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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 creodonts.
0.6 Ma
63 Ma
5 Ma
56 Ma

2. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
3 Ma
0.6 Ma
15 Ma
37 Ma

3. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
26 Ma
18-12 Ma
3 Ma
28 Ma

4. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
60 Ma
25 Ma
5.5 Ma
55 Ma

5. Australopithecines diversify.
24 Ma
63 Ma
6 Ma
37 Ma

6. Australopithecines go extinct.
60 Ma
2.6 Ma
1.7 Ma
0.2 Ma

7. First deer.
25 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
56 Ma
37 Ma

8. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
2.7 Ma
34 Ma
28 Ma
5.5 Ma

9. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
0.7 Ma
56 Ma
33 Ma
24 Ma

10. Cats evolve.
1.5 Ma
60 Ma
30 Ma
34 Ma

11. 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.
0.7 Ma
2.5 Ma
15 Ma
18-12 Ma

12. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
55 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.5 Ma
33 Ma

13. Whales return to the water.
49 Ma
10 Ma
63 Ma
52 Ma

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

15. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
40 Ma
6 Ma
2.7 Ma
10 Ma

16. Insects diversify.First large horses.
33 Ma
10 Ma
4.8 Ma
26 Ma

17. Gastornis evolves.
30 Ma
56 Ma
6 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

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

19. Emergence of the first true elephants.
26 Ma
0.5 Ma
36 Ma
63 Ma

20. 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
10 Ma
24 Ma
0.7 Ma

21. First members of the Hominini tribe.
60 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.7 Ma
6.5 Ma

22. First creodonts.
1.5 Ma
28 Ma
63 Ma
15 Ma

23. First Nimravids.
33 Ma
28 Ma
37 Ma
34 Ma

24. Paranthropus evolve.
2.7 Ma
36 Ma
30 Ma
37 Ma

25. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
20 Ma
6.5 Ma
1.5 Ma
40 Ma

26. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
34 Ma
1.5 Ma
3 Ma
60 Ma

27. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
2.5 Ma
0.7 Ma
55 Ma
25 Ma

28. First members of the Hominini tribe.
30 Ma
6.5 Ma
0.6 Ma
5.5 Ma

29. Paraceratherium evolves.
49 Ma
28 Ma
0.64 Ma
36 Ma

30. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
5.4-6.3 Ma
6 Ma
35 Ma
0.35 Ma

31. First deer.
25 Ma
56 Ma
6.5 Ma
0.5 Ma

32. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
0.5 Ma
30 Ma
60 Ma
0.79 Ma

33. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
52 Ma
5 Ma
56 Ma
0.3 Ma

34. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
0.6 Ma
4.8 Ma
18-12 Ma
20 Ma

35. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
28 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.6 Ma
1.7 Ma

36. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
33 Ma
52 Ma
60 Ma

37. 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 -
5.4-6.3 Ma
37 Ma
55 Ma
25 Ma

38. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
55 Ma
18-12 Ma
28 Ma
3 Ma

39. Yellowstone caldera erupts
0.64 Ma
4.5 Ma
0.3 Ma
6.5 Ma

40. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
1.2 Ma
6 Ma
25 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

41. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
5.5 Ma
50 Ma
18-12 Ma
63 Ma

42. 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
0.79 Ma
10 Ma
37 Ma

43. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
3 Ma
0.5 Ma
36 Ma
60 Ma

44. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
49 Ma
40 Ma
35 Ma
56 Ma

45. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
40 Ma
50 Ma
15 Ma
2.5 Ma

46. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
10 Ma
33 Ma
50 Ma
35 Ma

47. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
55 Ma
5.5 Ma
6 Ma
0.79 Ma

48. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
35 Ma
20 Ma
63 Ma
63 Ma

49. Paranthropus evolve.
15 Ma
0.5 Ma
5.5 Ma
2.7 Ma

50. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
5 Ma
24 Ma
34 Ma
6.5 Ma