi:10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.01009.x

8.

Jump up^ Quoted in The contribution of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) to the development of the Earth Sciences

, among other sources

9.

Jump up^ Sivin, Nathan (1995), Science in Ancient China: Researches and Reflections, Brookfield, Vermont: Ashgate Publishing Variorum series, III, 2324

10. Jump up^ John McPhee, Basin and Range, New York:Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1981, pp.95-100. 11. Jump up^ John McPhee, Basin and Range, pp.113-114. 12. Jump up^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) (3rd ed.), Moscow: Sovetskaya Enciklopediya, 1974, vol. 16, p. 50 13. Jump up^ Rudwick, Martin Worlds Before Adam: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Reform (2008) pp. 539-545

14. Jump up^ Geologic Time Scale

15. Jump up^ How the discovery of geologic time changed our view of the
world

, Bristol University

16. Jump up^ Felix M. Gradstein, James G. Ogg, Alan G. Smith (Editors);A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press, 2005, (ISBN 0521-78673-8)

17. Jump up^ Cox, Simon J.D.; Richard, Stephen M. (2005). "A formal model
for the geologic time scale and global stratotype section and point, compatible with geospatial information transfer standards"

. Geosphere (The Geological Society of America) 1 (3): 119 137.doi:10.1130/GES00022.1

. Retrieved 31 December 2012.

18. Jump up^ International Commission on Stratigraphy. "International

Stratigraphic Chart"

. Retrieved 2009-09-25.

19. Jump up^ Paleontologists often refer to faunal stages rather than
geologic (geological) periods. The stage nomenclature is quite complex. For an excellent time-ordered list of faunal stages, see "The Paleobiology Database"

. Retrieved 2006-03-19.
a b

20. ^ Jump up to:

Dates are slightly uncertain with differences of a few

percent between various sources being common. This is largely due to uncertainties in radiometric dating and the problem that deposits suitable for radiometric dating seldom occur exactly at the places in the geologic column where they would be most useful. The dates and errors quoted above are according to the International Commission on Stratigraphy 2012 time scale. Where errors are not quoted, errors are less than the precision of the age given. Dates labeled with a * indicate boundaries where aGlobal Boundary Stratotype Section and Point has been internationally agreed upon: see List of Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points for a complete list. 21. Jump up^ References to the "Post-Cambrian Supereon" are not universally accepted, and therefore must be considered unofficial.

22. Jump up^ Historically, the Cenozoic has been divided up into
theQuaternary and Tertiary sub-eras, as well as the Neogeneand Paleogene periods. The 2009 version of the ICS time chart

recognizes a slightly extended Quaternary as well as the Paleogene and a truncated Neogene, the Tertiary having been demoted to informal status.

23. Jump up^ "NASA Scientists React to 400 ppm Carbon Milestone".
Accessed 1/15/2014 [1]

24. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Royer, Dana L. (2006). "CO2-forced climate

thresholds during the Phanerozoic"

(PDF).Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70 (23): 5665 75.Bibcode:2006GeCoA..70.5665R

.doi:10.1016/j.gca.2005.11.031

.
a b c d e f

25. ^ Jump up to:

For more information on this, see Atmosphere of

Earth#Evolution of Earth's atmosphere, Carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, and climate change. Specific graphs of reconstructed CO2 levels over the past ~550, 65, and 5 million years can be seen atImage:Phanerozoic_Carbon_Dioxide.png, Image:65 Myr Climate Change.png, Image:Five Myr Climate Change.png, respectively.

26. Jump up^ The start time for the Holocene epoch is here given as11,700 years ago. For further discussion of the dating of this epoch, see Holocene. 27. Jump up^ In North America, the Carboniferous is subdivided intoMississippian and Pennsylvanian Periods. 28. Jump up^ The Precambrian is also known as Cryptozoic. 29. ^ Jump up to:
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n

The Proterozoic, Archean andHadean are often

collectively referred to as the Precambrian Time or sometimes, also the Cryptozoic. 30. ^ Jump up to:
a b c d e f g h i j k l

Defined by absolute age (Global Standard

Stratigraphic Age). 31. Jump up^ The age of the oldest measurable craton, or continental crust, is dated to 36003800 Ma 32. Jump up^ Though commonly used, the Hadean is not a formal eon and no lower bound for the Archean and Eoarchean have been agreed upon. The Hadean has also sometimes been called the Priscoan or the Azoic. Sometimes, the Hadean can be found to be subdivided according to the lunar geologic time scale. These eras include the Cryptic andBasin Groups (which are subdivisions of the Pre-Nectarianera), Nectarian, and Early Imbrian units. 33. ^ Jump up to:
a b c d

These unit names were taken from the Lunar geologic

timescale and refer to geologic events that did not occur on Earth. Their use for Earth geology is unofficial. Note that their start times do not dovetail perfectly with the later, terrestrially defined boundaries.

34. Jump up^ Bowring, Samuel A.; Williams, Ian S. (1999). "Priscoan (4.00
4.03 Ga) orthogneisses from northwestern Canada".Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 134 (1): 3.Bibcode:1999CoMP..134....3B

.doi:10.1007/s004100050465

. The oldest rock on Earth is the Acasta Gneiss, and it dates to 4.03 Ga, located in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

35. Jump up^ Geology.wisc.edu

36. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Van Kranendonk, Martin J. (2012)."16: A

Chronostratigraphic Division of the Precambrian: Possibilities and Challenges"

. In Felix M. Gradstein, James G. Ogg, Mark D. Schmitz and Gabi M. Ogg. The geologic time scale 2012 (1st ed. ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 359365. ISBN 978-0-44-459425-9.

37. ^ Jump up to:a b c Goldblatt, C.; K. J. Zahnle, N. H. Sleep, and E. G. Nisbet

(2010). "The Eons of Chaos and Hades"

.Solid Earth (Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union) 1: 13.

38. Jump up^ Chambers, John E. (July 2004). "Planetary accretion in the
inner Solar System"

. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 223 (3-4): 241 252.doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2004.04.031

Further reading[edit]

Aubry, Marie-Pierre; Van Couvering, John A; Christie-Blick, Nicholas; Landing, Ed; Pratt, Brian R; Owen, Donald E; & Ferrusquia-Villafranca, Ismael (2009), "Terminology of geological time: Establishment of a community standard"

, Stratigraphy 6 (2): 100105, retrieved 18 November 2011

Gradstein, F.M & Ogg, J.G (2004), A Geologic Time scale 2004 - Why, How and Where Next!

, retrieved 18 November

Gradstein, Felix M., Ogg, James G. & Smith, Alan G (2004), A Geologic Time Scale 2004

, New York; Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-52178142-6, retrieved 18 November 2011 Paperback ISBN 0-521-78673-8

Gradstein, Felix M., Ogg, James G., Smith, Alan G., Bleeker, Wouter & Laurens, Lucas, J (June 2004), "A new Geologic Time Scale, with special reference to Precambrian and Neogene"

, Episodes 27 (2): 83100, retrieved 18 November 2011

Knoll, Andrew H., Walter, Malcolm R., Narbonne, Guy M., Christie-Blick, Nicholas (30 July 2004), "A New Period for the Geologic Time Scale"

, Science 305 (5684): 621622,doi:10.1126/science.1098803

, PMID 15286353

, retrieved 18 November 2011

Levin, Harold L (2010), "Time and Geology"

, The Earth Through Time

, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-470-38774-0, retrieved 18 November 2011

External links[edit]

NASA: Geologic Time

GSA: Geologic Time Scale

British Geological Survey: Geological Timechart

GeoWhen Database

International Commission on Stratigraphy Time Scale

Chronos.org

National Museum of Natural History - Geologic Time

SeeGrid: Geological Time Systems

Information model for the geologic time scale

Exploring Time

from Planck Time to the lifespan of the universe

Episodes

, Gradstein, Felix M. et al. (2004) A new Geologic Time Scale, with special reference to Precambrian and Neogene, Episodes, Vol. 27, no. 2 June 2004 (pdf)

Lane, Alfred C, and Marble, John Putman 1937. Report of the Committee on the measurement of geologic time

Lessons for Children on Geologic Time

Deep Time - A History of the Earth : Interactive Infographic

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