Geologic History of New York State

Two editions. The 2024 edition of the Reference Tables was used for the June 2025 through August 2026 Regents examinations, and the past questions on this site were written for it. The 2026 Revised edition applies from the January 2027 exam onward, so a student preparing for January 2027 or later should practise with the 2026 Revised edition.

This site does not copy the reference tables. Open them on the NYSED website with the links below.

The two editions side by side

What changed in the 2026 Revised edition

• Geologic History of New York State: 2026 adds 'Grenville orogeny' and 'First sponges .89' to the Precambrian events, shows era boundary dates on the Precambrian column, and the page 7 heading is now 'Time Distribution of Fossils and Index Fossils' with two index symbols for the mammoth and giant beaver. Event wording uses 'Proto-North America' in 2026.

The editions were compared by eye on page images, so a small change in a number may be missed. The full list of differences is on the reference tables page.

Past questions that use this table

• January 2026, question 34 Which statement provides evidence about the formation and movement of Bennu through the solar system?
• January 2026, question 46 Which claim accurately identifies a change in atmospheric oxygen levels due to a change in Earth’s...

Topics that use this table

• Geologic time scale
• Fossils and evolution of life
• Mass extinctions
• Early Earth and atmosphere change
• Earth's changing landmasses
• Rock correlation and relative age
• Geologic events in New York