Geologic Time Scale

By castrsol
  • 23

    Neogene 23 - today

    The beginning of the Neogene is when the first hominids (early humans) appeared. Modern humans appeared and developed civilization by the end of this period. Mammoths. sabre-toothed cats, and giant camels dominated until 10,000 years ago when many large mammals went extinct.
  • 25

    Paleogene 23 - 25

    Rise of the mammals and birds. Rodents, primates,pigs, cats, dogs, bears and whales appear. Flowering plants spread across the globe.
  • 145

    Cretaceous 65 - 145

    Dinosaurs continue to dominate the land. Marsupials, modern sharks, bees and butterflies appear. Flowering plants appear. Period ends with the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and many plants.
  • 200

    Jurassic 145 - 200

    Dinosaurs dominate the land. Mammals are common but small. Feathered dinosaurs and birds appear. The most common land plants are ferns, palm-like trees called cycads, and grasses
  • 251

    Triassic 200 - 251 MYA

    The few survivors of the permian extinction go on to populate the land and oceans. New species like mammals, dinosaurs and crocodiles appear.
  • 299

    permian 251 - 299 MYA

    Amphibians dominate the land. Early cone-bearing plants like pine trees appear. Period ends with the largest mass extinction known with 95% of all marine species and 50% of all animals going extinct.
  • 359

    Carboniferous 299 - 359 MYA

    many swamps on land and sponge reefs in the oceans, reptiles appear. early winged insects and cockroaches appears.
  • 417

    Devonian 354 - 417 MYA

    fish spread across the oceans. amphibians appear. the first trees and other plants spread across the land creating the first forests.
  • 443

    Silurian 417 - 443

    spiders, scorpions, insects, complex plants, and fish with bony jaws appear. fish adapt to living in rivers and fresh water for the first time.
  • 488

    Ordovician 443 - 488 MYA

    first land plants appear. primitive fungi and sea weed appears. the oceans are full of corals, mollusks, worms, primitive fish, and echinoderms like starfish.
  • 543

    Cambrian 488 - 543 MYA

    a large number of new animal species appear in a relatively short time. First fish appear. no known life on land yet.