800px colourbox19164294

Geologic Time Scale

By Jaysi
  • 4600 BCE

    Formation of the Moon

    Formation of the Moon
    The moon was formed when a planet called "Thea" crashed into Earth, sending chucks of it into space into orbit. Therefore, creating the moon. (4.6 billion years ago)
  • 4600 BCE

    Hadean Era

    Hadean Era
    At the beginning of this era, the Milky Way gobbled up another galaxy, and Earth formed from a supernova. No rocks on the Earth are this old, except for meteorites. During Hadean time, the Solar System was forming, probably within a large cloud of gas and dust around the sun, called an accretion disc. Hadean time is related to its name, as it was around 212 degrees Fahrenheit. There were no living creatures at this time. (4,600 million years ago)
  • Period: 4600 BCE to 542 BCE

    Precambrian Era

    includes the hadean, archaean, and proterozoic era. The longest era on Earth.
  • 4000 BCE

    Archaean Era

    Archaean Era
    Split into the Neoarchean, Mesoarchean, Paleoarchean, and Eoarchean eras. Records of Earth’s primitive atmosphere and oceans emerge in the Eoarchean period. Also, the first known prokaryotic microbes appear in the Paleoarchean period. Earth cools and Continental crust begins to form. No oxygen. (4,000 million years ago)
  • 2500 BCE

    Proterozoic Era

    Proterozoic Era
    Split into Neoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Paleoproterozoic eras. In the Paleoproterozoic period organisms become to change into more complex beings, and the oxygen rose by 2%. The atmosphere and oceans changed significantly. This era is has one of the first oxygen-dependent animals. Oxygen is a by-product of photosynthesis. The first jellyfish appear in the Neoproterozoic era. (2500 million years ago)
  • Period: 542 BCE to

    Phanerozoic Era

    Includes the paleozoic, mesozoic, and cenozoic eras. 542 mya to present. This era includes a lot of changes to Earth, and life on it.
  • 540 BCE

    Paleozoic Era

    Paleozoic Era
    Split into Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian. Multicelled animals underwent a dramatic "explosion" in diversity during this era. In the Permian era, the largest mass extinction in history wiped out 90% of all marine animal species. The Devonian period had the first insects, sharks, amphibians, and ferns. In the Ordovician period, the first jawed fish and the first land plants appeared. The Carboniferous period had the first winged insects. (540 mya)
  • 248 BCE

    Mesozoic Era

    Mesozoic Era
    Includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous eras. In the Triassic period, the first mammals have appeared. In the Jurassic period, dinosaurs roamed, which are the most popular animals of the Mesozoic. Also in this period, the first bird dinosaurs appeared. The early mesozoic was dominated by ferns, cycads, and other unusual plants. Dinosaurs became extinct at the end of this era by an asteroid. (248 mya)
  • 65 BCE

    Cenozoic Era

    Cenozoic Era
    Split into the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary periods. This is the most recent era, that you are living in. In the Paleogene period we see the first known horse, and the first apes. In the Neogene era we get grasses. In the Quaternary period, the first known humans (homo-sapiens) come along. This era is sometimes referred to "the age of the mammals" because the largest land animals have been mammals during that time. (65 mya)

  • Today

    Today
    We are living in the Quaternary period. The present have tons of different types of mammals, plants, etc. Humans have evolved, and become the most dominant species.