-
The presence of stromatolites indicates that shallow seas covered much of Earth during intervals in this period. Nearly half of the valuable mineral deposits in the world occur in the rocks of this period.
-
Geological Timescale
-
First modern horses appear. World wide temperatures drop about 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.)
-
There is very little plant life during this period.Colonies of tiny invertebrates call graptolites florished and vertebrates appear, fish did not have jaws or teeth and their bodies were covered with bony plates.
-
Vascular land plants and animals, such as scorpions begin to evolve on land. Eurypterids(sea scorpions), sea stars and coral become more common.
-
Age of fishes, fish that can breath out of the water and spend time on land form. Huge plants begin develop, early amphibians form.
-
Early reptiles resembling large lizards appear.
-
Giant cockroaches appear. Coal deposits form.
-
Appalachian Mountains are created because of the collision of tectonic plates and savannas form. Environmental change causes mass extinction of sea invertebrates(trilobites and eurypterids) as the seas retreat.
-
Welcome to the world of the dinosaur! Enter the squirrel sized dinosaur and the first forest dwelling mammals appear. Ichthyosaurs are living in the ocean, new invertebrates call ammonite develop.
-
Whoa these dinos are getting big and dominate the land- Lizards hipped and bird-hipped appear- carnivores and herbivores have arrived. Flying reptiles called pterosaurs are in the air now.
-
First flowering plants appear-angiosperm. Impact hypothesis-dinosaur mass extinction.
-
Small rodents evolve. First primates evolve.
-
World wide temperatures drop about 4 degrees celsius(39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.) Flying squirrels, whales, and bats appear.
-
Himilayas develop due to uplifting caused by the Indian subcontinent and Eurasian continents colliding.
-
Antarctic icecaps begin to form. Mediterranean Sea dries up and refills several times due to tectonic forces and dropping sea levels.
-
First modern horses appear. Various species migrated between continents across land bridges.
-
Species that did not evolve to survive extreme cold moved to warmer climate areas or became extinct (dire wolf and giant ground sloth.)
-
The last glacial period ended and sea levels rose, Great Lakes formed.Modern human developed agriculture and used tools made of bronze and iron.
-
Some scientists believe that human kind has caused mass extinctions of plant and animal species, polluted the oceans and altered the atmosphere. There is argument as to when this epoch began, some scientists think it began with the industrial age in the early 1800's others think it began with the atomic age in the 1950's
