The Cambrian time saw an 'explosion' of diversity, from which only a few groups have survived to the present day. Invertebrates are by far more varied and abundant throughout Earth history than the more 'advanced' vertebrates. Since the arrival of the first land plants in the mid-Paleozoic, this group has diversified and flourished. Common deciduous trees developed at the end of the Mesozoic, and grasses, which permitted herbivorous mammals to thrive, appeared even later. Amber and copal, fossilized tree resins, are best known for the broad selection of life-forms which they trapped and preserved.
Geological processes control the environment on every scale.
Recent findings show erosion and sedimentary deposits even on distant planets. Common minerals are the building blocks of all rocks on Earth, and the same are also found in meteorites and other planets.