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years ago. Geologic time is, in effect, that segment of Earth history that is represented
by and recorded in the planet’s rock strata.
The geologic time scale subdivides all time into named units of abstract time
called in descending order of duration-eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages. The
enumeration of those geologic time units is based on stratigraphy, which is the
correlation and classification of rock strata. The fossil forms that occur in the rocks,
however, provide the chief means of establishing a geologic time scale, with the timing
of the emergence and disappearance of widespread species from the fossil record
being used to delineate the beginnings and endings of ages, epochs, periods, and
other intervals. One of the most widely used standard charts showing the relationships
between the various intervals of geologic time is the International Chronostratigraphic
Chart, which is maintained by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS).
The history of the Earth covers a vast expanse of time, so scientists divide it
into smaller sections that are associated with particular events that have occurred
in the past. The approximate time range of each time span is shown on the poster.
The largest time span of the geologic time scale is the eon. It is an indefinitely long
period of time that contains at least two eras. Geologic time is divided into two
eons.
o Precambrian Eon
Single-celled and simple multicelled organisms first developed during
the Precambrian eon. There are many fossils from this time because
the sea-dwelling creatures were trapped in sediments and preserved.
The Phanerozoic eon is subdivided into three eras- the Paleozoic
era, Mesozoic era, and the Cenozoic era. An era is often divided into
several smaller time spans called periods. For example, the
Paleozoic era is divided into the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian,
Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian periods.
o Paleozoic Era
The Mesozoic Era contains the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous
periods, as illustrated in Figure 3. It is often called the Age of the
Dinosaurs because of its famous inhabitants.
o Mesozoic Era
The two periods of the Cenozoic Era are the Tertiary and Quaternary.
A period is divided into an even smaller unit called an epoch. The