fandomhigh | Introduction to Paleontology

“Good morning,” Cutter began that week’s class, holding his usual cup of coffee, “this week we’re going to be looking at the geologic time scale,” he explained, “this is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth, It is a system of chronological dating chronostratigraphy which is the process of relating strata to time and geochronology a scientific branch of geology that aims to determine the age of rocks”

“It is used by scientists to determine the timing and relationship of events in geologic history. The time scale has been developed through the study of rock layers and the observation of their relationships and identifying features such as lithologies, paleomagnetic properties and fossils,” he finished and smiled over at Connor for him to continue the lecture.

Connor nodded as he continued with the lesson, "Thank you, Professor. To dig even deeper, the Geologic Time is a crucial concept to understanding the history of the earth—including the evolution of life. Many different representations of the timeline have been created, and many approaches developed by informed, trusted sources. The geologic time scale in general is divided into five basic categories- eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages."

"To make geologic time easier to comprehend, geologists divided the 4.6 billion years of Earth's history into units of time called eons. Then they further divided the eons into two or more eras, eras into two or more periods, periods into two or more epochs, and epochs into two or more ages. It is with this breakdown we can classify events, fossils, and other aspects of Earth' s history as seen in the fossil record." Connor glanced back at Cutter with a nod as he handed the lecture back over to him.

“For the rest of the class,” Cutter continued, “I would like you to take the time to explore the interactive guide to mass extinctions and learn more about the end of the different eras,” he finished, “and as always, myself and Mr. Temple are around to answer any questions that you may have,”