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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. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
2.7 Ma
5.5 Ma
30 Ma
18-12 Ma

2. Insects diversify.First large horses.
0.79 Ma
0.5 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
10 Ma

3. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
34 Ma
60 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.5 Ma

4. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
0.6 Ma
5 Ma
0.2 Ma
4.5 Ma

5. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.35 Ma
1.5 Ma
1.2 Ma
56 Ma

6. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
50 Ma
60 Ma
18-12 Ma
20 Ma

7. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
56 Ma
35 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.2 Ma

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

9. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
30 Ma
1.2 Ma
24 Ma
20 Ma

10. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
2.6 Ma
3 Ma
1.7 Ma

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

12. Emergence of the first true elephants.
60 Ma
6 Ma
0.64 Ma
26 Ma

13. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
0.79 Ma
5.5 Ma
10 Ma
5 Ma

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

15. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
5.4-6.3 Ma
30 Ma
36 Ma
0.64 Ma

16. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
5 Ma
40 Ma
5.5 Ma

17. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
0.5 Ma
25 Ma
4.8 Ma

18. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
40 Ma
49 Ma
5.5 Ma
0.7 Ma

19. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
20 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
49 Ma
0.6 Ma

20. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
0.3 Ma
36 Ma
0.79 Ma
52 Ma

21. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
0.3 Ma
0.79 Ma
2.5 Ma
35 Ma

22. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
37 Ma
6 Ma
0.5 Ma
63 Ma

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

24. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
0.2 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
52 Ma
1.2 Ma

25. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
10 Ma
25 Ma
0.3 Ma
1.2 Ma

26. Neanderthals evolve.
2.7 Ma
0.35 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.7 Ma

27. First members of the Hominini tribe.
56 Ma
2.5 Ma
6.5 Ma
37 Ma

28. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
28 Ma
0.64 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.35 Ma

29. The mammoth appears.
55 Ma
0.64 Ma
35 Ma
4.8 Ma

30. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
28 Ma
0.6 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
10 Ma

31. Australopithecines diversify.
33 Ma
25 Ma
36 Ma
6 Ma

32. The mammoth appears.
49 Ma
3 Ma
4.8 Ma
0.2 Ma

33. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
33 Ma
6.5 Ma
10 Ma
0.5 Ma

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

35. First deer.
1.2 Ma
30 Ma
25 Ma
33 Ma

36. Insects diversify.First large horses.
20 Ma
2.7 Ma
10 Ma
52 Ma

37. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
25 Ma
4.8 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.35 Ma

38. First Nimravids.
25 Ma
26 Ma
37 Ma
24 Ma

39. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
10 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
1.7 Ma
3 Ma

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

41. 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 -
25 Ma
37 Ma
55 Ma
0.2 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.
52 Ma
1.2 Ma
33 Ma
2.5 Ma

43. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
5 Ma
33 Ma
0.6 Ma
1.5 Ma

44. Paranthropus evolve.
2.7 Ma
1.2 Ma
50 Ma
0.5 Ma

45. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
4.5 Ma
15 Ma
3 Ma
0.2 Ma

46. Cats evolve.
40 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.3 Ma
34 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.
10 Ma
1.2 Ma
4.8 Ma
2.5 Ma

48. First members of the Hominini tribe.
56 Ma
63 Ma
6.5 Ma
25 Ma

49. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
5 Ma
1.2 Ma
5 Ma
18-12 Ma

50. Cats evolve.
0.3 Ma
3 Ma
34 Ma
0.6 Ma