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

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

3. First creodonts.
63 Ma
1.7 Ma
28 Ma
18-12 Ma

4. Cats evolve.
36 Ma
34 Ma
1.2 Ma
6.5 Ma

5. 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
28 Ma
50 Ma
60 Ma

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

7. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
24 Ma
36 Ma
49 Ma
18-12 Ma

8. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
63 Ma
1.5 Ma
5 Ma
33 Ma

9. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
37 Ma
24 Ma
35 Ma
1.2 Ma

10. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
30 Ma
0.3 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
5.5 Ma

11. Whales return to the water.
36 Ma
49 Ma
63 Ma
2.5 Ma

12. Emergence of the first true elephants.
0.35 Ma
4.5 Ma
24 Ma
26 Ma

13. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.79 Ma
25 Ma
6 Ma
1.7 Ma

14. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
0.5 Ma
30 Ma
37 Ma
55 Ma

15. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
5.5 Ma
56 Ma
4.5 Ma
6 Ma

16. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
6.5 Ma
24 Ma
5.5 Ma
1.2 Ma

17. First Nimravids.
34 Ma
25 Ma
37 Ma
0.6 Ma

18. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
28 Ma
63 Ma
0.2 Ma
40 Ma

19. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
5 Ma
2.6 Ma
20 Ma
1.5 Ma

20. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
2.7 Ma
1.5 Ma
0.3 Ma
15 Ma

21. 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
0.79 Ma
18-12 Ma
2.5 Ma

22. Gastornis evolves.
24 Ma
1.2 Ma
49 Ma
56 Ma

23. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
25 Ma
1.2 Ma
15 Ma

24. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
6.5 Ma
0.5 Ma
34 Ma

25. Emergence of the first true elephants.
26 Ma
28 Ma
33 Ma
30 Ma

26. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
0.5 Ma
3 Ma
34 Ma
49 Ma

27. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
63 Ma
0.79 Ma
34 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

28. Yellowstone caldera erupts
37 Ma
63 Ma
49 Ma
0.64 Ma

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

30. Australopithecines go extinct.
1.7 Ma
4.8 Ma
2.7 Ma
0.7 Ma

31. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
18-12 Ma
50 Ma
56 Ma
20 Ma

32. First bats.
52 Ma
55 Ma
0.64 Ma
0.7 Ma

33. The mammoth appears.
0.3 Ma
56 Ma
4.8 Ma
2.7 Ma

34. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
4.5 Ma
5 Ma
33 Ma
5 Ma

35. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
63 Ma
25 Ma
15 Ma
3 Ma

36. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
0.35 Ma
3 Ma
18-12 Ma
6 Ma

37. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
35 Ma
34 Ma
3 Ma
2.5 Ma

38. Australopithecines go extinct.
1.7 Ma
28 Ma
0.35 Ma
10 Ma

39. 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 -
2.7 Ma
0.35 Ma
55 Ma
0.35 Ma

40. Paranthropus evolve.
2.7 Ma
26 Ma
60 Ma
25 Ma

41. First Nimravids.
37 Ma
40 Ma
0.79 Ma
6 Ma

42. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
36 Ma
26 Ma
63 Ma
33 Ma

43. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
2.7 Ma
1.2 Ma
28 Ma
60 Ma

44. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
5 Ma
37 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
25 Ma

45. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
1.5 Ma
1.2 Ma
4.5 Ma
2.7 Ma

46. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
34 Ma
0.6 Ma
36 Ma
3 Ma

47. 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
0.6 Ma
26 Ma
6 Ma

48. First creodonts.
24 Ma
6 Ma
0.7 Ma
63 Ma

49. First deer.
5.5 Ma
25 Ma
1.2 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

50. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
5 Ma
63 Ma
36 Ma
60 Ma