Chart Flashcards
1
Q
Eras (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Archean
- Proterozoic
- Paleozoic
- Mesozoic
- Cenozoic
2
Q
Periods of Paleozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Cambrian: 542 mya
- Ordovician: 488 mya
- Silurian: 444 mya
- Devonian: 416 mya
- Carboniferous: 359 mya
- Permian: 299 mya
3
Q
Periods of Mesozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Triassic: 251 mya
- Jurrasic: 200 mya
- Cretaceious: 145 mya
4
Q
Periods of Cenozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Tertiary
- Quaternary
5
Q
Epochs of Tertiary Period (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Paleocene: 65.5 mya
- Eocene: 55. 8 mya
- Oligocene: 33. 9 mya
- Miocene: 23 mya
- Pliocene: 5.3 mya
6
Q
Epochs of Quaternary Period (Oldest to Newest)
A
- Pleistocene: 2.56 mya
- Recent (Holocene) 0.01 mya
7
Q
Archean Events
A
- origin of life in remote past
- diversification of prokaryotes (bacteria and archea)
- photosynthesis generates oxygen, replacing oxygen-poor atmosphere
- evolution of aerobic respiration
8
Q
Proterozoic Events
A
- 2500
- earliest eukaryotes
- origin of eukaryotic kingdoms
- trace fossils of animals
- multicellular animals from ca 640 mya, including possible Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda
9
Q
Cambrian Events
A
- marine animals diversify
- first appearance of most animal phyla and many classes within relatively short interval
- earliest agnathan vertebrates
- diverse algae
10
Q
Ordovician Events
A
- diversification of echinoderms, other invertebrate phyla
- agnathan vertebrates
- mass extinction at end of era
11
Q
Silurian Events
A
- diversification of agnathans
- origin of jawed fishes
- earliest terrestrial vascular plants, arthropods
12
Q
Devonian Events
A
- diversification of bony fishes
- trilobites diverse
- origin of ammonoids, tetrapods, insects, ferns, seed plants
- mass extinction late in period
13
Q
Carboniferous Events
A
- Gondwana and small northern continents form
- extensive forests of early vascular plants, especially lycopsids, sphenopsids, ferns
- early orders of winged insects
- diverse amphibians
- first reptiles
14
Q
Permian Events
A
- continents aggregated into Pangea
- glaciations
- low sea level
- increasing “advanced” fishes
- diverse orders of insects
- amphibians decline
- reptiles, including mammal-like forms, diversify
- major mass extinctions especially of marine life at end of period
15
Q
Triassic Events
A
- continents begin to separate
- marine diversity increases
- gymnosperms become dominant
- diversification of reptiles, including first dinosaurs
- first mammals
16
Q
Jurassic Events
A
- continents separating
- diverse dinosaurs and other reptiles
- first birds
- archaic mammals
- gymnosperms dominant
- evolution of angiosperms
- ammonoid radiation
- “Mesozoic marine revolution”
17
Q
Cretaceous Events
A
- most continents separated
- continued radiation of dinosaurs
- increasing diversity of angiosperms, mammals, birds
- mass extinction at end of period, including last ammonoids and nonavian dinosaurs
18
Q
Tertiary Events
A
- continents nearing modern positions
- increasingly cool, dry climate
- radiation of mammals, birds, snakes, angiosperms, pollinating insects, bony fishes
19
Q
Quaternary Events
A
- continents in modern positions
- repeated glaciations and lowering of sea level
- shifts of geographic distributions
- extinctions of large mammals and birds
- evolution of Homo erectus to Homo sapiens
- rise of agriculture and civilizations