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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 creodonts.
63 Ma
3 Ma
0.6 Ma
30 Ma

2. Insects diversify.First large horses.
0.2 Ma
28 Ma
10 Ma
37 Ma

3. Australopithecines diversify.
4.8 Ma
6 Ma
28 Ma
26 Ma

4. First bats.
52 Ma
63 Ma
0.79 Ma
33 Ma

5. First mastodons - bovids - and kangaroos. Australian megafauna diversify.
15 Ma
30 Ma
37 Ma
2.5 Ma

6. Age of the Catarrhini parvorder; first canines evolve. Lepidopteran insects become recognizable. Gastornis goes extinct. Basilosaurus evolves.
30 Ma
40 Ma
50 Ma
24 Ma

7. Earliest demonstrable evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
28 Ma
30 Ma
0.79 Ma
34 Ma

8. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
0.3 Ma
6 Ma
37 Ma
33 Ma

9. First members of the Hominini tribe.
49 Ma
28 Ma
6.5 Ma
63 Ma

10. The mammoth appears.
0.5 Ma
40 Ma
4.8 Ma
1.5 Ma

11. Emergence of the first true elephants.
4.5 Ma
26 Ma
34 Ma
33 Ma

12. Appearance of the genus Ardipithecus
6 Ma
55 Ma
26 Ma
5.5 Ma

13. Homo antecessor evolves. Paranthropus dies out.
20 Ma
1.2 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.3 Ma

14. Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin
20 Ma
24 Ma
1.2 Ma
20 Ma

15. Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America. Great AmericanInterchange.
20 Ma
5 Ma
3 Ma
4.8 Ma

16. First members of the Hominini tribe.
0.5 Ma
2.5 Ma
6.5 Ma
26 Ma

17. Cats evolve.
36 Ma
20 Ma
52 Ma
34 Ma

18. Emergence of the first true elephants.
26 Ma
3 Ma
49 Ma
5.5 Ma

19. Paranthropus evolve.
0.64 Ma
6 Ma
2.7 Ma
35 Ma

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

21. Australopithecines go extinct.
5.4-6.3 Ma
6.5 Ma
1.7 Ma
60 Ma

22. Insects diversify.First large horses.
10 Ma
4.8 Ma
35 Ma
28 Ma

23. End of Eocene - start of Oligocene epoch.
56 Ma
0.5 Ma
0.64 Ma
36 Ma

24. Neanderthals evolve.
0.35 Ma
6 Ma
1.2 Ma
4.8 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.
1.5 Ma
2.5 Ma
6 Ma
25 Ma

26. Gastornis evolves.
56 Ma
63 Ma
2.5 Ma
24 Ma

27. Whales return to the water.
37 Ma
0.6 Ma
49 Ma
20 Ma

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

29. First thylacinid marsupials evolve.
4.5 Ma
33 Ma
20 Ma
6 Ma

30. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
6 Ma
3 Ma
40 Ma
1.5 Ma

31. Estimated age of the Hominidae/Hylobatidae (great apes vs. gibbons) split.
5 Ma
18-12 Ma
28 Ma
0.79 Ma

32. Grasslands first appear. Glyptodonts - ground sloths - peccaries - dogs - eagles - and hawks evolve.
0.35 Ma
6 Ma
35 Ma
10 Ma

33. Cats evolve.
24 Ma
34 Ma
3 Ma
2.5 Ma

34. Pliocene epoch begins.First tree sloths and hippopotami.First large vultures. Nimravids go extinct.
5 Ma
0.64 Ma
20 Ma
2.6 Ma

35. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
34 Ma
0.6 Ma
1.2 Ma
33 Ma

36. Earliest possible evidence of the controlled use of fire by Homo erectus
34 Ma
0.6 Ma
1.5 Ma
5.5 Ma

37. Homo heidelbergensis evolves.
0.6 Ma
18-12 Ma
33 Ma
25 Ma

38. last reversal of the earth's magnetic field
50 Ma
0.7 Ma
5.5 Ma
35 Ma

39. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
2.7 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
4.8 Ma
0.64 Ma

40. Estimated age of the Homo/Pan (human vs. chimpanzee) split.
15 Ma
28 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
5.5 Ma

41. Middle Paleolithic begins. Appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa
24 Ma
5 Ma
0.2 Ma
60 Ma

42. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
0.2 Ma
2.7 Ma
4.5 Ma
1.2 Ma

43. The mammoth appears.
34 Ma
4.8 Ma
56 Ma
1.5 Ma

44. current ice age begins
0.64 Ma
4.8 Ma
36 Ma
2.6 Ma

45. Paranthropus evolve.
15 Ma
2.7 Ma
56 Ma
0.6 Ma

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

47. Neanderthals evolve.
2.7 Ma
34 Ma
0.79 Ma
0.35 Ma

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

49. First Nimravids.
34 Ma
37 Ma
25 Ma
1.5 Ma

50. Appearance of the genus Australopithecus
5.4-6.3 Ma
5.4-6.3 Ma
4.5 Ma
6 Ma