History of Life on Earth:

Eon

A major division of geological time, encompassing several eras.

Hadean Eon

The time period from 4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago when Earth and the Moon formed.

Archaean Eon

The time period from 4.0 to 2.5 billion years ago characterized by the emergence of prokaryotes and the increase of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Proterozoic Eon

The time period from 2.5 to 0.5 billion years ago marked by the first eukaryotes and the Ediacaran period's first animals.

Phanerozoic Eon

The time period from 0.5 billion years ago to the present, divided into three eras:Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

Cambrian Explosion

A significant event during the Cambrian period that led to an increase in the diversity of animal phyla.

Paleozoic Era

The era from 500 to 250 million years ago, known for the development of early life forms and the colonization of land.

Mesozoic Era

The era from 250 to 65 million years ago, often referred to as the age of dinosaurs.

Cenozoic Era

The era from 65 million years ago to the present, characterized by the dominance of mammals and birds.

Mass Extinction

A rapid extinction event that wiped out 50-90% of all species, notably occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Adaptive Radiation

A process of rapid speciation that occurs to fill ecological niches after a mass extinction.

First Eukaryotes

The emergence of complex cells with a nucleus, occurring during the Proterozoic Eon.

First Cyanobacteria

The first photosynthetic bacteria that contributed to the increase of oxygen in the atmosphere during the Archaean Eon.

First Angiosperms

The first flowering plants that appeared during the Cretaceous period.

First Primata

The emergence of early primates during the Paleogene period.

First Hominidae

The appearance of the first human ancestors during the Neogene period.

Pleistocene Epoch

The epoch characterized by the Ice Age and the emergence of large land mammals and the genus Homo.

Holocene Epoch

The current epoch, starting around 10,000 BCE, marked by significant human impact on the environment, referred to as the Anthropocene.