History of the Earth ICS

Age AGE Paleogeographic Maps Earth History

Era
(Ma)
Eon Era Period Period Epoch Stage (Ma)
Holocene
Neogene Quaternary* Pleistocene Calabrian/Gelasian
2.6
Cenozoic Paleogene Pliocene Piacenzian

Neogene
Zanclean
Messinian 5.3
L Tortonian
100
Mesozoic

Cretaceous M Serravallian
Miocene Langhian
E Burdigalian
Phanerozoic

Cenozoic

Jurassic Aquitanian
200 23
L Chattian
Triassic Oligocene
E Rupelian Early Neogene
Paleogene

Permian
L Priabonian 34
300
Bartonian
Carboniferous
Paleozoic

M
Eocene Lutetian
400 Devonian
E Ypresian
Silurian
L Thanetian 56
Ordovician M Selandian
Paleocene
500 E Danian
Cambrian 66
Maastrichtian

600 Ediacaran
Campanian
Late
Santonian
Neoproterozoic

700 Coniacian
Cryogenian

Turonian
Cretaceous

Cenomanian Late Cretaceous

100
800
Albian

900
Tonian Aptian
Early
1000 Barremian
Hauterivian
Valanginian
1100
Stenian Berriasian
Mesozoic

146
Tithonian Early Cretaceous
1200 Late Kimmeridgian
Mesoproterozoic

Oxfordian
Callovian
161
Jurassic

1300
Ectasian
Bathonian
Middle Bajocian
Aalenian
176
1400 Toarcian
Proterozoic

Early Pliensbachian
Calymmian

1500 Sinemurian
Hettangian
Rhaetian
200
1600

Norian
Late
Triassic

1700
Statherian
Carnian
228
1800
Ladinian Late Triassic
Middle
Anisian
1900 245
Early Olenekian
Orosirian Induan
Paleoproterozoic

Changhsingian 251
2000 Lopingian Wuchiapingian
260
Capitanian
Guadalupian
Permian

2100
Wordian/Roadian
271
Kungurian

Rhyacian Artinskian
2200
Cisuralian
Sakmarian Middle Permian
2300
Asselian
299
Gzhelian
sylvanian

Late
Kasimovian
Penn-

2400
Siderian Middle Moscovian
Carboniferous

Early Bashkirian
318
2500 Late Serpukhovian
Mississippian
Neoarchean

2600
Middle Visean

2700
Early Tournaisian Middle Mississippian

2800 359

Famennian

2900 Late
Mesoarchean

Devonian

Frasnian
385
Paleozoic

3000
Givetian
Middle
Eifelian
398
3100
Emsian
Early
Pragian
Archean

3200 Lochkovian
416 Early Middle Devonian
Pridoli
419
Ludlow Ludfordian/Gorstian
Silurian

423
3300 Wenlock Homerian/Sheinwoodian
428
Paleoarchean

Telychian
Llandovery
3400 Aeronian/Rhuddanian
Hirnantian 444
Katian
3500 Late
Ordovician

Sandbian
461
3600 Darriwilian
Middle
Dapingian 472
Floian
3700
Early
Tremadocian Middle Ordovician
Eoarchean

488
3800 Stage 10
Furongian Stage 9
Paibian
Guzhangian 501
3900
Cambrian

Series 3 Drumian
Stage 5
510 Map Legend
Lower limit is Stage 4
4000 not defined Series 2 Spreading Center O Ocean
Stage 3
521 Mountain Belt Or Orogeny
(mountain-
Subduction Zone building episode)
Stage 2 AFR Africa IND India
4100
Terreneuvian ANT Antarctica NAM North America
AUS Australia SAM South America
Formation of the Earth BAL Baltica SIB Siberia
ca. 4.55 billion years Fortunian
542 Gon Gondwana

International divisions of geologic time (eras, periods, epochs, stages) are standardized by the International Commission on Stratigraphy
(ICS, www.stratigraphy.org). The color scheme of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World is shown for these divisions, This poster was developed in collaboration with the United States
and their numerical ages are from "A Geologic Time Scale 2004" (Gradstein et al., Cambridge University Press). Paleogeographic maps Geological Survey and with the CHRONOS program (sponsored by Copyright © 2007, International Commission on Stratigraphy
were provided courtesy of Ron Blakey with plate positions modified from Chris Scotese. The evolution of life is modified from John the U.S. National Science Foundation).
Gurche’s painting “Tower of Time” (© Smithsonian Institution). This chart was compiled and drafted by Gabi Ogg and Bruce Wardlaw.
* The status of the Quaternary is not yet decided. Its base may be assigned as the base of the Gelasian and extend the base of the
Pleistocene to 2.6 Ma.