Geologic Timeline Project

  • 1 BCE

    Ice Age ended; current ecosystems developed and stabilized

    Ice Age ended; current ecosystems developed and stabilized
  • 1 CE

    Modern humans appear (Dec 31)

    Modern humans appear
  • 4

    First hominids (Dec 31)

    First hominids (Dec 31)
    (ancestors of modern humans)
  • 66

    K-T mass extinction (Dec 26)

    K-T mass extinction (Dec 26)
    K-T mass extinction, 75% species died off including dinosaurs, beginning of the Cenozoic Era
  • 130

    First flowering plants appear (Dec 21)

    First flowering plants appear
  • 150

    First birds evolve from dinosaurs (Dec 19)

    First birds evolve from dinosaurs (Dec 19)
    First birds evolve from dinosaurs
  • 175

    Pangea breaks up (Dec 17)

    Pangea breaks up (Dec 17)
    Pangea breaks up
  • 200

    Small mammals evolve (Dec 15)

    Small mammals evolve
  • 230

    Dinosaurs appear (Dec 13)

    Dinosaurs appear (Dec 13)
    Dinosaurs appear
  • 251

    The Great Dying (Dec 11)

    The Great Dying (Dec 11)
    “The Great Dying” largest mass extinction in Earth’s history, 96% of species lost
  • 360

    Carboniferous period (Dec 2)

    Carboniferous period (Dec 2)
    Carboniferous period. Land plants dominated by fern-like gymnosperms, insects abundant and large
  • 430

    Plants and animals colonize the land (Nov 27)

    Plants and animals colonize the land
  • 485

    First fish evolve (Nov 23)

    First fish evolve
  • 540

    Cambrian Explosion (Nov 18)

    Cambrian Explosion (Nov 18)
    the enormous expansion in life diversity in oceans
  • Nov 13, 600

    Ozone layer forms

    Ozone layer forms
    Ozone layer forms protecting land animals from UV radiation
  • Oct 29, 800

    First multicellular life arises

    First multicellular life arises
    First multicellular life arises
  • Eukaryotic cells appear

    Eukaryotic cells appear. Probably develop when Prokaryotic cells engulf another and form a symbiosis which eventually becomes organelles
  • Great Oxygenation Event

    Great Oxygenation Event
    Great Oxygenation Event, mass extinction of anaerobic bacteria, beginning of Proterozoic Epoch
  • oxygenation of atmosphere

    oxygenation of atmosphere
    Photosynthesizing cyanobacteria evolve beginning oxygenation of the atmosphere
  • Earliest Fossils

    Earliest Fossils
    Bacteria split from Archaea, the first organisms that produce ATP, earliest fossils
  • First life

    First life appears on Earth
  • Oldest preserved rocks

    The oldest preserved rocks are found during this time period
  • Beginning of Archaean Epoch

    Beginning of Archaean Epoch
    Earth is constantly bombarded by meteorites, beginning of Archaean Epoch
  • Oceans Form

    Oceans Form
    The first oceans form
  • Moon Forms

    Moon Forms
    The moon is formed when a small planet-sized body collides with the Earth
  • Earth Forms

    Earth Forms
    Earth forms from an accretion of stellar nebula disk, beginning of the Hadean Epoch.