Q3: History of Life on Earth I - Precambrian and Paleozoic Flashcards
It is the study of rock layers or strata and their chronological sequence. Through this, we are able to determine the components of the atmosphere when a specific rock strata was formed.
stratigraphy
The earliest and longest era of Earth’s history, spanning from the formation of the planet around 4.6 billion years ago to the beginning of the Phanerozoic eon about 541 million years ago.
Precambrian Era
The evidence of life in this period came from microfossils resemble algae, cysts of flagellates, tubes interpreted to be the remains of filamentous organisms, and stromatolites.
precambrian
Thise is a unique assemblage of soft-bodied organisms like jellyfishes, segmented worms and sponges.
Ediacaran fauna/biota
It is known as ‘Ancient Life’, started more than 540 mil. yrs. Ago and lasted 252 mil. yrs. Ago.
Paleozoic
6 geologic periods of the Paleozoic Era
- Cambrian
- Ordovician
- Silurian
- Devonian
- Carbonieferous
- Permian
It is considered as the busiest Era, for the multiple occurrences of evolution and mass extinction events.
Paleozoic Era
It refers to the most massive occurrence of evolution and divergence of species.
Cambrian explosion
The period where the first terrestrial nonvascular plants (Bryophytes) and first fishes (Ostracoderms) developed.
Ordovician period
It happens when species vanish much faster than they are replaced.
mass extinction
5 Mass Extinction
- Ordovician-Silurian Extinction
- Devonian Extinction
- Permian-Triassic Extinction
- Triassic-Jurassic Extinction
- Cretaceous-tertiary Extinction
A mass extinction that occurred 443 million years ago and wiped out approximately 85% of all species. Scientists think it was caused by temperatures plummeting and huge glaciers forming, which caused sea levels to drop dramatically. This was followed by a period of rapid warming.
Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction
A mass extinction event that took place 374 million years ago and killed about three-quarters of the world’s species, most of which were marine invertebrates that lived at the bottom of the sea.
Devonian Mass Extinction
The largest and most devastating event of the five mass extinction.
Permian Mass Extinction
Other term for the Permian Mass Extinction
The Great Dying
