Millions of Years

Ago:

Era

Period

Events

23.8-0

Cenozoic

Neogene

Ice Ages, modern mammals, first humans! During

the last 10,000 years, humans spread and become
dominant

Paleogene

Mammals & birds survive mass extinction, become

dominant

Cretaceous

Flowering Plants appear, Iguanodons, Theropods

(like T-Rex), Ceratopians (like Triceratops); Mass
extinction at end! (Meteor/Comet hits Earth)

199.6-145.5

Jurassic

Large dinosaurs evolve (Diplodocus and

Allosaurus); first Birds evolve

251-199.6

Triassic

Age of Dinosaurs begins: some reptiles survive

mass extinction; first Mammals and Dinosaurs
evolve from reptiles; Pangaea begins to break apart

Permian

Pangaea forms, desert climate; Age of Reptiles; first

true Conifers (cone-bearing pine trees); Supercontinent Pangaea forms as major continents smash
together; Largest mass extinction at end kills 90%
of all life on Earth!

359.2-299

Carboniferous

Some insects develop flight (Dragonflies), first

Reptiles evolve from amphibians

416-359.2

Devonian

Insects and plants with roots begin to cover the

land; Jawed fish dominate oceans; first Sharks
evolve; first Amphibians evolve from fish

443.7-416

Silurian

Arthropods (Giant Sea Scorpions) dominate oceans;

Jawed Fish evolve; some arthropods move onto
land (mites, later to evolve into insects)

488.3-443.7

Ordovician

First Plants appear on land; Belemnites (shelled

squid) and jawless fish dominate oceans; first corals
appear (coral reefs)

542-488.3

Cambrian

CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION (basic body plan

appears); Arthropods appear and dominate oceans
(Trilobites); first Fish (jawless) appear in oceans;
first shelled Mollusks evolve (Clams); first
Chordates (beginnings of backbones, like Pikia)

Neoproterozoic

First Communities of organisms evolve; Worms

evolve (Flatworms); first Starfish evolve

Mesoproterozoic

First multi-cellular Algae evolves from bacteria;

first Jellyfish evolve
First Eukaryotes (cells with nuclei) evolve

65.5-23.8
145.5-65.5

299-251

1000-542

Mesozoic

Paleozoic

Pre-Cambrian

1600-1000
2500-1600
4600-2500

?
Archaean

?
Bill Fearn, 2015

Paleoproterozoic

Swazian/Radian

First Bacteria evolve (3,600 mya), first

Cyanobacteria (photosynthesis in cells) (3,400
mya)