Geologic Time Scale - Minney

  • Precambrian Time 4600 MYA

    Precambrian Time 4600 MYA
    The Earth formed from planetary nebula.

    Oldest age-dated rocks on Earth.
    Fossil algae and stromatolites (prokaryotes).
    Fossil evidence of bacteria.
    Fossil evidence of cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes).
    First multi-celled organisms (seaweed and algae).
    Oldest marine worms and jellyfish.
  • Period: to

    1 year

  • Origin of life (first cells) 3900 MYA

    Origin of life (first cells) 3900 MYA
    3900 million years ago.
  • Prokaryotes 3600 MYA

    Prokaryotes 3600 MYA
  • Eukaryotes 2100 MYA

    Eukaryotes 2100 MYA
  • Paloezoic Era 544 MYA

    Paloezoic Era 544 MYA
  • Cambrian Period 544 MYA

    Cambrian Period 544 MYA
    Burgess Shale animals.
    Animals with a notochord.
  • Ordovician Period 544 MYA

    Ordovician Period 544 MYA
    First fish.
    First fossil evidence of land plants.
  • Silurian Period 438 MYA

    Silurian Period 438 MYA
    First vascular land plants.
    Oldest lung fish fossils
  • Devonian Period 408 MYA

    Devonian Period 408 MYA
    Oldest fossil evidence of mosses.
    First insects.
    First lobe-finned fish.
    First land animals.
    First sharks.
    First seed plants.
  • Mississippian Period 360 MYA

    Mississippian Period 360 MYA
    First possible reptiles.
  • Pennsylvanian Period

    Pennsylvanian Period
    Permian system begins.
    Snail-backed reptiles (Dimetrodon).
    End of Paleozoic. 96% of all life on Earth perishes.
  • Mesozoic Era "The Age of Reptiles" 245 MYA

    Mesozoic Era "The Age of Reptiles" 245 MYA
  • Triassic Period 245 MYA

    Triassic Period 245 MYA
    First crocodiles
    First dinosaurs
    First mammals (shrew like)
    First turtles
  • Jurassic Period 208 MYA

    Jurassic Period 208 MYA
    Dilophosaurus, early dinosaur.

    First bird - Archeopteryx.

    Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus.

    Stegosaurus.
  • Cretaceous Period 144 MYA

    Cretaceous Period 144 MYA
    First flowering plants.
    Duck-billed dinosaurs.
    Protoceratops.
    Triceratops.
    Tyrannosaurus rex.
    Velociraptor.
    End of Mesozoic, probaly meteor or comet impact.
  • Cenozoic Era - The Age of Mammals - 65 MYA

    Cenozoic  Era - The Age of Mammals - 65 MYA
  • Tertiary Period 65 MYA

    Tertiary Period 65 MYA
    First ancestors of dogs and cats - 64 MYA.

    Grasses become widespread - 60 MYA.

    First ancestors of pigs and deer - 57 MYA.

    First horses - 55 MYA.

    First ancestors of rabbits 45 MYA.

    Frist monkeys - 39 MYA.
    Oldest human like ancestors (hominids) - 4 MYA.
  • Quaternary Period 2 MYA

    Quaternary Period 2 MYA
    First of 4 ice ages -1 MYA.

    Oldest direct human-ancestor fossil, Homo habilis - 1 MYA.

    First modern man, Homo sapiens - 0.1 MYA.

    Mammoth and mastodon bones - 0.05 MYA.

    Revolutionary War -235 years ago.
    World War II- 70 years ago