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500 BCE
Cambrian Period 570-500 MYA
Tribilites were dominant. Earliest record of marine life. Produced an intense burst of evolution. -
435 BCE
Ordovician Period 500-435 MYA
Invertebrates are dominant. Mollusks become abundant. Earliest fish that are jawless appeared. -
416 BCE
Silurian Period 443-416 MYA
Earliest terrestrial plants and animals. Melting of large glacier formations. -
345 BCE
Devonian Period 395-345 MYA
Armored fish went extinct. Earliest amphibians and ammonites. -
299 BCE
Permian Period 251-299 MYA
Amphibians dominated land. Cone-bearing plants like pine trees appeared. Period ended with largest mass extinction of 95% of marine life and 50% of animal life wiped out. -
280 BCE
Carboniferous Period 345-280 MYA
Sharks and amphibians became abundant. Large swamps and coal forming forests covered the Earth. Earliest reptiles, scale trees, and sea ferns. -
251 BCE
Triassic Period 200-251 MYA
Beginning of the Mesozoic era. The few survivors of the Permian extinction began to populate the land and ocean. New species like mammals, dinosaurs and crocodiles appeared. -
200 BCE
Jurassic Period 145-200 MYA
Dinosaurs dominated land. Mammals are common but small. Feathered dinosaurs and birds appeared. The most common plants are ferns. -
145 BCE
Cretaceous Period 65-145
Dinosaurs continue to dominate the land. Sharks, bees and butterflies appear. Flowering plants appear. Period end with mass extinction of dinosaurs and many plants. -
23 BCE
Neogene Period Today-23 MYA
The beginning of the Neogene is when the very first humans appeared. Humans 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. -
65
Paleogene Period 23-65 MYA
Beginning of cenozoic era. Rise of mammals, birds rodents, pigs, cats, dogs, bears and whales. Flowering plants spread across the globe.
