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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 deer.
1.2 Ma
60 Ma
25 Ma
2.5 Ma

2. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
0.79 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
30 Ma
40 Ma

3. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
56 Ma
36 Ma
0.35 Ma
2.7 Ma

4. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.5 Ma
37 Ma
1.5 Ma
63 Ma

5. First Nimravids.
26 Ma
37 Ma
5.5 Ma
15 Ma

6. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
60 Ma
6 Ma
4.8 Ma
36 Ma

7. First members of the Hominini tribe.
37 Ma
24 Ma
30 Ma
6.5 Ma

8. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
20 Ma
0.35 Ma
5 Ma
5.5 Ma

9. Australopithecines go extinct.
1.7 Ma
37 Ma
6.5 Ma
55 Ma

10. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
1.7 Ma
0.6 Ma
26 Ma
15 Ma

11. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
5 Ma
0.6 Ma
34 Ma
49 Ma

12. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
1.2 Ma
30 Ma
50 Ma
2.5 Ma

13. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
4.8 Ma
2.7 Ma
4.8 Ma
36 Ma

14. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
0.35 Ma
50 Ma
2.7 Ma
25 Ma

15. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
15 Ma
33 Ma
0.35 Ma
0.6 Ma

16. 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 -
2.5 Ma
55 Ma
60 Ma
2.6 Ma

17. Australopithecines diversify.
30 Ma
2.7 Ma
6 Ma
63 Ma

18. Cats evolve.
25 Ma
34 Ma
0.64 Ma
5.5 Ma

19. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
36 Ma
0.5 Ma
5 Ma
1.5 Ma

20. Insects diversify.First large horses.
0.6 Ma
20 Ma
10 Ma
25 Ma

21. Paranthropus evolve.
6.5 Ma
50 Ma
2.7 Ma
28 Ma

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

23. Whales return to the water.
2.5 Ma
1.5 Ma
49 Ma
1.5 Ma

24. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
2.6 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.3 Ma
33 Ma

25. 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.
26 Ma
35 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
2.5 Ma

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

27. current ice age begins
0.5 Ma
2.6 Ma
5.5 Ma
20 Ma

28. Emergence of the first true elephants.
3 Ma
5.5 Ma
6.5 Ma
26 Ma

29. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
20 Ma
0.5 Ma
5.5 Ma
30 Ma

30. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
18-12 Ma
10 Ma
1.2 Ma
37 Ma

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

32. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
18-12 Ma
5 Ma
56 Ma
1.5 Ma

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

34. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
37 Ma
0.64 Ma
0.7 Ma
10 Ma

35. Cats evolve.
56 Ma
34 Ma
56 Ma
1.5 Ma

36. Neanderthals evolve.
4.5 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.35 Ma
0.3 Ma

37. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
33 Ma
4.5 Ma
2.7 Ma
0.6 Ma

38. First Nimravids.
28 Ma
0.79 Ma
37 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

39. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
2.6 Ma
24 Ma
20 Ma
37 Ma

40. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.79 Ma
0.35 Ma
1.7 Ma
56 Ma

41. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
30 Ma
4.8 Ma
24 Ma
50 Ma

42. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
0.7 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
34 Ma
0.3 Ma

43. Neanderthals evolve.
35 Ma
2.7 Ma
34 Ma
0.35 Ma

44. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
0.7 Ma
0.35 Ma
10 Ma
5 Ma

45. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
6.5 Ma
52 Ma
36 Ma
35 Ma

46. The mammoth appears.
40 Ma
4.8 Ma
6.5 Ma
1.7 Ma

47. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
3 Ma
0.5 Ma
30 Ma
18-12 Ma

48. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
0.5 Ma
5.5 Ma
4.5 Ma
24 Ma

49. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
5 Ma
0.2 Ma
26 Ma
25 Ma

50. current ice age begins
2.5 Ma
0.6 Ma
10 Ma
2.6 Ma