Geologic Time Scale

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What is the Geologic Time Scale?

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A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time, dividing Earth's history into different periods, eras, and epochs.

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What significant event marks the beginning of the Paleozoic Era?

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The Cambrian Explosion, a rapid diversification of life forms.

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What major extinction event led to the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs?

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The Cretaceous - Tertiary Extinction.

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What likely caused the extinction of the woolly mammoth?

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The warming climate at the end of the last Ice Age.

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During which era were marine plants and invertebrates particularly abundant?

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The Paleozoic Era.

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What caused the Ordovician - Silurian Extinction?

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Global cooling and lowering of sea levels due to glacier formation.

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What is the significance of the Permian-Triassic Extinction?

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It is the largest mass extinction event in Earth's history, resulting in the loss of about 90% of species.

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What does the term 'Mesozoic Era' refer to?

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A geological era known as the Age of Reptiles, which includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.

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What is the Great Dying?

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Another name for the Permian-Triassic Extinction, marking a significant loss of biodiversity.

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What is the Holocene Extinction?

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A current extinction event primarily caused by human activity, affecting many species.