Geologic Time Scale Review

​Earth is estimated to be
about 4.6 billion years ago

Multiple Choice

The Earth is believed to be about ______ years old.

• 4.2 Billion

• 4.6 Million

• 5.4 Billion

• 4.6 Billion

Multiple Choice

What are the division of time in order from GREATEST to LEAST?

• Epoch, Eon, Era, Period

• Eon, Era, Period, Epoch

• Period, Epoch, Eon, Era

• Epoch, Period, Era, Eon

Multiple Choice

What does the prefix Meso- mean?

• Recent

• Life

• Middle

• Ancient

• death

Multiple Choice

Era of "ancient life"

• Mesozoic

• Paleozoic

• Cenozoic

Multiple Choice

What does the prefix Ceno- mean?

• Recent

• Life

• Middle

• Ancient

• death

Multiple Choice

What does the suffix -zoic mean?

• Recent

• Life

• Middle

• Ancient

• death

Multiple Choice

The end of an era, and the end of life for groups of organisms, is called?

• Death

• Mass extinction

• Transition

• Turning point

Precambrian Era (Known as the “Age of Bacteria”)

Age:–543 million years ago to ~ 4 billion years ago (?)

–Oldest & Longest era
Life: 

–Very little life: only basic forms including bacteria, the oldest fossils ever found, seaweed, jellyfish, and worms.

Covers about 90% of earth's history

–One celled plants (algae) entered the fossil record approximately 3 b.y.a

––Large colonies of this algae are called stromatolites.

Multiple Choice

The time span that lasted the longest was the...

• Precambrian

• Mesozoic

• Paleozoic

• Cenozoic

Multiple Choice

90% of Earth’s history occurred during which era?

• Precambrian

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

​THREE ERA OF PHANEROZOIC EON:

​1. Paleozoic- beginning of early life, Pangaea, terrestrial plants

​2. Mesozoic- Age of dinosaurs, Laurasia and Gondwanaland

​3. Cenozoic- Age of recent life and age of mammals

Multiple Select

what three eras make up the Phanerozoic Eon...

• Precambrian

• Mesozoic

• Paleozoic

• Cenozoic

​Paleozoic EraKnown as the “Age of the Fish”

Age: •543 million years ago to 248 million years ago

Life:•The beginning had oceans with an explosion of life in the sea• trilobites, shellfish, Fish

Events:

•Pangaea formed

•Largest mass extinction ever at the end of the Paleozoic.90% of species became extinct.

Multiple Choice

A giant landmass that formed at the end of the Paleozoic Era when the continents came together.

• North America

• Eurasia

• Pangea

• Paleozoic

​Mesozoic Era“Age of the Reptiles/Dinosaurs”
Age:–248 mya- 65mya

Life:

•Reptiles are the dominant life on land. •Dinosaurs exist.

•Birds appear.  •Forests of trees appear

Events:

ØPangea broke apart during this period.

ØDinosaurs become extinct in a mass extinction at the end of the Mesozoic. 

Cenozoic Era

• –65 mya- present

• New mammals appeared while others became extinct.   

• The diversity of life forms increased.

• Flowering plants became most common.

• Humans are also part of the most recent period of this era

• Ice Age

Multiple Select

Which of the followings is a theory about how the dinosaurs died?

• An asteroid struck the Earth
• Climate change due to volcanic action and gas being release

• Development of new angiosperms
• All options are correct

Geologic Time Scales

Cenozoic Era (late
life)

• Current Era
• Development of:

• Large mammals
• Human beings

• Periods of ice ages played a role in the formation of
the geological features
visible on Earth today.

Compare life in the Mesozoic Era with life in the Cenozoic Era.

Multiple Choice

Mammals first appeared or emerged in this era:

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

• Industrial

Multiple Choice

When did the Precambrian era begin

• 66 mya
• 4.6 bya
• 540 mya
• 245 mya

Multiple Choice

What era is sees the rise of mosses, ferns, and conifers?

• Precambrian 
• paleozoic
• Mesozoic 
• Cenzoic

Multiple Choice

The Paleozoic era occurred during which time frame?

• 4.6 bya - 540 mya
• 540 mya - 245 mya
• 245 mya - 66 mya
• 66 mya - current

Multiple Choice

The single land mass that existed about 245 million years ago is named what?

• Fossil
• Pangea
• Bob
• Tectonic plates

Multiple Choice

During which era did the ice ages occur?

• Precambrian 
• Paleozoic
• Mesozoic
• Cenozoic

Multiple Choice

The supercontinent of Pangaea existed during part of the the Mesozoic era.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Pangea formed________ and pangea broke apart during ________.

• precambrian era & mesozoic era

• paleozoic era &

  mesozoic era

• precambrian era &

  mesozoic era

• paleozoic era &

  cenozoic era

Multiple Choice

a model scientists use to describe the timing of events and the relationships between those events in earth’s history.

• geologic time scale

• era

• period

• epoch

Multiple Choice

What Eon, Era, Period and Epoch are you living in today?

• Phanerozoic, Cenozoic, Quaternary, Holocene

• Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous

• The Cambrian period

Multiple Choice

What is the largest unit of time on the geologic time scale

• Era

• Eon

• Epoch

• Period

Multiple Choice

Name the 4 time frames in order from oldest to youngest.

• Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era

• Mesozoic Era, Precambrian time, Cenozoic Era, Paleozoic Era

• Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Precambrian Time, Cenozoic

Multiple Choice

In which epoch do we live?

• Holocene

• Pliocene

• Eocene

• Paleocene

Multiple Select

Which of the following is a period of the Mesozoic Era?

• Neogene

• Jurassic

• Ordovician

• Precambrian

Multiple Choice

What type of animal lived only during the Mesozoic Era?

• Dinosaurs

• Mammals

• Birds & Mammals

• All of them

Multiple Choice

There have been how many major extinction events on planet Earth?

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 2

Multiple Choice

The end of the Mesozoic Era was most likely caused by?

• a meteor

• too much oxygen

• lowering sea levels

• an ice age

Multiple Choice

In what time period did Pangaea, the super continent, appear?

• Precambrian

• Paleozioic

• Mesozoic

• Cenozoic

Multiple Choice

The table shows details of a portion of the Paleozoic Era.

What can be concluded about the Paleozoic Era?

• During this era, a large diversity of life forms appeared.

• In the middle of this era, period extinction of life forms occurred.

• At the beginning of this era, organisms were able to make their own food.

• During this era, invertebrates were the dominant group of organisms.

Multiple Choice

At the end of this time, more than 90% of all marine species and 70% of all land species died off.

• Precambrian Time

• Paleozoic Era

Multiple Choice

The table shows the units of the geologic time scale.

Which statement about the time scale is not true?

• Present day Earth is in the Holocene Epoch.

• Cenozoic Era is followed by the Mesozoic Era.

• Jurassic is the oldest period of the given time scale.

• Geologic history is ongoing and has not ended yet.

Multiple Choice

Which type of life dominates the Precambrian Time?

• Dinosaurs
• Mammals
• Bacteria
• Humans

Multiple Choice

The mostly deadly Mass Extinction (90% of species) occurs at the end of the...

• Paleozoic Era 
• Mesozoic Era
• Cenozoic Era
• Precambrian Time

Multiple Choice

Which type of animal appears earliest in the fossil record?  (OLDEST)

• Reptiles
• Birds
• Dinosaurs
• Fish

Multiple Choice

What type of event usually marks the end of an Era

• A Mass Extinction

• A Quinceanera

• An earthquake

• A Volcanic Eruption

Multiple Choice

What is the oldest organism on the geologic time scale?

• primitive horses

• sea scorpions

• giant insects

• trilobites

Multiple Choice

The "Age of the Reptiles" was the ________ Era.

• Cenozoic

• Cretaceous

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

Multiple Choice

Longest part of Earth's history and includes the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic eons.

• Paleozoic

• Mesozoic

• Precambrian

• Cenozoic