Geological TimeLine

By Valesca Valenzuela
  • 541 BCE

    Trilobites

    Trilobites
    Characteristic arthropods of the Cambrian period.
  • Period: 541 BCE to 252 BCE

    Paleozoic Era

    It has 6 periods and ranges from the appearance of animals with shells or exoskeletons, to the emergence of the first amphibians and reptiles. It ends with the most brutal extinction ever: the Permian-Triassic mass extinction.
  • Period: 541 BCE to 485 BCE

    Cambrian

    The diversification of invertebrate animals occurs, appearing the first animals with shells, the first crustaceans and the first corals.
  • 485 BCE

    Nautiloid cephalopods.

    Nautiloid cephalopods.
    There was a great abundance and variety of mollusks
  • Period: 485 BCE to 444 BCE

    Ordovician

    Great adaptive radiation, especially marine fauna.
    It is believed that some were able to reach the shores, but still unable to become independent from the sea.
    The only plants that colonized the earth were non-vascular plants (green algae).
  • 444 BCE

    First vertebrates

    First vertebrates
    First vertebrates are armored fish, with bony plates in the front of the body.
  • Period: 444 BCE to 419 BCE

    Silurian

    The conquest of the emerged lands begins. Vascular plants and terrestrial arthropods manage to colonize the mainland.
    The atmosphere reaches 21% O2, as it is today because of the invasion of plants on the earth.
    The first vertebrates appear.
  • 419 BCE

    First amphibians

    First amphibians
    The fish begin to leave the water in search of resources, giving rise to amphibians.
  • Period: 419 BCE to 359 BCE

    Devonian

    The first freshwater fish, and trees appeared and the first amphibians emerged from fish that could resist out of water.
    The increased concentration of O2 in the atmosphere allowed the ozone layer to be created.
  • 359 BCE

    New vegetation

    New vegetation
    The terrain is covered with gymnosperm vegetation, which would later give way to large forests
  • Period: 359 BCE to 299 BCE

    Carboniferous

    The first reptiles appear.
    Development of the first amniotic membrane, which allowed animals to become independent from water.
    Gymnosperms emerged, with specialized reproductive structures, such as seeds and pollen.
  • 299 BCE

    Pangea

    Pangea
    The supercontinent called Pangea was formed, which would later be divided into the continents that we know today
  • Period: 299 BCE to 252 BCE

    Permian

    The supercontient Pangea was formed which, together with the great volcanic activity, significantly increased the greenhouse effect.
    Many mountain ranges were formed. (hercynian orogeny)
    Insects evolve to their current appearance, conquering the air, reptiles diversify.
    It ends with the greatest extinction our planet has ever seen:
    Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction
  • 252 BCE

    Dinosaurs

    Dinosaurs
    Dinosaurs and mammals appear
  • Period: 252 BCE to 66 BCE

    Mesozoic Era

    It has 3 periods. Dinosaurs and reptiles were the dominant of the Era. It ended with the impact of a meteorite that caused a great extinction.
  • Period: 252 BCE to 201 BCE

    Trassic

    The first dinosaurs appeared on earth, generally bipedal and carnivorous, as well as the first mammals (from the mammalian reptiles).
  • 201 BCE

    Adaptations

    Adaptations
    Dinosaurs now conquer air and water and the first birds appear
  • Period: 201 BCE to 145 BCE

    Jurassic

    The fracture of the Pangea Supercontinent began.
    The large reptiles proliferated and diversified they conquered the land, the sea and even the air. Plants without flowers dominated the land and the first birds appeared.
  • 145 BCE

    Vegetation evolution

    Vegetation evolution
    The first flowering plants appear
  • Period: 145 BCE to 66 BCE

    Cretaceous

    Dinosaurs and mammals became even more diversified.
    Relatively warm climate, leading to high sea levels. New types of mammals, birds, and flowering plants appeared.
    This period ended in the so-called K-Pg Event, which is suspected to have consisted of the fall of a meteorite in the Yucatan Peninsula. The event caused the extinction of dinosaurs and many other species.
  • 66 BCE

    Extinction of dinosaurs

    Extinction of dinosaurs
    The fall of a meteorite causes extinction of dinosaurs along with many other species, proclaiming mammals as new leaders of the earth.
  • Period: 66 BCE to 10

    Cenozoic Era

    It has 2 periods, the latter reaches the present time. It is characterized by the evolution of mammals and the appearance of man.
  • Period: 66 BCE to 2 BCE

    Tertiary

    Mammals diversified and evolved rapidly to become large herbivores and carnivores. Pangea fragmentation completed.
    Bird's number of species increased, they quickly became carnivores.
    New marine species and first species similar to primates emerged (apes).
  • 2 BCE

    Primates

    Primates
    The homo genus evolves conquering, in its path, all the continents already formed
  • Period: 2 BCE to 50

    Quaternary

    Mammalian specialization. Appearance of primates and man (hominins).
    There was the diversification of the genus Homo.
    Man conquers all continents.
    Ice ages occur.