(Relative) Geologic Timeline of Earth

By 437689
  • Earth is Formed

    Earth is Formed

  • Period: to

    History of the Earth

  • Phanerazoic Eon Begins

    540 Million

  • Paleozoic Era Begins

    540 Million Years Ago
    7 Periods within
    Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian

  • End Ordovician Extinction (1st)

    444 Million Years Ago - Caused by short Ice-age - 86% of species died

  • Late Devonian Exinction (2nd)

    375 Million years ago - caused by land plants releasing nutrients into oceans - 75% died

  • End Permian Extinction (3rd)

    251 million years ago - Caused by climate change after volcanic eruption and bacteria producing methane - 96% of species dead

  • Mesozoic Era Begina

    245 Million Years Ago
    3 Periods within Triassic, Jurassic, Cretacous
    Age of Reptiles - Dinosaurs, snakes, crocodillians, turtles, etc.

  • End Triassic Extinction(4th)

    200 Million years ago - caused by unknown reasons - 80% of species died off

  • End Cretaceous Extinction(5th) 66 million years ago, 76% of all species lost

    66 Million Years ago - caused by asteroid impact, after climate change had been going on - 76% of all species died

  • Cenozoic Era Begins

    65 Million years ago
    2 periods within Tertiary, Quaternary
    Age of Mammals - Humans, deer, cats, rhinos, elephants, etc.

  • Present Day

  • Holocene Extinction(6th)

    Present Day - Caused by human activity leading to habitat loss and man-made climate change, resulting in many species dying or being killed off, at an ever increasing rate

  • Citations

    -Enchantedlearning.com,. "GEOLOGIC EONS, ERAS And PERIODS - Paleontology And Geology Glossary". N.p., 2006. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
    -Cotf.edu,. "Earth Floor: Geologic Time". N.p., 2007. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
    -Murcia, Jaime. "The Big Five Extinctions". Cosmos Magazine. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.