Week 4- History of Life on Earth II - Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era Flashcards by Phamela Liej Morales

Life in Geologic Eras

Precambrian Era
Paleozoic Era
Mesozoic Era
Cenozoic Era

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Known as ‘Middle Life’, started more than 252 mil. yrs. ago and lasted until 66 mil. yrs. ago.

Mesozoic

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Has 3 geologic periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
Considered as the Age of Dinosaurs and Age of Conifers.

Mesozoic

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In this period, which lasted from 252 mil. yrs. ago until 201 mil. yrs. ago, its terrestrial environment was dominated by the therapsids, sometimes referred to as “mammal-like reptiles,” and the thecodonts, ancestors of dinosaurs and
crocodiles, both of which appeared during the Late period of this time, together with lizards, turtles, flying pterosaurs, and the first true
mammals.

Triassic Period

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In the oceans, mollusks, including ammonites, belemnites, and gastropods, became a dominant group. Fishes, sharks, and marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs, nothosaurs, and ichthyosaurs also swam the Mesozoic seas

Triassic Period

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In this period, which lasted from 206 mil. yrs. ago until 144 mil. yrs. ago,

Jurassic Period

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The__________ terrestrial
environment was dominated by Sauropods, which is characterized by their long necks and tails, and Theropods, which are bipedal
carnivorous dinosaurs.

Jurassic

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Feathered dinosaur first appeared and the first true coral was formed.

Jurassic Period

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For plant life, cycads has
dominated the continents

Jurassic Period

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In this period, which lasted from 144 mil. yrs. ago until 65 mil. yrs. ago,

Cretaceous Period

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was dominated by the dinosaurs
still, particularly by duck-billed Hadrosaurs and horned ceratopsians.

Cretaceous Period

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-New species have appeared
like the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.
-This is also the time when flowering trees has emerged and also the placental mammals.

Cretaceous Period

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 Known as ‘Recent Life’, started more than 66 mil. yrs.
ago and is continuing today.
 Has 2 geologic periods
 Considered as the Age of Birds and Mammals.

Cenozoic

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2 geologic periods of Cenozoic

Paleogene and Neogene

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5 Mass Extinction

 Ordovician-Silurian Extinction: 440 million years ago.
 Devonian Extinction: 365 million years ago.
 Permian-Triassic Extinction: 250 million years ago.
 Triassic-Jurassic Extinction: 210 million years ago.
 Cretaceous-tertiary Extinction: 65 Million Years Ago.

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a mass extinction event took place 200 million years ago, eliminating about
80% of Earth’s species, including many
types of dinosaurs.

The Triassic Mass Extinction

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This was probably caused by colossal
geological activity that increased carbon
dioxide levels and global temperatures, as
well as ocean acidification.

The Triassic Mass Extinction

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a mass extinction event occurred 65 million years ago, killing 78% of all species, including the remaining non-
avian dinosaurs.

The Cretaceous Mass Extinction

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This was most likely caused by an asteroid
hitting the Earth in what is now Mexico,
potentially compounded by ongoing flood
volcanism in what is now India.

The Cretaceous Mass Extinction

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Organisms found in Triassic Period

Land:
Therapsids and thecodonts
Lizards
Turtles
Flying pterosaurs
First True Mammals

Water:
Mollusks
Fishes
sharks
Marine reptiles (plesiosaurs, nothosaurs, and ichthyosaurs)

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Organisms found in Jurassic Period

Sauropods
Therapods

plant: Cycads

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Organisms found in Cretaceous Period

Dinosaurs:
duck-billed Hadrosaurs
horned ceratopsians
Tyrannosaurus rex.

Plants: flowering trees

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The condylarths-ancestors of modern hoofed herbivores
Rodents - multituberculates
The first Primates
Opossum-like Marsupials
First Hares/Rabbits
Creodonts – catlike and doglike animals

Paleocene (66-56 mya)

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Ancestral Bats
Ancestral Elephant
Cetaceans and Sirenians
Eohippus-the first horse
Perissodactyls – odd-toed ungulates
Artiodactyls – even-toed ungulates

Eocene (55-34 mya)

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Mesohippus and Miohippus Mastodons (Mammoth Ancestor) Parapithecus (New World Monkeys) Indricotherium (largest mammal) Primitive Beavers

Oligocene (33-23 mya)

Multiple forms of Horses First Dogs and Bears First Hyenas First Saber-tooth Cats Dryopithecines – humanlike apes Modern whales Ancestral seals and walruses

Miocene (23-5.3 mya)

First hominids-australopithecines Ground sloths Glyptodonts Beginning of Ice age – temperature begins to cooldown

Pliocene (5.3-2.5 mya)

Wooly Mammoths, Wooly Rhinoceros and Saber-tooth Tiger in temperate climates Elephants, Mastodons, Bison, hippopotamus, Hogs, Deer, Horses in tropical climates H. habilis, H. erectus and other Homo species Great Ice Age

Pleistocene (2.5 mya-12 kya)

Human History

Holocene (12 kya - Present)

Periods in Quaternary

Pleistocene (2.5 mya-12 kya) Holocene (12 kya - Present)

Epochs in Neogene

Miocene (23-5.3 mya) Pliocene (5.3-2.5 mya)

Epochs in Paleogene

Paleocene (66-56 mya) Eocene (55-34 mya) Oligocene (33-23 mya)

Considered as the Age of Birds and Mammals.

Cenozoic

Which Eon, Era, Period, and Epoch are we in currently?

Phanerozoic Eon, Cenozoic Era, Quaternary Period, Holocene Epoch

Through ___________, we are able to determine the components of the atmosphere when a specific rock strata was formed

Stratigraphy

It is composed of the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic Eras (from 4.6 billion yrs. to 541 million yrs. ago).

Precambrian

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

Unique assemblage of soft-bodied organisms like jellyfishes, segmented worms and sponges

Ediacaran Biota/Fauna

Known as ‘Ancient Life’, started more than 540 mil. yrs. Ago and lasted 252 mil. yrs. Ago.

Paleozoic

6 Geologic Periods under Paleozoic Era

Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian

Considered as the busiest Era, for the multiple occurrences of evolution and mass extinction events.

Paleozoic

ushered the most massive occurrence of evolution and divergence of species, referred as the Cambrian explosion

Cambrian Period

Echinoderms, Mollusks, worms, Arthropods, chordates, Anomalocaris

Cambrian Period

First terrestrial nonvascular plants (Bryophytes) and first fishes (Ostracoderms) developed.

Ordovician Period

First terrestrial nonvascular plants

Bryophytes

First Fishes

Ostracoderms

Osteostracan

Ordovician Period

Vascular plants spread throughout the continents and the development of Jawed fishes (Placoderms).

Silurian

Jawed Fishes

Placoderms

Dunkleosteus sp.

Silurian

Fishes dominated the seas, insects (Arachnids) move to the lands and the development of trees and amphibians (tetrapod).

Devonian

Fishes dominated the seas, insects (Arachnids) move to the lands and the development of trees and amphibians (tetrapod).

Devonian

First Amphibians

Tetrapods

Abundance of trees and insects (Arthropods) and the development of shelled-eggs (Amniotes).

Carboniferous

Amniotes (synapsids and diapsids) spread and diversify to the continents.

Permian

5 Mass Extinction

Ordovician-Silurian Extinction: 440 million years ago. Devonian Extinction: 365 million years ago. Permian-Triassic Extinction: 250 million years ago. Triassic-Jurassic Extinction: 210 million years ago. Cretaceous-tertiary Extinction: 65 Million Years Ago.

mass extinction occurred 443 million years ago and wiped out approximately 85% of all species.

Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction

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. Many small marine creatures died out.

Ordovician-Silurian Mass Extinction

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

This was a period of many environmental changes, including global warming and cooling, a rise and fall of sea levels and a reduction in oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We don't know exactly what triggered the extinction event.

Devonian Mass Extinction

happened 250 million years ago, was the largest and most devastating event of the five. Also known as the Great Dying, it eradicated more than 95% of all species, including most of the vertebrates which had begun to evolve by this time.

Permian Mass Extinction

Some scientists think Earth was hit by a large asteroid which filled the air with dust particles that blocked out the Sun and caused acid rain. Others think there was a large volcanic explosion which increased carbon dioxide and made the oceans toxic.

Permian Mass Extinction

Two Greatest Evolutionary events in the history of life on earth

Cambrian Explosion, Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE)

The most significant and sustained increase in of marine biodiversity in Earth History

Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE)

Vertebrate that only possess one temporal fenestrae (Hole in the Skull)

Synapsids

Vertebrate that possess two temporal fenestrae

Diapsids

Most successful organism in the Paleozoic Era

Trilobites

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Therapsids and Thecodonts

Triassic Period

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Mollusks (ammonites, belemnites, gastropods) Marine Reptiles (Plesiosaurs, Nothosaurs, Ichthyosaurs)

Triassic Period

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Ferns, Gymnosperms (plants with exposed seeds) Cycadeoids (Cycads, Ginkgoes, Conifers)

Triassic Period

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Sauropods, Theropods

Jurassic

Identify which Period does the organism belong: First True Coral

Jurassic

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) Hadrosaurs Flowering Trees and Placental Mammals

Cretaceous

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Condylarths, Rodents - multituberculates, Primates, Creodonts, Ancestral Bats, Ancestral Elephants

Paleogene

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Saber-tooth Cats, Dryopithecines, Modern Whales, First Dog and Bears, First Hominids, Ground Sloths

Neogene

Identify which Period does the organism belong: Wooly Mammoths, Wooly Rhinoceros, Mastodons, Bison, Hippopotamus, H. habilis, H. erectus, and other Homo Species

Quarternary