Table of geologic time[edit]

The following table summarizes the major events and characteristics of the periods of time making
up the geologic time scale. This table is arranged with the most recent geologic periods at the top,
and the most ancient at the bottom. The height of each table entry does not correspond to the
duration of each subdivision of time.
The content of the table is based on the current official geologic time scale of the International
Commission on Stratigraphy,[1] with the epoch names altered to the early/late format from
lower/upper as recommended by the ICS when dealing with chronostratigraphy.[2]
A service providing a Resource Description Framework/Web Ontology Language representation of
the timescale is available through the Commission for the Management and Application of
Geoscience Information GeoSciML project as a service[23] and at a SPARQL end-point.[24][25]
Star
t,
hideS milli
Peri Epoc on
upere Eon Era Age[c] Major events
od[b] h year
on
s
ago[c
]

n/a[d] Phan Cenozoic[ Megha 4.2 kiloyear event, Little Ice Age, 0.00
eroz e] layan increasing industrial CO2. 42*
oic
Northg 8.2 kiloyear event, Holocene climatic 0.00
Holoc rippian optimum. Bronze Age. 82*
ene
Current interglacial begins. Sea
Greenl level flooding 0.01
andian of Doggerland and Sundaland. Sahara des 17*
ert forms. Neolithic agriculture.
Late(' Eemian interglacial, Last glacial period,
0.12
Qua Tarant ending with Younger Dryas. Toba
6
tern ian') eruption. Megafauna extinction.
ary
Middle
('Ionia
High amplitude 100 ka glacial cycles. Rise 0.78
n',
Pleist 'Chiba of Homo sapiens. 1
ocene nian')

Calabr Further cooling of the climate. Spread

1.8*
ian of Homo erectus.
Start of Quaternary glaciations. Rise of
Gelasi
the Pleistocene megafauna and Homo 2.58*
an
habilis.
Neo Plioce Piacen Greenland ice sheet develops.
gen ne [28]
 Australopithecus common in East Africa. 3.6*
zian [29]
e
Zancle Zanclean flooding of the Mediterranean 5.33
an Basin. Cooling climate. Ardipithecus in 3*
Africa.[30]
 Messi Messinian Event with hypersaline lakes in 7.24
nian empty Mediterranean Basin.Moderate 6*
Icehouse climate, punctuated by ice
ages and re-establishment of East
Tortoni Antarctic Ice Sheet; Gradual separation 11.6
an of human and chimpanzee 3*
ancestors. Sahelanthropus tchadensis in
Africa.
Serrav 13.8
allian Warmer during middle Miocene climate 2*
optimum.[31] Extinctions in middle Miocene
Langhi disruption. 15.9
Mioce an 7
ne
Burdig Orogeny in Northern Hemisphere. Start 20.4
alian of Kaikoura Orogeny forming Southern 4
Alps in New Zealand. Widespread forests
slowly draw in massive amounts of CO2,
gradually lowering the level of atmospheric
CO2 from 650 ppmv down to around 100
Aquita ppmv during the Miocene.[32] 23.0
nian
[f]
 Modern mammaland bird families 3*
become
recognizable. Horses and mastodons diver
se. Grasses become ubiquitous. Ancestor
of apes, including humans.[33]
Pale Chatti Grande Coupure extinction. Start of
28.1
oge an widespread Antarctic glaciation.
ne Oligo [34]
Rapid evolution and diversification of
cene Rupeli fauna, especially mammals. Major
evolution and dispersal of modern types 33.9*
an
of flowering plants
Priabo Moderate, cooling climate.
37.8
nian Archaic mammals (e.g. Creodonts,
"Condylarths", Uintatheres, etc.) flourish
Barton
and continue to develop during the epoch. 41.2
ian
Appearance of several "modern" mammal
families. Primitive whales diversify.
Reglaciation of Antarctica and formation of
its ice cap; End of Laramide and Sevier
Lutetia
Orogenies of the Rocky Mountains in North 47.8*
n
Eoce America. Orogeny of the Alps in Europe
ne begins. Hellenic Orogeny begins in Greece
and Aegean Sea.
Two transient events of global warming
(PETM and ETM-2) and warming climate
until the Eocene Climatic Optimum.
Ypresi The Azolla event decreased CO2 levels
56*
an from 3500 ppm to 650 ppm, setting the
stage for a long period of cooling.[32][f] Indian
Subcontinent collides with Asia and
starts Himalayan Orogeny.
Paleo Thanet Starts with Chicxulub impact and the K-Pg 59.2*
cene ian extinction event. Climate tropical. Modern
 Seland plants appear; Mammals diversify into a
61.6*
ian number of lineages following the extinction
of the non-avian dinosaurs. First large
Dania mammals (up to bear or
small hippo size). Alpine orogeny in 66*
n
Europe and Asia begins.
Mesozoic 72.1
Maastr
± 0.
ichtian
2*
83.6
Camp
± 0.
anian
2
86.3
Santo Flowering plants proliferate, along with new ± 0.
nian types of insects. More modern teleost fish
Late 5*
begin to
89.8
Coniac appear. Ammonoidea, belemnites, rudist bi
valves, echinoids and sponges all ± 0.
ian
common. Many new types 3
Turoni of dinosaurs (e.g. Tyrannosaurs, Titanosau
rs, Hadrosaurs, and Ceratopsids) evolve 93.9*
an
Cret on land, as do Eusuchia (modern
ace Ceno crocodilians); and mosasaurs and 100.
ous mania modern sharksappear in the sea. Birds
5*
n toothed and toothless coexist
with pterosaurs. Monotremes, marsupials a ~11
Albian nd placental mammals appear. Break up
3
of Gondwana. Beginning
~12
Aptian of Laramide and Sevier Orogenies of
the Rocky 5
Barre Mountains. atmospheric CO2 close to ~12
mian present-day levels. 9.4
Early
Hauter ~13
ivian 2.9
Valang ~13
inian 9.8
Berria ~14
sian 5
Jura Gymnosperms (especially conifers, Bennet 152.
ssic Tithoni titales and cycads) and fernscommon. 1
an Many types of dinosaurs, such ± 0.
as sauropods, carnosaurs, and stegosaurs. 9
Mammals common but small. First birds
157.
and lizards. Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs 
Kimme 3
Late diverse. Bivalves, Ammonites and belemnit
ridgian ± 1.
es abundant. Sea urchins very common,
0
along with crinoids, starfish, sponges,
and terebratulid and rhynchonellid brachiop 163.
Oxford ods. Breakup 5
ian of Pangaea into Gondwana and Laurasia.  ± 1.
Nevadan orogeny in North 0
America. Rangitata and Cimmerian
Middl Callovi 166.
 1
an ± 1.
2
168.
Batho 3
nian ± 1.
3*
e 170.
Bajoci 3
an ± 1.
4*
174.
Aaleni 1
an ± 1.
0*
182.
orogenies taper off. Atmospheric CO2 levels
Toarci 7
3–4 times the present day levels (1200–1500
an ± 0.
ppmv, compared to today's 400 ppmv[32][f]).
7*
190.
Pliens
8
bachia
± 1.
n
0*
Early
199.
Sinem 3
urian ± 0.
3*
201.
Hettan 3
gian ± 0.
2*
Rhaeti ~20
Archosaurs dominant on land
an 8.5
as dinosaurs and in the air
as pterosaurs. Ichthyosaurs and nothosaur ~22
Late Norian
s dominate large marine 7
fauna. Cynodontsbecome smaller and
Carnia ~23
more mammal-like, while
n 7*
first mammals and crocodilia appear. Dicro
Ladini idiumflora common on land. Many large ~24
Tria Middl an aquatic temnospondyl amphibians. Ceratiti 2*
ssic e c ammonoids extremely common. Modern
Anisia 247.
corals and teleost fish appear, as do many
n 2
modern insect clades. Andean Orogeny in
Olene South America. Cimmerian Orogeny in 251.
kian Asia. Rangitata Orogeny begins in New 2
Zealand. Hunter-Bowen
Early 251.
Orogeny in Northern Australia, Queensland
902
Induan and New South Wales ends, (c. 260–
± 0.
225 Ma)
06*
Paleozoic Per Lopin Chang Landmasses unite 254.
 14
hsingi
± 0.
an
07*
gian 259.
Wuchi
1
apingi
± 0.
an into supercontinent Pangaea, creating
4*
the Appalachians. End of Permo-
Carboniferous 265.
Capita glaciation. Synapsids including 1
nian (pelycosaurs and therapsids) become ± 0.
plentiful, 4*
while parareptiles and temnospondyl amph
268.
Guad ibians remain common. In the mid-
Wordi 8
alupia Permian, coal-age flora are replaced
an ± 0.
n by cone-bearing gymnosperms (the first
5*
true seed plants) and by the first
true mosses. Beetles and flies evolve. 272.
mia Roadi Marine life flourishes in warm shallow 95
n an reefs; productid and spiriferid brachiopods, ± 0.
bivalves, forams, and ammonoids all 5*
abundant. Permian-Triassic extinction
283.
event occurs 251 Ma: 95% of life on Earth
Kungu 5
becomes extinct, including
rian ± 0.
all trilobites, graptolites,
6
and blastoids. Ouachita and Innuitian
orogenies in North America. Uralian 290.
Artinsk orogeny in Europe/Asia tapers 1
ian off. Altaid orogeny in Asia. Hunter-Bowen ± 0.
Cisur Orogeny on Australian continent begins (c. 26
alian 260–225 Ma), forming the MacDonnell
295
Sakma Ranges.
± 0.
rian
18
298.
Asseli 9
an ± 0.
15*
Car Penn Winged insects radiate suddenly; some 303.
bon- sylva Gzheli (esp. Protodonata and Palaeodictyoptera) 7
ifero nian an are quite large. Amphibians common and ± 0.
us[g] diverse. First reptiles and coal forests 1
(scale trees, ferns, club trees, giant
307
Kasim horsetails, Cordaites, etc.). Highest-
± 0.
ovian ever atmospheric oxygen levels. Goniatites
1
, brachiopods, bryozoa, bivalves, and
corals plentiful in the seas and oceans. 315.
Mosco Testate forams proliferate. Uralian 2
vian orogeny in Europe and Asia. Variscan ± 0.
orogeny occurs towards middle and late 2
Mississippian Periods.
Bashki 323.
rian 2
± 0.
4*
 Large primitive trees, first land vertebrates, 330.
Serpu
and amphibious sea-scorpionslive 9
khovia
amid coal-forming coastal swamps. Lobe- ± 0.
n
finned rhizodonts are dominant big fresh- 2
water predators. In the oceans,
346.
early sharks are common and quite
Missi 7
Viséan diverse; echinoderms (especially crinoids a
ssippi ± 0.
nd blastoids)
an 4*
abundant. Corals, bryozoa, goniatites and
brachiopods (Productida, Spiriferida, etc.)
358.
very common,
Tourn 9
but trilobites and nautiloidsdecline. Glaciati
aisian ± 0.
on in East Gondwana. Tuhua Orogeny in
4*
New Zealand tapers off.
372.
Famen 2
nian ± 1.
6*
Late
382.
Frasni 7
First clubmosses, horsetails and ferns app
an ± 1.
ear, as do the first seed-bearing plants
6*
(progymnosperms), first trees (the
progymnosperm Archaeopteris), and first 387.
Givetia (wingless) insects. Strophomenid and atryp 7
n id brachiopods, rugoseand tabulate corals, ± 0.
Middl and crinoids are all abundant in the 8*
e oceans. Goniatiteammonoids are plentiful,
393.
Dev while squid-like coleoids arise. Trilobites
Eifelia 3
onia and armoured agnaths decline, while
n ± 1.
n jawed fishes (placoderms, lobe-
2*
finnedand ray-finned fish, and early sharks)
rule the seas. First tetrapods still aquatic. 407.
Emsia "Old Red Continent" of Euramerica. 6
n Beginning of Acadian Orogeny for Anti- ± 2.
Atlas Mountains of North Africa, 6*
and Appalachian Mountains of North
410.
America, also the Antler, Variscan,
Pragia 8
Early and Tuhua Orogenyin New Zealand.
n ± 2.
8*
419.
Lochk 2
ovian ± 3.
2*
Silur First vascular plants (the rhyniophytes and 423
ian Pridoli their relatives), ± 2.
first millipedesand arthropleurids on land. 3*
First jawed fishes, as well as
Ludlo 425.
many armouredjawless fish, populate the
w Ludfor 6
seas. Sea-scorpions reach large
dian ± 0.
size. Tabulateand rugose corals, brachiopo
9*
ds (Pentamerida, Rhynchonellida, etc.),
Gorsti 427.
 4
an ± 0.
5*
430.
Homer 5
ian ± 0.
Wenl 7*
ock 433.
Shein
4
woodi
± 0.
an
8*
438.
and crinoids all
Telych 5
abundant. Trilobites and mollusks diverse; gr
ian ± 1.
aptolites not as varied. Beginning
1*
of Caledonian Orogeny for hills in England,
Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and 440.
Lland Aeroni the Scandinavian Mountains. Also continued 8
overy an into Devonian period as the Acadian ± 1.
Orogeny, above. Taconic Orogeny tapers 2*
off. Lachlan Orogeny on Australian
443.
continent tapers off.
Rhudd 8
anian ± 1.
5*
445.
Hirnan
2 ± 
tian
1.4*
453 
Late Katian ± 0.
Invertebrates diversify into many new types 7*
(e.g., long straight-shelledcephalopods).
458.
Sandbi Early corals,
4 ± 
an articulate brachiopods (Orthida, Strophom
0.9*
enida,
etc.), bivalves, nautiloids, trilobites, ostraco 467.
Ord Darriwi
ds, bryozoa, many types 3 ± 
ovici lian
Middl of echinoderms (crinoids, cystoids, starfish, 1.1*
an
e etc.), branched graptolites, and other taxa
470 
Dapin all
± 1.
gian common. Conodonts (early planktonicverte
4*
brates) appear. First green
Floian plants and fungi on land. Ice age at end of
477.
(forme period.
7 ± 
rly Are
1.4*
Early nig)
485.
Trema
4 ± 
docian
1.9*
Cam Furon Stage Major diversification of life in the Cambrian ~48
bria gian 10 Explosion. Numerous fossils; most 9.5
n modern animal phyla appear.
Jiangs ~49
First chordates appear, along with a
hanian 4*
 Paibia ~49
n 7*
Guzha ~50
ngian 0.5*
Miaoli Drumi ~50
ngian an 4.5*
Wuliua ~50
n 9
Stage ~51
number of extinct, problematic phyla. Reef-
Serie 4 4
building Archaeocyathaabundant; then
s2 Stage vanish. Trilobites, priapulid worms, sponges, ~52
3 inarticulate brachiopods (unhinged 1
lampshells), and numerous other
Stage ~52
animals. Anomalocarids are giant predators,
Terre 2 while many Ediacaran fauna die
9
neuvi out. Prokaryotes, protists (e.g., forams), fung ~54
an Fortuni
i and algae continue to present 1 ± 
an
day. Gondwana emerges. Petermann 1.0*
Orogeny on the Australian continenttapers
Preca Prot Good fossils of the first multi-celled animals. Ediacaran
mbria eroz biota flourish worldwide in seas. Simple trace fossilsof
n[h] oic[i] possible worm-like Trichophycus, etc.
Edia First sponges and trilobitomorphs. Enigmatic forms include
~63
cara many soft-jellied creatures shaped like bags, disks, or quilts
5*
n (like Dickinsonia). Taconic Orogeny in North
America. Aravalli Range orogeny in Indian Subcontinent.
Beginning of Petermann Orogeny on Australian continent.
Beardmore Orogeny in Antarctica, 633–620 Ma.
Cryo Possible "Snowball Earth" period. Fossils still
~72
Neoproter geni rare. Rodinia landmass begins to break up. Late Ruker /
0[j]
ozoic[i] an Nimrod Orogeny in Antarctica tapers off.
Rodinia supercontinent persists. Sveconorwegian
orogeny ends. Trace fossils of simple multi-
celledeukaryotes. First radiation of dinoflagellate-
like acritarchs. Grenville Orogeny tapers off in North
Toni America. Pan-African orogeny in Africa. Lake Ruker / Nimrod 100
an Orogeny in Antarctica, 1,000 ± 150 Ma. Edmundian Orogeny 0[j]
(c. 920 – 850 Ma), Gascoyne Complex, Western
Australia. Adelaide Geosyncline laid down on Australian
continent, beginning of Adelaide Geosyncline (Delamerian
Orogeny) in Australia.
Mesoprot Narrow highly metamorphic belts due
erozoic[i] to orogeny as Rodinia forms. Sveconorwegian
Sten 120
orogeny starts. Late Ruker / Nimrod Orogeny in Antarctica
ian 0[j]
possibly begins. Musgrave Orogeny (c.
1,080 Ma), Musgrave Block, Central Australia.
Ecta Platform covers continue to expand. Green algae colonies in 140
sian the seas. Grenville Orogeny in North America. 0[j]
Caly Platform covers expand. Barramundi Orogeny, McArthur 160
mmi Basin, Northern Australia, and Isan Orogeny, c.1,600 Ma, 0[j]
an Mount Isa Block, Queensland
 First complex single-celled life: protists with
nuclei. Columbia is the primordial supercontinent. Kimban
Stat Orogeny in Australian continent ends. Yapungku Orogeny
180
heri on Yilgarn craton, in Western Australia. Mangaroon
0[j]
an Orogeny, 1,680–1,620 Ma, on the Gascoyne Complex in
Western Australia. Kararan Orogeny (1,650 Ma), Gawler
Craton, South Australia.
The atmosphere becomes oxygenic. Vredefort and Sudbury
Basin asteroid impacts.
Paleoprot Oro Much orogeny. Penokean and Trans-Hudsonian
205
erozoic[i] siria Orogenies in North America. Early Ruker Orogeny in
0[j]
n Antarctica, 2,000–1,700 Ma. Glenburgh Orogeny, Glenburgh
Terrane, Australian continent c. 2,005–1,920 Ma. Kimban
Orogeny, Gawler craton in Australian continent begins.
Rhy
230
acia Bushveld Igneous Complex forms. Huronian glaciation.
0[j]
n
Oxygen catastrophe: banded iron formations forms. Sleaford
Side 250
Orogeny on Australian continent, Gawler Craton 2,440–
rian 0[j]
2,420 Ma.
Stabilization of most modern cratons; possible mantle overturn
Neoarche event. Insell Orogeny, 2,650 ± 150 Ma. Abitibi greenstone belt in 280
an[i] present-day Ontario and Quebec begins to form, stabilizes by 0[j]
2,600 Ma.
First stromatolites (probably colonial cyanobacteria).
Mesoarch Oldest macrofossils. Humboldt Orogeny in Antarctica. Blake River 320
ean[i] Megacaldera Complex begins to form in present- 0[j]
day Ontario and Quebec, ends by roughly 2,696 Ma.
Arch
ean[i] First known oxygen-producing bacteria. Oldest
Paleoarch definitive microfossils. Oldest cratons on Earth (such as 360
ean[i] the Canadian Shield and the Pilbara Craton) may have formed 0[j]
during this period.[k] Rayner Orogeny in Antarctica.
Simple single-celled life (probably bacteria and archaea). Oldest
probable microfossils. The first life forms and self-
Eoarchea ~40
replicating RNA molecules evolve around 4,000 Ma, after the Late
n[i] 00
Heavy Bombardment ends on Earth. Napier Orogeny in Antarctica,
4,000 ± 200 Ma.
Had Early Indirect photosynthetic evidence (e.g., kerogen) of primordial life.
ean[i] Imbrian(N This era overlaps the beginning of the Late Heavy Bombardment of
[l]
eohadean the Inner Solar System, produced possibly by the planetary 413
) migration of Neptune into the Kuiper belt as a result of orbital 0[37]
(unofficial resonances between Jupiter and Saturn. Oldest known rock (4,031
)[i][m] to 3,580 Ma).[36]
Nectarian Possible first appearance of plate tectonics. This unit gets its name
(Mesohad from the lunar geologic timescale when the Nectaris Basin and
428
ean) other greater lunar basins form by big impact events. Earliest
0[37]
(unofficial evidence for life based on unusually high amounts of light isotopes
)[i][m] of carbon, a common sign of life.
Basin End of the Early Bombardment Phase. Oldest 453
Groups(P known mineral (Zircon, 4,404 ± 8 Ma). Asteroids and comets bring 3[37]
aleohade
an)
water to Earth.[38]
(unofficial
)[i][m]
Cryptic(E Formation of Moon (4,533 to 4,527 Ma), probably from giant impact,
ohadean) since the end of this era. Formation of Earth (4,570 to 460
(unofficial 4,567.17 Ma), Early Bombardment Phase begins. Formation 0
)[i][m] of Sun (4,680 to 4,630 Ma) .