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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. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
1.7 Ma
4.5 Ma
60 Ma
49 Ma

2. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
55 Ma
1.5 Ma
0.2 Ma
18-12 Ma

3. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
37 Ma
28 Ma
5 Ma
0.79 Ma

4. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
6 Ma
49 Ma
6.5 Ma
40 Ma

5. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
6 Ma
34 Ma
35 Ma
33 Ma

6. 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
3 Ma
2.5 Ma
37 Ma

7. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
10 Ma
36 Ma
35 Ma
0.35 Ma

8. Insects diversify.First large horses.
10 Ma
0.3 Ma
34 Ma
6 Ma

9. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
0.3 Ma
60 Ma
1.7 Ma
37 Ma

10. Cats evolve.
34 Ma
6 Ma
56 Ma
5.5 Ma

11. Paraceratherium evolves.
0.2 Ma
28 Ma
33 Ma
0.3 Ma

12. Whales return to the water.
5.4-6.3 Ma
24 Ma
49 Ma
35 Ma

13. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
34 Ma
0.35 Ma
36 Ma
4.5 Ma

14. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
25 Ma
20 Ma
0.79 Ma
0.2 Ma

15. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
6.5 Ma
15 Ma
60 Ma
24 Ma

16. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
52 Ma
5.5 Ma
15 Ma
34 Ma

17. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
2.7 Ma
20 Ma
40 Ma
49 Ma

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

19. Australopithecines go extinct.
60 Ma
0.3 Ma
34 Ma
1.7 Ma

20. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
0.5 Ma
0.3 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.7 Ma

21. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
6.5 Ma
63 Ma
25 Ma
0.7 Ma

22. Whales return to the water.
2.7 Ma
49 Ma
2.5 Ma
55 Ma

23. current ice age begins
0.2 Ma
24 Ma
5.5 Ma
2.6 Ma

24. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
28 Ma
2.6 Ma
0.3 Ma
20 Ma

25. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
0.79 Ma
50 Ma
3 Ma
20 Ma

26. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
5.5 Ma
30 Ma
24 Ma
63 Ma

27. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
52 Ma
0.2 Ma
33 Ma
1.2 Ma

28. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
6.5 Ma
3 Ma
35 Ma
5.5 Ma

29. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
2.5 Ma
49 Ma
0.2 Ma
33 Ma

30. Emergence of the first true elephants.
50 Ma
26 Ma
37 Ma
56 Ma

31. 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.
2.5 Ma
33 Ma
0.3 Ma
5 Ma

32. First creodonts.
4.5 Ma
60 Ma
4.8 Ma
63 Ma

33. Gastornis evolves.
0.2 Ma
56 Ma
10 Ma
50 Ma

34. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
1.7 Ma
6 Ma
40 Ma
5 Ma

35. First Nimravids.
20 Ma
4.8 Ma
36 Ma
37 Ma

36. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
34 Ma
33 Ma
35 Ma
55 Ma

37. Australopithecines diversify.
0.3 Ma
6 Ma
56 Ma
0.6 Ma

38. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
56 Ma
30 Ma
5 Ma
37 Ma

39. First Nimravids.
28 Ma
37 Ma
6 Ma
2.5 Ma

40. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
28 Ma
0.6 Ma
20 Ma
0.2 Ma

41. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
2.5 Ma
63 Ma
15 Ma
50 Ma

42. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
1.2 Ma
4.8 Ma
0.79 Ma
25 Ma

43. First deer.
6.5 Ma
25 Ma
24 Ma
5 Ma

44. Australopithecines go extinct.
37 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
28 Ma
1.7 Ma

45. Neanderthals evolve.
15 Ma
50 Ma
0.35 Ma
1.7 Ma

46. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
2.6 Ma
0.2 Ma
5 Ma
0.5 Ma

47. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
5.5 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
1.5 Ma
6.5 Ma

48. 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
2.6 Ma
6 Ma
0.5 Ma

49. First deer.
55 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
25 Ma
18-12 Ma

50. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
26 Ma
25 Ma
4.8 Ma
0.5 Ma