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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. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
34 Ma
63 Ma
6.5 Ma
36 Ma

2. Whales return to the water.
35 Ma
1.2 Ma
0.2 Ma
49 Ma

3. First Nimravids.
33 Ma
5 Ma
2.6 Ma
37 Ma

4. Paraceratherium evolves.
1.2 Ma
50 Ma
6.5 Ma
28 Ma

5. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
52 Ma
26 Ma
30 Ma
18-12 Ma

6. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
28 Ma
35 Ma
0.5 Ma
37 Ma

7. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
4.8 Ma
40 Ma
0.2 Ma
0.79 Ma

8. Emergence of the first true elephants.
0.3 Ma
26 Ma
0.79 Ma
6.5 Ma

9. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.2 Ma
0.79 Ma
0.35 Ma
25 Ma

10. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
30 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
0.79 Ma
60 Ma

11. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
34 Ma
0.5 Ma
18-12 Ma
49 Ma

12. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
1.5 Ma
35 Ma
60 Ma
10 Ma

13. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
10 Ma
0.6 Ma
24 Ma
0.79 Ma

14. Paranthropus evolve.
0.7 Ma
2.5 Ma
5 Ma
2.7 Ma

15. Paraceratherium evolves.
24 Ma
28 Ma
3 Ma
2.6 Ma

16. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
36 Ma
1.7 Ma
49 Ma
4.8 Ma

17. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
55 Ma
0.6 Ma
10 Ma
1.5 Ma

18. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
25 Ma
5.5 Ma
33 Ma
4.5 Ma

19. Africa collides with Eurasia - closing the Tethys Sea. Divergence of cat and dog ancestors. Primates diversify. Brontotheres - tapirs - rhinos - and camels evolve.
40 Ma
63 Ma
24 Ma
50 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.
36 Ma
2.5 Ma
25 Ma
10 Ma

21. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
2.6 Ma
50 Ma
0.6 Ma
20 Ma

22. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
52 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.3 Ma
37 Ma

23. Cats evolve.
34 Ma
4.5 Ma
0.6 Ma
63 Ma

24. Neanderthals evolve.
36 Ma
0.35 Ma
5 Ma
1.2 Ma

25. First members of the Hominini tribe.
6.5 Ma
24 Ma
2.6 Ma
35 Ma

26. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
3 Ma
0.35 Ma
5 Ma
56 Ma

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

28. Australopithecines diversify.
1.7 Ma
6 Ma
36 Ma
0.35 Ma

29. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
20 Ma
18-12 Ma
56 Ma
0.35 Ma

30. First deer.
30 Ma
25 Ma
1.2 Ma
56 Ma

31. First creodonts.
18-12 Ma
50 Ma
4.5 Ma
63 Ma

32. Australopithecines go extinct.
0.2 Ma
0.3 Ma
4.5 Ma
1.7 Ma

33. 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 -
15 Ma
28 Ma
55 Ma
30 Ma

34. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
56 Ma
50 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
24 Ma

35. Gastornis evolves.
56 Ma
28 Ma
6 Ma
0.2 Ma

36. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
0.7 Ma
0.79 Ma
63 Ma
0.64 Ma

37. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
0.79 Ma
63 Ma
15 Ma
0.2 Ma

38. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
50 Ma
3 Ma
2.5 Ma
4.5 Ma

39. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
0.79 Ma
2.7 Ma
63 Ma
15 Ma

40. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
3 Ma
0.7 Ma
56 Ma
28 Ma

41. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
2.7 Ma
35 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
6.5 Ma

42. Emergence of the first true elephants.
50 Ma
26 Ma
1.7 Ma
3 Ma

43. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
20 Ma
55 Ma
4.5 Ma
5.5 Ma

44. The mammoth appears.
4.8 Ma
50 Ma
2.6 Ma
40 Ma

45. Whales return to the water.
2.7 Ma
49 Ma
50 Ma
0.2 Ma

46. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
1.5 Ma
26 Ma
40 Ma
56 Ma

47. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
37 Ma
60 Ma
2.6 Ma
15 Ma

48. First Nimravids.
55 Ma
37 Ma
52 Ma
26 Ma

49. 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 -
0.5 Ma
15 Ma
55 Ma
6 Ma

50. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
1.2 Ma
0.7 Ma
5.5 Ma
0.79 Ma