Subdivisions of geological periods are referred to as what?

• A. Era
• B. Stage
• C. Epoch
• D. Age

Answer: (C)

Subdivisions of a geological period are epochs. The geologic time scale is arranged in a nested way: eon, era, period, epoch, and age. Each period is broken into epochs, which mark shorter intervals within that period and are often defined by noticeable changes in fossil communities and rock characteristics. For example, the Jurassic Period includes Early, Middle, and Late epochs, illustrating how epochs capture finer slices of time inside a period. Ages would subdivide epochs, making them even more specific, but the direct subdivision of a period is an epoch.