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Cenozoic History Timeline

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Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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1. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
1.2 Ma
15 Ma
10 Ma
26 Ma

2. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
28 Ma
52 Ma
5.5 Ma
2.5 Ma

3. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
35 Ma
5.5 Ma
63 Ma
0.3 Ma

4. Emergence of the first true elephants.
26 Ma
33 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
10 Ma

5. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
36 Ma
49 Ma
0.6 Ma
52 Ma

6. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
33 Ma
60 Ma
49 Ma
55 Ma

7. start of the Pleistocene epoch - the Stone Age and the current Quaternary period; emergence of the genus Homo. Smilodon - the best known of the sabre-toothed cats - appears.
0.64 Ma
2.5 Ma
2.6 Ma
18-12 Ma

8. First deer.
0.79 Ma
25 Ma
40 Ma
30 Ma

9. Australopithecines go extinct.
5.4-6.3 Ma
30 Ma
1.7 Ma
0.79 Ma

10. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
26 Ma
36 Ma
33 Ma
4.8 Ma

11. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
30 Ma
50 Ma
0.3 Ma
0.5 Ma

12. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
10 Ma
3 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.3 Ma

13. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
37 Ma
35 Ma
1.5 Ma
40 Ma

14. Gastornis evolves.
56 Ma
10 Ma
2.5 Ma
6.5 Ma

15. The island of theIndian subcontinent collides with Asia - thrusting up the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. Many modern bird groups appear.First whale ancestors.First rodents - lagomorphs - armadillos - sirenians - proboscideans - perissodactyls -
55 Ma
33 Ma
0.64 Ma
6 Ma

16. First members of the Hominini tribe.
6.5 Ma
28 Ma
28 Ma
40 Ma

17. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
52 Ma
28 Ma
0.35 Ma
5 Ma

18. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
33 Ma
28 Ma
4.8 Ma
0.2 Ma

19. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
56 Ma
60 Ma
36 Ma
34 Ma

20. Yellowstone caldera erupts
0.64 Ma
40 Ma
2.7 Ma
28 Ma

21. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
0.2 Ma
1.5 Ma
24 Ma
4.8 Ma

22. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
18-12 Ma
15 Ma
60 Ma
0.7 Ma

23. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
15 Ma
24 Ma
2.7 Ma
35 Ma

24. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
60 Ma
1.5 Ma
55 Ma
33 Ma

25. Paranthropus evolve.
6.5 Ma
2.7 Ma
63 Ma
0.7 Ma

26. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
0.64 Ma
2.5 Ma
0.64 Ma
15 Ma

27. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
52 Ma
37 Ma
4.5 Ma
0.35 Ma

28. Insects diversify.First large horses.
52 Ma
5.5 Ma
10 Ma
0.35 Ma

29. First creodonts.
0.79 Ma
63 Ma
24 Ma
36 Ma

30. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.3 Ma
0.5 Ma
50 Ma

31. First bats.
52 Ma
30 Ma
6 Ma
2.5 Ma

32. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
26 Ma
5 Ma
0.6 Ma
18-12 Ma

33. First Nimravids.
10 Ma
24 Ma
37 Ma
6.5 Ma

34. Whales return to the water.
4.5 Ma
0.2 Ma
49 Ma
37 Ma

35. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
49 Ma
0.5 Ma
18-12 Ma
33 Ma

36. Paraceratherium evolves.
37 Ma
28 Ma
1.2 Ma
15 Ma

37. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
20 Ma
26 Ma
6 Ma
40 Ma

38. start of the Pleistocene epoch - the Stone Age and the current Quaternary period; emergence of the genus Homo. Smilodon - the best known of the sabre-toothed cats - appears.
63 Ma
0.7 Ma
2.5 Ma
28 Ma

39. First bats.
0.7 Ma
52 Ma
15 Ma
1.5 Ma

40. First creodonts.
63 Ma
3 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.79 Ma

41. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
36 Ma
26 Ma
0.79 Ma
52 Ma

42. The mammoth appears.
4.8 Ma
5.5 Ma
3 Ma
0.3 Ma

43. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
15 Ma
24 Ma
4.8 Ma

44. Cats evolve.
34 Ma
35 Ma
49 Ma
0.64 Ma

45. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
26 Ma
36 Ma
3 Ma
5.5 Ma

46. First deer.
40 Ma
24 Ma
25 Ma
28 Ma

47. Whales return to the water.
49 Ma
1.5 Ma
24 Ma
0.79 Ma

48. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
4.8 Ma
0.79 Ma
10 Ma
4.8 Ma

49. Yellowstone caldera erupts
0.64 Ma
28 Ma
6.5 Ma
2.7 Ma

50. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
1.2 Ma
49 Ma
34 Ma
60 Ma