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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. Emergence of the first true elephants.
35 Ma
2.5 Ma
26 Ma
15 Ma

2. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
0.5 Ma
33 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
55 Ma

3. Cats evolve.
1.7 Ma
2.5 Ma
50 Ma
34 Ma

4. Paranthropus evolve.
0.7 Ma
2.7 Ma
2.6 Ma
6 Ma

5. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
2.6 Ma
0.7 Ma
0.6 Ma
49 Ma

6. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
25 Ma
35 Ma
2.5 Ma
6 Ma

7. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
3 Ma
63 Ma
50 Ma
49 Ma

8. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
4.5 Ma
0.64 Ma
36 Ma
18-12 Ma

9. Insects diversify.First large horses.
10 Ma
49 Ma
26 Ma
15 Ma

10. Australopithecines diversify.
5.4-6.3 Ma
6 Ma
52 Ma
35 Ma

11. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
33 Ma
15 Ma
4.5 Ma
40 Ma

12. Emergence of the first true elephants.
6.5 Ma
2.5 Ma
26 Ma
3 Ma

13. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
35 Ma
4.8 Ma
52 Ma
0.2 Ma

14. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
6 Ma
6.5 Ma
25 Ma

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

16. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
63 Ma
24 Ma
5 Ma
0.79 Ma

17. Giraffes and giant anteaters evolve.
20 Ma
3 Ma
35 Ma
33 Ma

18. First creodonts.
2.5 Ma
63 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
5 Ma

19. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
20 Ma
40 Ma
6.5 Ma
37 Ma

20. Whales return to the water.
0.3 Ma
6.5 Ma
24 Ma
49 Ma

21. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
35 Ma
2.5 Ma
49 Ma

22. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
49 Ma
56 Ma
0.79 Ma
60 Ma

23. First members of the Hominini tribe.
36 Ma
50 Ma
26 Ma
6.5 Ma

24. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
4.5 Ma
3 Ma
36 Ma
0.64 Ma

25. The mammoth appears.
55 Ma
4.8 Ma
24 Ma
33 Ma

26. Paraceratherium evolves.
56 Ma
24 Ma
28 Ma
0.5 Ma

27. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
50 Ma
2.6 Ma
33 Ma
30 Ma

28. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
1.5 Ma
5.5 Ma
37 Ma
40 Ma

29. current ice age begins
2.6 Ma
1.2 Ma
33 Ma
0.64 Ma

30. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
5.5 Ma
50 Ma
24 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma

31. Whales return to the water.
2.7 Ma
49 Ma
0.2 Ma
30 Ma

32. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
6 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.3 Ma
0.35 Ma

33. First members of the Hominini tribe.
6.5 Ma
24 Ma
2.5 Ma
1.5 Ma

34. Evolution of the first primates and miacids. Flightless birds diversify.
26 Ma
20 Ma
2.7 Ma
60 Ma

35. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
30 Ma
6 Ma
35 Ma
55 Ma

36. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
18-12 Ma
3 Ma
2.7 Ma
0.64 Ma

37. First Nimravids.
37 Ma
2.5 Ma
4.8 Ma
50 Ma

38. Approximate age of Canis lupus. Middle Stone Age begins in Africa. Gigantopithecus evolves.
0.6 Ma
0.3 Ma
50 Ma
15 Ma

39. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
0.6 Ma
49 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
24 Ma

40. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
25 Ma
4.5 Ma
24 Ma
5.5 Ma

41. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
2.6 Ma
40 Ma
5 Ma
1.7 Ma

42. Brontotheres go extinct. Pigs evolve. South America separates from Antarctica - becoming an island continent.
20 Ma
35 Ma
10 Ma
30 Ma

43. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
0.79 Ma
0.35 Ma
3 Ma
1.5 Ma

44. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
0.7 Ma
2.7 Ma
15 Ma
10 Ma

45. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
5.5 Ma
2.6 Ma
0.6 Ma
5 Ma

46. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
20 Ma
2.7 Ma
6.5 Ma
36 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.
5.4-6.3 Ma
2.5 Ma
10 Ma
5 Ma

48. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
15 Ma
24 Ma
1.2 Ma
55 Ma

49. colonisation of Eurasia by Homo erectus
55 Ma
25 Ma
0.5 Ma
24 Ma

50. 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
0.3 Ma
30 Ma
56 Ma