Chart

Question 1

Eras (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 1

• Archean
• Proterozoic
• Paleozoic
• Mesozoic
• Cenozoic

Question 2

Periods of Paleozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 2

• Cambrian: 542 mya
• Ordovician: 488 mya
• Silurian: 444 mya
• Devonian: 416 mya
• Carboniferous: 359 mya
• Permian: 299 mya

Question 3

Periods of Mesozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 3

• Triassic: 251 mya
• Jurrasic: 200 mya
• Cretaceious: 145 mya

Question 4

Periods of Cenozoic Era (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 4

• Tertiary

- Quaternary

Question 5

Epochs of Tertiary Period (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 5

• Paleocene: 65.5 mya
• Eocene: 55. 8 mya
• Oligocene: 33. 9 mya
• Miocene: 23 mya
• Pliocene: 5.3 mya

Question 6

Epochs of Quaternary Period (Oldest to Newest)

Answer 6

• Pleistocene: 2.56 mya

- Recent (Holocene) 0.01 mya

Question 7

Archean Events

Answer 7

• origin of life in remote past
• diversification of prokaryotes (bacteria and archea)
• photosynthesis generates oxygen, replacing oxygen-poor atmosphere
• evolution of aerobic respiration

Question 8

Proterozoic Events

Answer 8

• 2500
• earliest eukaryotes
• origin of eukaryotic kingdoms
• trace fossils of animals
• multicellular animals from ca 640 mya, including possible Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda

Question 9

Cambrian Events

Answer 9

• marine animals diversify
• first appearance of most animal phyla and many classes within relatively short interval
• earliest agnathan vertebrates
• diverse algae

Question 10

Ordovician Events

Answer 10

• diversification of echinoderms, other invertebrate phyla
• agnathan vertebrates
• mass extinction at end of era

Question 11

Silurian Events

Answer 11

• diversification of agnathans
• origin of jawed fishes
• earliest terrestrial vascular plants, arthropods

Question 12

Devonian Events

Answer 12

• diversification of bony fishes
• trilobites diverse
• origin of ammonoids, tetrapods, insects, ferns, seed plants
• mass extinction late in period

Question 13

Carboniferous Events

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

Permian Events

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Triassic Events

Answer 15

• continents begin to separate
• marine diversity increases
• gymnosperms become dominant
• diversification of reptiles, including first dinosaurs
• first mammals

Question 16

Jurassic Events

Answer 16

• continents separating
• diverse dinosaurs and other reptiles
• first birds
• archaic mammals
• gymnosperms dominant
• evolution of angiosperms
• ammonoid radiation
• “Mesozoic marine revolution”

Question 17

Cretaceous Events

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

Tertiary Events

Answer 18

• continents nearing modern positions
• increasingly cool, dry climate
• radiation of mammals, birds, snakes, angiosperms, pollinating insects, bony fishes

Question 19

Quaternary Events

Answer 19

• 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