Evidence About Earth’s Past (Book)

We now live in the Phanerozoic Eon, the Cenozoic Era, the Quaternary Period, and the Holocene Epoch. “Phanerozoic” means visible life. During this eon, rocks contain visible fossils. Before the Phanerozoic, life was microscopic. The Cenozoic Era means new life. It encompasses the most recent forms of life on Earth. The Cenozoic is sometimes called the Age of Mammals. Before the Cenozoic came the Mesozoic and Paleozoic. The Mesozoic means middle life. This is the age of reptiles, when dinosaurs ruled the planet. The Paleozoic is old life. Organisms like invertebrates and fish were the most common lifeforms.