Question | Answer |
Big Bang creates the universe | 14 BYA |
Formation of Earth | 4.5-4.6 BYA |
Formation of the moon | 4.4-4.5 BYA |
Formation of oldest terrestrial rocks | 3.96 BYA |
Formation of terrestrial rocks on all continents by this time | 3.5 BYA |
Cyanobacteria first appear on Earth | 3.5 BYA |
First fossils of living organisms formed | 3.5 BYA |
Formation of earliest stromatolites | 3.4 BYA |
Evolution of soft-bodied multicellular organisms | 540-635 MYA |
Evolution of hard-bodied organisms | 540 MYA |
Evolution of marine fish (by this time) | 400 MYA |
Evolution of transitional species between fish and tetrapods | 375 MYA |
Evolution of the amniotic egg | 340 MYA |
Evolution of large amphibians | 330 MYA |
End of Permian period; largest mass extinction in Earth’s history; formation of Pangaea II | 250 MYA |
Evolution of dinosaurs | 230 MYA |
Evolution of first mammals | 200-250 MYA |
Formation of Archaeopteryx fossil | 155 MYA |
Formation of birdlike reptilian fossils in China | 110 MYA |
Existence of mammalian ancestor of humans, cows, whales and bats | 100 MYA |
Apes and rodents diverge | 80 MYA |
Cretaceous period ends/Tertiary begins (K-T boundary); extinction of dinosaurs. | 65 MYA |
Evolution of primates | 60-80 MYA |
Terrestrial mammals begin to evolve into dolphins/porpoises/whales | 50 MYA |
Existence of last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees | 6-7 MYA |
Australopithecus evolves in Africa | 4.1 MYA |
North and South America connect | 3 MYA |
Most recent Ice Age begins | 2.8 MYA |
First stone tools | 2.6 MYA |
Evolution of homo habilis | 2.3 MYA |
Evolution of homo erectus | 1.8 MYA |
Evolution of homo sapiens | 200,000 years ago |