Geological Table

Paleozoic

Permian, Carboniferous, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, Cambrian

Proterozoic

Ediacaran

Cenozoic

Quaternary, Neogene, Paleogene

Mesozoic

Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic

Eras

Archaean. Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

Archaean

4,600 mya- 2,500 mya

Proterozoic time

2,500 mya-542 mya

Paleozoic time

542 mya-251 mya

Mesozoic time

251-65.5 mya

Cenozoic time

65\.5-0.01 mya

4,600 mya

origin of the Earth

3,800 mya

oldest known rocks on the Earth’s surface

3,500 mya

oldest fossils of cells (prokaryotes) appear

2,700 mya

concentration of atmospheric oxygen begins to increase

2,500 mya

end of Archaean

2,100 mya

oldest fossils of eukaryotic cells appear

Ediacaran

635-542 mya diverse algae and soft bodied invertebrate animals appear

Cambrian

542-488 mya sudden increase in diversity of many animal phyla (explosion)

Ordovician

488-444 mya marina algae abundant; colonization of land by diverse fungi, plants, and animals

Silurian

444-416 mya diversification of early vascular plants

Devonian

416-359 mya diversification of bony fishes; first tetrapods and insects appear

Carboniferous

359-299 mya extensive forests of vascular plants form; first seed plants appear; origin of reptiles; amphibians dominant

Permian

299-251 mya radiation of reptiles, origin of present day groups of insects, extinction of many marine and terrestrial organisms at end of period

triassic

251-199.6 mya cone-bearing plants (gymnosperms) dominant landscape, dinosaurs evolve and radiate, origin of mammals

jurassic

199\.6-145.5 mya gymnosperms continue as dominant plants, dinosaurs abundant and diverse

cretaceous

145\.5-65.5 mya flowering plants (angiosperms) appear and diversify, many groups of organisms, including most dinosaurs, become extinct at the end of period

paleogene

Paleocene, eocene, oligocene

neogene

Miocene and pliocene

quarternary

pleistocene and holocene

paleocene

65\.5-55.8 mya major radiation of mammals, birds, and pollinating insects

eocene

55\.8-33.9 mya angiosperm dominance increases, continued radiation of most present-day mammalian orders

oligocene

33\.9-23 mya origins of many primate groups

miocene

23-5.3 mya continued radiation of mammals and angiosperms; earliest direct human ancestors

pliocene

5\.3-2.6 mya appearance of bipedal human ancestors

pleistocene

2\.6-0.01 mya ice ages, origin of genus homo

holocene

0\.01-present mya historical time