Geologic Time Scale Worksheet printable pdf download

Reading the Geologic Time Scale

Name ______________________________

Date _______________

Use the information on the Geologic Time Scale handout and your textbook to answer the questions. For

questions about numbers of years use the time scale on the front of the handout.

Note: mya = million years ago

1. The longest increments of geologic time are called

List the eras of the Phanerozoic Eon in order from most recent to earliest.

(most recent)

(earliest)

The time before the Phanerozoic is often referred to as the PRECAMBRIAN. It includes the

and

Eons

and encompasses the first

years of Earth history.

2. Which era in the Phanerozoic Eon had the longest duration?

How long did it last?

3. Which era in the Phanerozoic covers the shortest length of geologic time?

What is its duration?

4. In what era do we live?

When did it start?

The current era is divided into two periods, which are subdivided into smaller intervals called epochs.

List the names of the epochs from most recent to earliest and indicate when each began:

Quaternary Period

began

mya (recent – modern time)

began

mya

Tertiary Period

began

mya

began

mya

began

mya

began

mya

began

mya (earliest)

5. When did the Mesozoic Era begin?

When did it end?

How long did it last?

What type of animals lived only during the Mesozoic Era?

6. How many periods comprise the Paleozoic Era?

(Note: Some versions of the time scale

combine the Mississippian & Pennsylvanian periods into the Carboniferous period.)

Which Paleozoic period lasted the longest and how long did it last?

Which Paleozoic period had the shortest duration and how long was it?

7. Complete the following chart by identifying the era and period when the life form first appeared.

(Use the time scale on the back of the handout to complete this table.)

Life Form (earliest appearance)

Era

Period

Fish

Mammals

Insects

Reptiles

Flowering Plants

Humans

Land Animals

Dinosaurs

Land Plants

Birds

Earliest Life on Earth

Eon

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Geologic Time Scale Worksheet

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