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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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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Gastornis evolves.
34 Ma
5.5 Ma
25 Ma
56 Ma

2. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
4.8 Ma
0.6 Ma
24 Ma
28 Ma

3. Australopithecines diversify.
0.64 Ma
2.7 Ma
6 Ma
1.7 Ma

4. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
2.5 Ma
6 Ma
49 Ma
0.79 Ma

5. Emergence of the first true elephants.
26 Ma
34 Ma
1.2 Ma
30 Ma

6. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
0.2 Ma
1.2 Ma
24 Ma
36 Ma

7. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
25 Ma
0.79 Ma
10 Ma
18-12 Ma

8. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
40 Ma
25 Ma
0.3 Ma
20 Ma

9. 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 -
63 Ma
35 Ma
55 Ma
49 Ma

10. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
0.7 Ma
4.5 Ma
4.8 Ma
1.2 Ma

11. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
0.7 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.6 Ma
3 Ma

12. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
5.5 Ma
5 Ma
0.5 Ma
50 Ma

13. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
30 Ma
0.64 Ma
40 Ma
30 Ma

14. First deer.
0.35 Ma
0.5 Ma
25 Ma
2.6 Ma

15. 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.
4.8 Ma
2.5 Ma
1.7 Ma
25 Ma

16. The mammoth appears.
0.2 Ma
4.8 Ma
2.5 Ma
5.5 Ma

17. First deer.
33 Ma
28 Ma
1.7 Ma
25 Ma

18. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
5 Ma
18-12 Ma
28 Ma
52 Ma

19. Gastornis evolves.
2.7 Ma
56 Ma
33 Ma
0.6 Ma

20. First Nimravids.
0.7 Ma
37 Ma
0.6 Ma
15 Ma

21. First bats.
1.2 Ma
55 Ma
1.5 Ma
52 Ma

22. 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 -
0.35 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.6 Ma
55 Ma

23. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
34 Ma
26 Ma
15 Ma
0.2 Ma

24. Insects diversify.First large horses.
10 Ma
0.2 Ma
56 Ma
0.6 Ma

25. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
0.7 Ma
30 Ma
4.5 Ma
30 Ma

26. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
2.7 Ma
0.35 Ma
34 Ma
60 Ma

27. Emergence of the first true elephants.
55 Ma
26 Ma
6.5 Ma
50 Ma

28. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
18-12 Ma
0.5 Ma
28 Ma
15 Ma

29. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
30 Ma
52 Ma
0.64 Ma
0.2 Ma

30. Paraceratherium evolves.
20 Ma
30 Ma
56 Ma
28 Ma

31. Australopithecines diversify.
49 Ma
4.8 Ma
6 Ma
1.2 Ma

32. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
52 Ma
34 Ma
1.2 Ma
10 Ma

33. current ice age begins
3 Ma
2.6 Ma
24 Ma
10 Ma

34. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
36 Ma
24 Ma
1.5 Ma
63 Ma

35. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
6 Ma
20 Ma
1.5 Ma
10 Ma

36. Paraceratherium evolves.
28 Ma
10 Ma
4.8 Ma
18-12 Ma

37. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
50 Ma
0.64 Ma
0.2 Ma
1.5 Ma

38. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
1.7 Ma
56 Ma
33 Ma
50 Ma

39. Cats evolve.
60 Ma
36 Ma
34 Ma
2.7 Ma

40. Insects diversify.First large horses.
0.35 Ma
10 Ma
2.5 Ma
33 Ma

41. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
3 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.5 Ma
40 Ma

42. Whales return to the water.
49 Ma
0.5 Ma
6 Ma
6.5 Ma

43. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
33 Ma
30 Ma
1.2 Ma
56 Ma

44. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
35 Ma
6 Ma
24 Ma
60 Ma

45. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
30 Ma
5 Ma
24 Ma
0.79 Ma

46. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
18-12 Ma
6.5 Ma
5 Ma
0.3 Ma

47. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
1.5 Ma
0.79 Ma
35 Ma
5.5 Ma

48. Paranthropus evolve.
40 Ma
0.7 Ma
2.7 Ma
15 Ma

49. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
0.6 Ma
4.5 Ma
2.6 Ma
0.2 Ma

50. Australopithecines go extinct.
1.7 Ma
26 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.7 Ma