Joanna Daniels MGMS 7401Geological Change and Time Activity

Precambrian

Paleozoic

• According to the maps above, Gondwana is the name of the large landmass that occupied the surface of the earth until the late Permian period.• The name of the major ocean during the Paleozoic Era was the Panthalasic Ocean as seen in the above maps.• At the end of the Paleozoic period, Pangea joined all the landmasses together as seen in the last map above labeled Late Permian. • The Appalachian Mountains were first noted on the Early Devonian map which was approximately 400 million years ago.• I am able to see small formations that remind me of the modern day map of Earth, such as the Yucatan Peninsula below modern day Mexico. • According to the information on the map, this period must have been relatively warm since freshwater fish were migrating and there isn’t land the looks frozen.• The modern day continents, are much more recognizable during the Late Permian period.• According to the names of the periods, it seems that the Early Carboniferous period is when coal began to form since coal’s elemental form is carbon. • As the area between Euramerica and Gondwana began to close, the South Pole formed an ice cap which started changing the climate.

Mesozoic

• During the Jurassic period the Central Atlantic Ocean began to form as North America moved to the Northwest. This is information is found in the More Info section of the Jurassic period as well as being seen on the map of the Jurassic period.

• During the Cretaceous period, the map shows India as separated from Africa and Antarctica. India was then north of Antarctica and east of Africa and finally many years later, ends up as part of Asia.

• The Panthalassic and Tethys Oceans lead to the formation of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.• According to this information, http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/mesozoic_era.html, the dinosaurs

dominated the earth during the Mesozoic period. • Based on the maps, this was a warm time during the Mesozoic period. The maps show no ice caps and the

information says that fauna begins to grown during this period.• According to the coloring of the Early Jurassic map, it looks as though the Rocky Mountains were beginning

to form. In the Jurassic map, it is obvious that there is a mountain range in the area of the Rocky Mountains.

Cenozoic and Beyond…

• During the Eocene period, the map shows the Himalayas forming before India meets Asia.• On the map of the Miocene period, the land masses resemble today’s modern map. India has collided with Asia

by this period.• By the end of the Future World period, the landmasses have once again come together, not in a complete

continent but very closely situated. The oceans are now one large ocean and are not divided.• According to the map, the world looks to be in a warm period, since there are no ice caps shown.

ReferencesMann, Doug and Claudia. (2013). The Mesozoic Era; The Age of Dinosaurs. Retrieved from fossils-facts-and-

finds.com: http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/mesozoic_era.html

Scotese, C. R. (2003, 2 2). Retrieved from Paleomap Project: http://www.scotese.com/earth.htm