Geologic Time Scale Poem
COME WITH ME
A SIGHT TO SEE
TO TRAVEL THROUGH PREHISTORY
AND UNRAVEL LIFE’S MYSTERY
THE HISTORY OF EARTH YOU YEARN
THE PERIODS FROM THE GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE YOU WILL LEARN
THE CAMBRIAN IS STOP NUMBER ONE
541 MILLION YEARS IT BEGUN
WITH OCEANS AND SEAS ON THE RISE
STRETCHING FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE SKY
LIFE MAKES ITS DEPUTE, THAT’S WHAT I SAID
WITH TRILOBITES RESTING ON THE OCEAN BED
THE ORDOVICIAN IS ON OUR TRIP NEXT
STARTING 485 MYA, ACCORDING TO OUR GEOLOGY TEXT
LIFE CONTINUES TO DIVERSIFY
IN THESE MURKY SEAS NEW CREATURES SWIM BY
THEY INCLUDE INVERTEBRATES, SUCH AS BRACHIOPODS
THESE INCLUDE MOLLUSKS, SEA STARS, AND CEPHALOPODS
AFTER THE HALT OF THE ORDOVICIAN
443 MYA STARTS THE SILURIAN
THE FIRST VASCULAR PLANTS EVOLVE
UNFORTUNATELY, MUCH LIFE DESOLVE
BUT OUT OF THE FOGGY THAW
COMES THE FIRST FISH WITH A JAW
THEN COMES THE DEVONIAN, RISE OF THE FISH
GOBBLING THEIR BRETHEREN IN A TASTY DISH
THESE INCLUDE LOBE-FINNED, RAY-FINNED, AND SHARKS
SWIMMING FREELY IN THEIR WATERY PARKS
THE WATER DISMISSES, LEAVING GLOPS OF SAND
GIVING NEW CREATURES THEIR OWN FREE LAND
WE JUMP TO THE CARBONIFEROUS
WITH THE FIRST TREES LOOKING MARVELOUS
ALL THE CRITTERS MOVE ON
TO THE LAND OF A NEW DAWN
THEY FORM INTO AMPHIBIANS WITH MEGA BITES
AS WELL AS INSECTS THE SIZE OF KITES
THE PERMIAN CREEPS ONTO THE SCENE
WITH A LAND COVERED IN LUSCIOUS GREEN
THIS LAND FORMS A SUPERCONTINENT
A LAND CALLED PANGAEA, IS WHAT I MEANT
DISPITE NEW FINDS IN THE GEOLOGIC HISTORY
90% OF ALL LIFE PASSES AWAY; QUITE A MYSTERY
THE MESOZOIC BEGINS WITH THE TRIASSIC
LIFE STARTS AGAIN WITH A GIANT KICK
THE DINOSAURS TAKE THE CENTER STAGE
STOMPING THE GROUNG IN THUNDEROUS RAGE
PLATEOSAURUS, EORAPTOR, AND COELOPHYSIS
NONE OF THEM ANY NEAR THE NICEST
200 MILLION YEARS ENDS THE TRIASSIC
AND KICK STARTS MY FAVORITE PERIOD THE JURASSIC
GIANTS ROAMED UNDER THE SCOURCHING SUN
YET THEY MAKE ROOM FOR THEIR FUN
THESE GIANTS INCLUDE STEGOSAURUS AND ALLOSAURUS
ALONG WITH LONG-NECKS LIKE APATOSAURUS
THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD MARKS THE END
OF A PREHISTORIC DYNASTY MY FRIEND
THE LAST OF THE DINOSAURS MAKE THEIR FINAL STAND
BEFORE THEIR HOME BECOMES A BARREN WASTELAND
A METEOR FROM THE HEAVENS FALLS BELOW
CREATING A HELLISH LANDSCAPE 65 MILLION YEARS AGO
FEAR NOT BECAUSE LIFE DOES NOT CONCLUDE
THE MAMMALS RISE UP IN SEARCH OF FOOD
THEY STARTED OFF SMALL IN THE PALEOGENE
A PERIOD WHERE GRASS GROWS GREEN
TINY HORSES, TERROR BIRDS, AND TITANBOA APPEAR
ALONG WITH RHINOS CALLED BRONTOTHERE
THE NEOGENE PERIOD COMES LATE
WITH THE LARGEST MAMMALS TO DATE
HORSES, ELEPHANTS, AND PIGS OH MY
AND EARLY APES REACHED FOR THE SKY
YET THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE TIME SO OLD
THE TEMPERATURE STARTS TO BECOME VERY COLD
OUR TRIP, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS COME TO A CLOSE
AT THE QUATERNARY PERIOD I SUPPOSE
ON THE ICE MAMMOTHS AND SABRE-TEETH TIGERS WALK
AND EARLY HUMANS CRAFT TOOLS AND LEARN TO TALK
WE BEGAN DEVELOPING CIVILIZATIONS THAT STAY
FROM 10,000 YEARS AGO TO THIS DAY
BEFORE YOU GO, I THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR EXPERIENCING THIS JOURNEY TO THE END
I HOPED YOU LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THIS TALE
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE