Explanation
Order of geological time periods. This memory sentence helps geology and earth science students memorize the correct sequence, from the Cambrian (the start of complex life, over 500 million years ago) through to the present day. Take the first letter of each word to reveal what it represents: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Recent.
Note: strictly speaking, Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene are Epochs, not Periods: they're nested within the Paleogene and Neogene Periods (with Quaternary as the final Period). This memory sentence treats "period" loosely rather than following the strict geochronological hierarchy.
Variation
- Clowns Only Shoot Ducks Carrying People That Just Can’t Play.
- Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleocene