Evolutionary Table Era Period/Epoch Years Ago Age Event �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������� 4,600,000,000 ����� Earth Forms � P � (Azoic) � 4,500,000,000 � P � Complex molecules � r � � 4,250,000,000 � r � Supermolecules � e � � 4,000,000,000 � e � Oceans form; RNA molecules � c � � 3,750,000,000 � l � Proto-viruses � a � � 3,500,000,000 � i � Microspheres � m � � � � � � � � � � 3,300,000,000 � f � Viruses � b � Archeozoic � 3,150,000,000 � e � � r � � 3,000,000,000 ���Ĵ � i � � 2,800,000,000 � S � Prokaryotes � a � � 2,650,000,000 � o � � n ������������������� 2,500,000,000 � f � Blue-green algae � � Proterozoic � 2,400,000,000 � t � � � � 2,250,000,000 � � � a � 1 = Marine Invertebrates � � � 2,100,000,000 � L � � g � 2 = Fishes � � � 2,000,000,000 � i � � e � 3 = Amphibians � � � 1,900,000,000 � f � � � � 1,800,000,000 � e � Proto-bacteria � � � 1,700,000,000 � � � � � 1,600,000,000 � � DNA molecules � � � 1,500,000,000 � � Eukariotes � � � 1,400,000,000 � � � � � 1,350,000,000 � � � � � 1,250,000,000 � � Green algae � � � 1,200,000,000 � � � � � 1,100,000,000 � � � � � 1,050,000,000 � � � � � 1,000,000,000 � � Protozoans � � � 950,000,000 � � � � � 900,000,000 � � � � � 850,000,000 � � � � � 800,000,000 � � Porifera � � � 750,000,000 � � � � � 700,000,000 � � Coelenterates � � � 670,000,000 � � � � � 630,000,000 � � � � � 600,000,000 � � Annelids, echinoderms ������������������������� 570,000,000 ���Ĵ Chordates � P � Cambrian � 530,000,000 � 1 � � a ��������������������� 500,000,000 � � Cephalopods, Arthropods � l � Ordovician � 475,000,000 � � � e � � 450,000,000 � � Vertebrates, Ostracoderms � o ��Silurian����������� 425,000,000 � � Land plants � z ��������������������� 405,000,000 ���Ĵ Land arthropods; Teleosts � o � Devonian � 375,000,000 � 2 � Rhipidistians � i ��������������������� 345,000,000 ���Ĵ Land vertebrates; Eogyrini, ferns � c � Carboniferous � 330,000,000 � 3 � � � � 310,000,000 � � � � � 300,000,000 � � Eosuchians � ��������������������� 280,000,000 � � Mountain building; Conifers � � Permian � 265,000,000 � � � � � 250,000,000 � � Anapsids � � � 240,000,000 � � Breakup of Pangea; Synapsids ������������������������� 230,000,000 ���Ĵ Permian Great Dying; Sauriscians � M � Triassic � 210,000,000 � R � Monotremes � e � � 200,000,000 � e � Ichthyosaurs � s ��������������������� 190,000,000 � p � Marsupials � o � Jurassic � 180,000,000 � t � Pterosaurs � z � � 170,000,000 � i � � o � � 160,000,000 � l � Plesiosaurs � i � � 150,000,000 � e � Archeopteryx � c ��������������������� 140,000,000 � s � � � Cretaceous � 135,000,000 � � � � � 125,000,000 � � Ornithiscians � � � 120,000,000 � � � � � 110,000,000 � � Birds � � � 105,000,000 � � � � � 100,000,000 � � � � � 95,000,000 � � Placentals � � � 90,000,000 � � � � � 85,000,000 � � � � � 80,000,000 � � � � � 75,000,000 � � � � � 70,000,000 � � Ichthyornes, Hesperornes �������������������������� 65,000,000 ���Ĵ Cretaceous Great Dying � C � T � Paleocene � 63,000,000 � M � Miacids, creodonts � e � e � � 60,000,000 � a � Profelids, procanids, phalangers � n � r ������������������ 55,000,000 � m � Civids, mustelids � o � t � Eocene � 53,000,000 � m � Tarsoidians, eohippus � z � i � � 50,000,000 � a � Prosimians, titanotheres � o � a � � 47,500,000 � l � Anthropoidians, procyonids � i � r � � 45,000,000 � s � � c � y � � 42,500,000 � � � � ������������������ 40,000,000 � � Dinictis, holophoneus, � � � Oligocene � 37,500,000 � � \aegyptopithecus � � � � 35,000,000 � � Canids � � � � 33,000,000 � � Mesohippus � � � � 31,500,000 � � � � � � 30,000,000 � � � � � � 28,000,000 � � Pseudailurus � � � � 26,500,000 � � Smilodon, pliopithecus � � ������������������ 25,000,000 � � � � � Miocene � 23,500,000 � � Sivapithecus, dryopithecus/Proconsul � � � � 22,500,000 � � Merychippus � � � � 21,000,000 � � Ramapithecus � � � � 20,000,000 � � Dogs, wolves � � � � 19,000,000 � � � � � � 18,000,000 � � Acinonix: cheetahs � � � � 17,000,000 � � � � � � 16,000,000 � � � � � � 15,000,000 � � � � � � 14,000,000 � � � � � � 13,500,000 � � � � � � 12,500,000 � � � � � � 12,000,000 � � Felis: lesser cats � � � � 11,000,000 � � Felis lunensis: Martelli's cat � � � � 10,500,000 � � � � ������������������ 10,000,000 � � Felis manul: Pallas' cat � � � Pliocene � 9,500,000 � � � � � � 9,000,000 � � � � � � 8,500,000 � � � � � � 8,000,000 � � � � � � 7,500,000 � � � � � � 7,000,000 � � � � � � 6,700,000 � � � � � � 6,300,000 � � � � � � 6,000,000 � � Pliohippus � � � � 5,600,000 � � � � � � 5,300,000 � � � � � � 5,000,000 � � � � � � 4,750,000 � � Australopithecus afaransis ("Lucy") � � � � 4,500,000 � � Australopithecus africanus � � � � 4,250,000 � � � � � � 4,000,000 � � Australopithecus robustus � � � � 3,750,000 � � � � � � 3,500,000 � � Hyenas � � � � 3,300,000 � � � � � � 3,150,000 � � � � � � 3,000,000 � � Panthera: greater cats � � � � 2,800,000 � � � � � � 2,650,000 � � � � � � 2,500,000 � � Equus: modern horses � � � � 2,350,000 � � � � � � 2,250,000 � � � � � � 2,100,000 � � � ����������������������� 2,000,000 ���Ĵ � � Q � Pliestocene � 1,900,000 � M � � � u � � 1,800,000 � a � Homo habilis � � a � � 1,700,000 � n � � � t � � 1,600,000 � � � � e � � 1,500,000 � � Homo erectus � � r � � 1,400,000 � � � � n � � 1,350,000 � � � � a � � 1,250,000 � � � � r � � 1,200,000 � � � � y � � 1,100,000 � � � � � � 1,050,000 � � � � � � 1,000,000 � � � � � � 950,000 � � � � � � 900,000 � � First ice age begins � � � � 850,000 � � � � � � 800,000 � � � � � � 750,000 � � � � � � 700,000 � � � � � � 665,000 � � Felis sylvestris: European wildcat � � � � 630,000 � � � � � � 600,000 � � Second ice age begins � � � � 560,000 � � � � � � 530,000 � � � � � � 500,000 � � � � � � 475,000 � � � � � � 450,000 � � � � � � 425,000 � � � � � � 400,000 � � Third ice age begins � � � � 375,000 � � � � � � 350,000 � � � � � � 330,000 � � � � � � 315,000 � � � � � � 300,000 � � Felis lybica: African wildcat � � � � 280,000 � � � � � � 265,000 � � � � � � 250,000 � � � � � � 235,000 � � � � � � 225,000 � � � � � � 210,000 � � � � � � 200,000 � � � � � � 190,000 � � � � � � 180,000 � � � � � � 170,000 � � � � � � 160,000 � � � � � � 150,000 � � � � � � 140,000 � � � � � � 135,000 � � � � � � 125,000 � � � � � � 120,000 � � � � � � 110,000 � � � � � � 105,000 � � � � � � 100,000 � � Homo sapiens neanderthalensis � � � � 95,000 � � � � � � 90,000 � � � � � � 85,000 � � � � � � 80,000 � � � � � � 75,000 � � � � � � 70,000 � � � � � � 67,000 � � � � � � 63,000 � � � � � � 60,000 � � � � � � 56,000 � � � � � � 53,000 � � � � � � 50,000 � � Fourth ice age begins � � � � 47,500 � � � � � � 45,000 � � � � � � 42,500 � � � � � � 40,000 � � � � � � 37,500 � � � � � � 35,000 � � � � � � 33,000 � � � � � � 31,500 � � � � � � 30,000 � � Homo sapiens sapiens: Cro-Magnon man � � � � 28,000 � � � � � � 26,500 � � � � � � 25,000 � � Possible domestication of dog � � � � 23,500 � � � � � � 22,500 � � � � � � 21,000 � � � � � � 20,000 � � Probable domestication of dog � � � � 19,000 � � � � � � 18,000 � � � � � � 17,000 � � � � � � 16,000 � � � � � � 15,000 � � � � � � 14,000 � � � � � � 13,500 � � Herding invented � � � � 12,500 � � Smilodon becomes extinct � � � � 12,000 � � Agriculture invented � � � � 11,000 � � Civilization invented � � � � 10,500 � � � � ���������������������� 10,000 ���Ĵ � � � Holocene � 9,500 � C � � � � � 9,000 � i � � � � � 8,500 � v � � � � � 8,000 � i � � � � � 7,500 � l � � � � � 7,000 � i � Possible domestication of cat � � � � 6,700 � z � � � � � 6,300 � a � � � � � 6,000 � t � 4004 BC--Creation: Bishop Ussher � � � � 5,600 � i � 3760 BC--Creation: Orthodox Judaism � � � � 5,300 � o � � � � � 5,000 � n � Probable domestication of cat � � � � 4,750 � � Early Egyptian cat cults � � � � 4,500 � � First records of Bast � � � � 4,250 � � First pyramids built � � � � 4,000 � � � � � � 3,750 � � � � � � 3,550 � � Indus traders � � � � 3,350 � � � � � � 3,150 � � Phoenician traders � � � � 3,000 � � Felis cattus: domestic cat � � � � 2,800 � � 753 BC -- Rome founded � � � � 2,650 � � � � � � 2,500 � � � � � � 2,350 � � Grecian conquest of Egypt � � � � 2,250 � � � � � � 2,100 � � Roman conquest of Egypt � � � � 2,000 � � Beginning of Christian (Common) Era