Grade 7 Science
3 very long Eons: Hadean, Archean and Proterozoic; Covers 87% of earth’s history; Formation of earth, volcanic activity; Atmosphere and oceans formed;
A thick, stable crust was formed; Oldest rock evidence = 4.3 billion years old; Algae and bacteria were the first life forms; Jellyfish and worms evolved towards the end of this time period.
Latest 13% of earth’s history; 3 smaller periods called “Era’s” Paleozoic: “Age of Fishes” or “Age of Ancient Life” Mesozoic: “Age of Dinosaurs” or “Age of Medieval Life” Cenozoic: “Age of Mammals” or “Age of Recent Life”
“Age of Fishes” or “Age of Ancient Life”; 7 “Periods”, first is called the Cambrian, hence, all previous time is called the “Pre-Cambrian” This first Era covers over half of the Phanerozoic Eon.
“Pangea” forms: Motion of the earths crustal plates brought much of the total land together and fused into a super-continent. Era begins when animals first developed skeletons (exo-)
Ends with major catastrophe that wiped more species off the face of the earth than at any other time in history (Permian extinction: 95% of all species) Scorpions and centipedes were the first animal to live on land. Insects, fern-like plants and conifers (trees that have cones) developed.
“Age of Dinosaurs” or “Age of Medieval Life”; 3 “Periods”: Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous
Triassic Period: Pangea breaks apart; Dinosaurs and mammals first appeared.
Jurassic Period: Rocky Mountains form; First birds appear.
Cretaceous Period Flowering plants appeared; Period ends in a mass extinction (by an asteroid???)
“Age of Mammals” or “Age of Recent Life”; 2 “Periods”: Tertiary and Quaternary.
Tertiary Period: Mountain building: Andes, Alps, Himalayan and Western North America
Tertiary Period: Modern mammals, new birds, first horses, saber- tooth tiger, whales, first elephants and mastodons.
Tertiary Period: First Humans “Ardi” (4.4 mya) (Ardipithecus ramidus) ??? Ardipithecus kadabba 5.6 mya
Quaternary Period: Ice Ages to the present; Extinction of large mammals such as wooly mammoths; Modern humans appear and dominate.