Phanerozoic

American  

[fan-er-uh-zoh-ik] / ˌfæn ər əˈzoʊ ɪk /

noun

1. the eon comprising the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras.

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adjective

1. of or relating to this eon.

Phanerozoic British  

/ ˌfænərəˈzəʊɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to that part of geological time represented by rocks in which the evidence of life is abundant, comprising the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras

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noun

1. the Phanerozoic era

Phanerozoic Scientific  

/ făn′ər-ə-zō′ĭk /

1. The period of geologic time from about 540 million years ago to the present, including the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras. When this period of time was first defined, it was thought to coincide with the first appearance of life in the fossil record. It is now known that bacterial and other forms of life were present in the Precambrian Eon, and the Phanerozoic is understood to coincide with the appearance of life forms that evolved external skeletons.

2. See Chart at geologic time

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Etymology

Origin of Phanerozoic

1925–30; < Greek phaneró ( s ) manifest, visible + zo- + -ic

Example Sentences

"Our work also demonstrates a strong correlation between global temperature at CO2 concentrations across the Phanerozoic, highlighting the important role of this greenhouse gas in controlling Earth’s temperature."

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2024

Their models identify planets like Phanerozoic Earth as the most promising targets for finding life in the cosmos.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

The Phanerozoic strata in most of the Grand Canyon are horizontal.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Since the younger rocks of the Phanerozoic are more common and contain the majority of fossils, the study of this eon yields much greater detail.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Sometimes too you will see the term Phanerozoic used to describe the span encompassing the Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic eras.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson