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1 CE
First Humans
100,000 years ago, the first humans appeared
Homo sapiens were the first humans -
Period: 3 to 1 CE
Quaternary Period
3 mya - present, the Quaternary Period is occurring.
This is the period we are in, and the early period had saber-tooth tigers and wooly mammoths roaming the earth -
Period: 3 to 1 BCE
Quaternary Glacation
2.6 mya - present, the Quaternary Glacation occurred/ is occurring. -
Period: 22 to 23
First Grasses
22 mya, the first grasses appeared -
Period: 23 to 3
Neogene Period
The Neogene Period occurred 23 mya - 3 mya
This period had early ancestor animals of cattle, sheep, goat, gazelles and antelope. -
Period: 33 to 34
First Apes
33 mya, the first apes appeared -
35
First Giant Sloth
35 mya, the first giant sloth appeared -
Period: 50 to 51
Eohippus (First Known Horse)
50 mya, the Eohippus (First Known Horse) appeared -
Period: 65 to 66
Dinosaur Extinction
65 mya, the great dinosaur extinction occurred
It is thought a giant asteroid hit the earth, causing a mass extinction -
66
Paleogene Period
The Paleogene Period occurred 66 mya - 23 mya
This period was after the great dinosaur extinction, and many mammals and other animals began to evolve -
Period: 140 to 130
First Flowering Plants
140 mya - 130 mya, the first flowering plants appeared -
Period: 146 to 66
Cretaceous Period
The Cretaceous Period occurred 146 mya - 66 mya
This era was defined as what we imagine today
Dinosaurs like the T-Rex roamed the Earth -
Period: 200 to 146
Jurassic Period
The Jurassic Period occurred 200 mya - 146 mya
Dinosaurs dominated the Earth's land and ocean at this time -
Period: 200 to 201
First Earthworms
200 mya, the first earthworms appeared -
Period: 220 to 200
First Mammals
220 mya - 200 mya, the first mammals appeared -
Period: 240 to 241
Dinosaurs
240 mya, the age of the dinosaurs began -
Period: 250 to 251
Permian-Triassic Extinction
The Permian-Triassic Extinction occurred 250 mya
This was the largest mass extinction, wiping out many vertebrates -
251
Triassic Period
The Triassic Period occurred 251 mya - 200 mya
This period was defined as when life on land began to diversify after the great extinction -
Period: 299 to 251
Permian Era
The Permian Era occurred 299 mya - 251 mya
This era was recognized for the mass extinction that affected many organisms
The geography had large bodies of land and water, as Pangaea was fused together -
336
Pangaea
336 mya - 173 mya, the supercontinent Pangaea formed -
359
Carboniferous Period
359 mya - 299 mya, the Carboniferous Period occurred
This period was defined by its swampy, humid geography
Plants and animals evolved to adapt to this climate -
Period: 360 to 260
Karoo Glacation
360 mya - 260 mya, the Karoo Glacation occurred. -
Period: 365 to 365
Devonian Extinction
The Devonian Extinction occurred 365 mya
Many tropical marine organisms went extinct during this time -
Period: 395 to 370
First Amphibians
395 mya - 370 mya, the first Amphibians appeared -
Period: 400 to 360
First Ferns
400 mya - 360 mya, the first ferns appeared -
Period: 400 to 330
First Winged Insects
400 mya - 330 mya, the first winged insects appeared -
Period: 412 to 380
First Insects
412 mya - 380 mya, the first insects appeared -
Period: 416 to 359
Devonian Period
The Devonian Era occurred 416 mya - 359 mya
This era was defined as when plants and animals started to move towards the land -
Period: 425 to 390
First Sharks
425 mya - 390 mya, the first sharks appeared -
Period: 443 to 444
Marine Extinction
Nearing the end of the Ordovian Era, the great marine extinction occurred. Sea levels decreased due to colder temperatures. This caused a lot of marine life to die. -
Period: 444 to 416
Silurian Period
The Silurian Period occurred 444 mya - 416 mya
This period is defined by the great marine extinction and colder temperatures -
Period: 460 to 430
Andean - Saharan Glacation
460 mya - 430 mya, the Andean Saharan Glacation occurred. -
Period: 470 to 440
Land Plants
470 mya - 440 mya, the first land plants appeared -
Period: 472 to 451
Laurasia
472 mya - 451 mya, the supercontinent Laurasia formed -
Period: 488 to 444
Ordovician Period
The Ordovician Era occurred 488 mya - 444 mya
This era is defined as when marine life diversified, but many went extinct nearing the end and the formation of the supercontient Laurasia -
Period: 488 to 443
Marine Life
488 mya - 443 mya, the Ordovian Era had diverse lifeforms. These organisms included graptolites, trilobites, brachiopods, conodonts, red and green algae, primitive fish, cephalopods, corals, crinoids, and gastropods -
Period: 530 to 440
First Jawed Fish
530 mya - 440 mya, the first jawed fish appeared -
Period: 541 to 516
Cambrian Explosion
541 mya - 516 mya, the Cambrian explosion occurred
This general period was when complex organisms with skeletal structures appeared -
542
Cambrian Period
The Cambrian Period occurred 542 mya - 488 mya
This era is defined when organisms began to rapidly evolve, also known as the Cambrian Explosion -
Period: 542 to 488
Earth Gets Warmer
During the Cambrian Era, Earth gradually got warmer. The seas were warmer allowing more organisms to evolve. Even so, the land were generally barren since few plants evolved to live on land -
Period: 550 to 551
Jellyfish
550 mya, the first jellyfish appeared -
Period: 596 to 578
Gondwana
596 mya - 578 mya, the supercontinent Godwana formed -
600
Multicellular Life
600 mya, the first multicellular organisms began to appear -
Period: 663 to 573
Pannotia
663 mya - 573 mya, the supercontinent Pannotia formed -
Period: 850 to 635
Cryogenian Glacation
850 mya - 635 mya, the Cryogenian Ice Age occurred. -
Period: 1000 to 542
Neoproterozoic Era
The Neoproterozoic Era occurred 1000 mya - 542 mya
This era is defined as when the first multicelluar organisms appeared and the supercontinent Pannotia and Gondwana -
Period: 1100 to 700
Rodina
1100 mya - 700 mya, the supercontinent Rodina formed -
1200
First Green Plants
1200 mya, the first green plants, similar to algae, appeared -
Period: 1200 to 1201
Sexual Reproduction
1200 mya, the first sexually reproducing organisms appeared -
Period: to 1000
Mesoproterozoic Era
The Mesoproterozoic Era occurred 1600 mya - 1000 mya
This era is defined as when the supercontinent Rodina was formed -
The First Eukaryotes
1800 mya, the first Eukaryotes began to appear
These single celled micro-organisms had a nucleus -
Atlantica
1900 mya - 1100 mya, the supercontinent Atlantica formed -
Arctica
2100 mya - 1900 mya, the supercontinent Arctica formed -
Oxygen Pollution
2200 mya, Earth faced a crisis
The rapidly expanding cyanobacteria caused a huge increase in oxygen
This would cause oxygen levels to rise and oxygen poisoning. -
Period: to
Huronian Glacation
2400 mya - 2100 mya, the Huronian Glacarion occurred -
Period: to
Paleoproterozoic Era
2500 mya - 1600 mya, the Paleoproterozoic Era occurred
This era is defined as when the first eukaryotes were formed and the formation of Arctica and Atlantica -
Cyanobacteria
2700 mya, the first cyanobacteria began to form. These micro-organisms used photosynthesis to form oxygen. -
Period: to
Kenorland
2700 mya, Kenorland, the second supercontinent, began to form -
Ur
2800 mya - 2400 mya, the supercontinent Ur formed -
Period: to
Neoarchean Era
The Neoarchean Era occurred 2800 mya - 2500 mya
This era is defined is defined where oxygen began to rise and the second supercontient, Kenorland. -
Period: to
Pangola Glacation
2900 mya ago, the first Ice Age occured. -
Stromatolites
Around the time the Mesoarchean Period occured, 3200 mya, stromatolites began to appear. These organisms formed the first coral reefs. -
Period: to
Mesoarchean Era
The Mesoarchean Era occurred about 3200 mya - 2800 mya
This era is defined as when Vaalbara broke up, the formation of Ur, and the first ice age. -
Period: to
Stromatolites Appear
Around the time the Mesoarchean Period occured, 3200 mya, stromatolites began to appear. These organisms formed the first coral reefs. -
First Life
3500 mya, the first life began on Earth. Single celled micro organisms called prokaryotes began to appear. These organisms did not have a nucleus or membrane during this time. -
Paleoarchean Era
The Paleoarchean Era occurred 3600 mya - 3200 mya.
This era is defined as the beginning of life and the shifting of crusts due to plate tectonics. -
Vaalbara
3600 mya, Earth's crusts began to collide, forming the first supercontinent. Vaalbara finished its formation about 3100 mya. -
Eoarchean Era
The Eoarchean Era occurred 4000 mya - 3600 mya
It is defined as when Earth begins to gain a solid crust. -
Period: to
Earth Cools Down
4000 mya - 3800 mya, Earth gradually cooled down. As this occured, the lava would cool down to a firm crust. -
Thea Hits Earth
4500 mya ago, the planet Thea hit Earth. This would later form the moon. The planet Thea was similar size to Mars, and the debris caused by this impact would form the moon. -
Hadean Era
The Hadean Era occurred 4600 mya - 4000 mya
It is defined as the era when Earth started first formed.
There are not many specific events, but the Earth was just like a giant ball of lava. There was no oceans, no atmosphere, and no life. -
Formation of Earth
4600 mya, Earth was formed from a supernova. -
Period: to
Earth Gains an Atmosphere
About 4000 mya, as the vapours from the hot Earth are released, and Earth gradually gained an atmosphere. It consisted of molecules like CO2, N2, H20, CH4, etc. -
The Milky Way Galaxy
10000 mya, the Milky Way Galaxy collided and gobbled up another galaxy. Evidence of this are 50,000 known stars moving backward.