Earth's History and Diversity of Life Review

Anything that changes over time.

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce.

A model of the major events and diversity of life forms present in Earth's history beginning when Earth was formed and goes on until the present.

Earliest span of time in Earth's history that included the formation of the Earth and the first evidence of single celled life.

A scientist who studies all things related to the Earth including what the Earth is made of and how it was formed.

The era of geologic time from about 540 to 245 million years ago characterized by a great diversity of marine invertebrate animals.

The era of geologic time from about 230 to 65 million years ago, characterized by the appearance of flowering plants and the dominance and extinction of dinosaurs.

Era of geologic time, from about 65 million years ago to the present, characterized by the formation of modern continents and the dominance of many mammals.

The largest division of geologic time, made up of two or more eras.

This is one of the three long units of geologic time between Precambrian time and present time.

A smaller division of time than an era, but larger than an epoch.

On the geologic time scale, this is a span of time smaller than a period.

The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order that documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms and environmental changes throughout the history of life on Earth.

The loss of a large number of species within a relatively short period of geological time.

An animal lacking a backbone.