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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. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
3 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.35 Ma

2. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
28 Ma
3 Ma
1.5 Ma
15 Ma

3. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
10 Ma
0.5 Ma
1.5 Ma
15 Ma

4. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
26 Ma
15 Ma
6.5 Ma
20 Ma

5. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
20 Ma
5 Ma
6.5 Ma
0.79 Ma

6. Cats evolve.
34 Ma
50 Ma
56 Ma
52 Ma

7. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
18-12 Ma
49 Ma
4.5 Ma
63 Ma

8. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
60 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
18-12 Ma
60 Ma

9. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
26 Ma
3 Ma
1.7 Ma
2.5 Ma

10. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
40 Ma
0.6 Ma
36 Ma
34 Ma

11. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
30 Ma
33 Ma
5.5 Ma
4.8 Ma

12. The mammoth appears.
1.2 Ma
4.8 Ma
56 Ma
3 Ma

13. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
1.5 Ma
6.5 Ma
55 Ma

14. Paraceratherium evolves.
5.5 Ma
28 Ma
5 Ma
0.79 Ma

15. First Nimravids.
6 Ma
20 Ma
37 Ma
55 Ma

16. First creodonts.
6 Ma
63 Ma
24 Ma
36 Ma

17. Yellowstone caldera erupts
4.8 Ma
0.6 Ma
0.64 Ma
10 Ma

18. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.5 Ma
0.79 Ma
35 Ma
4.5 Ma

19. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
5.5 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.3 Ma
0.6 Ma

20. 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
1.5 Ma
28 Ma
33 Ma

21. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
4.5 Ma
1.2 Ma
5 Ma
33 Ma

22. Emergence of the first true elephants.
0.6 Ma
50 Ma
36 Ma
26 Ma

23. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
50 Ma
26 Ma
5 Ma
6 Ma

24. 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
15 Ma
6 Ma
35 Ma

25. current ice age begins
30 Ma
1.7 Ma
40 Ma
2.6 Ma

26. Whales return to the water.
0.35 Ma
1.7 Ma
4.5 Ma
49 Ma

27. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
24 Ma
49 Ma
25 Ma
30 Ma

28. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
0.2 Ma
5 Ma
36 Ma
3 Ma

29. Australopithecines diversify.
6 Ma
33 Ma
5.5 Ma
37 Ma

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

31. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
50 Ma
5.5 Ma
4.8 Ma
4.5 Ma

32. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
33 Ma
2.6 Ma
35 Ma
3 Ma

33. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
2.5 Ma
0.7 Ma
35 Ma
0.5 Ma

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

35. Neanderthals evolve.
2.6 Ma
0.35 Ma
50 Ma
33 Ma

36. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
4.8 Ma
0.35 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
5 Ma

37. First bats.
0.35 Ma
52 Ma
3 Ma
0.3 Ma

38. Whales return to the water.
5 Ma
1.7 Ma
2.6 Ma
49 Ma

39. The mammoth appears.
4.8 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
24 Ma
4.5 Ma

40. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
3 Ma
30 Ma
26 Ma
10 Ma

41. Paranthropus evolve.
6.5 Ma
28 Ma
2.7 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

42. Australopithecines go extinct.
0.35 Ma
52 Ma
1.7 Ma
1.2 Ma

43. Insects diversify.First large horses.
10 Ma
50 Ma
55 Ma
60 Ma

44. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
5.4-6.3 Ma
36 Ma
18-12 Ma
4.5 Ma

45. Australopithecines diversify.
34 Ma
34 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
6 Ma

46. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
50 Ma
49 Ma
0.3 Ma
34 Ma

47. 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 -
0.2 Ma
0.79 Ma
0.3 Ma
55 Ma

48. First members of the Hominini tribe.
0.3 Ma
2.5 Ma
30 Ma
6.5 Ma

49. First deer.
0.79 Ma
25 Ma
6.5 Ma
6 Ma

50. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
28 Ma
0.6 Ma
30 Ma
3 Ma