Here's a breakdown of the geologic time scale from largest to smallest:
* Eon: The largest division, representing hundreds of millions to billions of years. Examples include the Phanerozoic Eon (current) and the Precambrian Eon.
* Era: A major subdivision of an eon, typically lasting tens to hundreds of millions of years. Examples include the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras.
* Period: A subdivision of an era, typically lasting tens of millions of years. Examples include the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
* Epoch: A subdivision of a period, typically lasting several million years. Examples include the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene epochs.
* Age: The smallest subdivision of geologic time, often defined by specific fossils or other events. Examples include the Danian Age (earliest Paleocene) or the Gelasian Age (latest Pleistocene).
