Event Geological time (Number of years before present)
Comments
0.00
Present
0

0.0005
Modern man
10,000

0.01
Neanderthal man
100,000

0.03
First use of fire
500,000

0.06
Worldwide glaciation
1,100,000

0.07
Homo erectus
1,300,000

0.08
Linking of North and South America
1,500,000

0.08
Oldest stone tools
1,600,000

1.15
Beginning of Quaternary period (end Tertiary/Neogene)
23,000,000

0.15
Australopithecus
3,000,000

0.50
Beginning of Antarctic ice caps
10,000,000

0.50
Opening of Red Sea
10,000,000

0.75
Formation of Himalayan Mountains
15,000,000

1.15
Beginning of Tertiary/Neogene period (end Paleogene)
23,000,000



1.25
First evidence of ice at the poles
25,000,000

2.00
Collision of India with Asia
40,000,000

2.50
Early horses
50,000,000

2.50
Separation of Australia and Antarctica
50,000,000

3.00
Early primates
60,000,000

3.00
Opening of Norwegian Sea and Baffin Bay
60,000,000

3.00
Alps form
60,000,000

3.25
Beginning of Tertiary/Paleogene period
65,000,000

3.25
Beginning of Cenozoic Era
65,000,000
"recent life"

3.25
Cretaceous Period, Mesozoic Era end
65,000,000

3.25
Dinosaurs became extinct
65,000,000

4.00
Rocky Mountains form
80,000,000

7.00
Cretaceous Period begins (Jurassic ends)
140,000,000

7.50
Early flowering plants
150,000,000

9.00
Early birds and mammals
180,000,000

10.40
Jurassic Period begins (end Triassic)
208,000,000

11.00
Opening of Atlantic Ocean
220,000,000

12.25
Triassic Period begins
245,000,000

12.25
Beginning of Mesozoic Era (end Paleozoic)
245,000,000
"middle life"

14.00
Final assembly of Pangaea
280,000,000

14.50
Beginning of Permian period (end Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian)
290,000,000

16.25
First reptiles
325,000,000

16.15
Beginning of Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian period (end Mississippian)
323,000,000

18.15
Early trees, formation of coal deposits
363,000,000

18.15
Beginning of Carboniferous/Mississippian period (end Devonian)
363,000,000

20.45
Beginning of Devonian period (end Silurian)
409,000,000

21.50
Early land plants
430,000,000

21.95
Beginning of Silurian period (end Ordovician)
439,000,000

24.50
Early fish
490,000,000

25.50
Beginning of Ordovician period (end Cambrian)
510,000,000

28.50
Early shelled organisms
570,000,000



28.50
Beginning of Cambrian period (end of Precambrian time)
570,000,000
rise of multicellular animals

28.50
Beginning of Paleozoic Era
570,000,000
"ancient life"

28.50
Beginning of Phanerozoic Eon (end Proterozoic)
570,000,000
"visible life" (or 544 million years ago)

35
Early multicelled organisms
700,000,000

40
Breakup of early supercontinent
800,000,000

70
Formation of early supercontinent
1,400,000,000

60
First known animals
1,200,000,000

125
Beginning of Proterozoic Eon (end Archeon)
2,500,000,000
"earlier life"

135
Buildup of free oxygen in atmosphere
2,700,000,000

170
Early bacteria & algae
3,400,000,000

190
Oldest known Earth rocks
3,800,000,000

200
Beginning of Archeon Eon
4,000,000,000

230
Precambrian time begins
4,600,000,000

230
Origin of earth
4,600,000,000