HISTORICAL TIMELINE

OF THE EARTH AS
HABITABLE PLANET
OUR PLANET BEGAN AS PART OF A CLOUD OF DUST AND GAS. IT HAS EVOLVED INTO OUR
HOME, WHICH HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF ROCKY LANDSCAPES, AN ATMOSPHERE THAT
SUPPORTS LIFE, AND OCEANS FILLED WITH MYSTERIES.
TOPICS OF ERAS AND PERIODS

• Hadean Era • Paleozoic Era • Cenozoic Era

• Archean Era • Cambrian Period • Paleocene Period

• Eo-Archean Period • Ordovician Period • Eocene Period

• Paleo-Archean Period • Silurian Period • Oligocene Period

• Meso-Archean Period • Devonian Period • Micocene Period

• Neo-Archean Period • Carboniferous Period • Pilocene Period

• Permian Period • Pleistocene Period
• Proterozoic Era
• Paleo-Proterozoic Period • Mesozoic Era • Holocene Period

• Meso-Proterozoic Period • Triassic Period

• Neo-Proterozoic Period • Jurassic Period

• Cretaceous Period
Billions of years ago, Earth, along with the rest of our solar system, was entirely
unrecognizable, existing only as an enormous cloud of dust and gas. Eventually, a
mysterious occurrence—one that even the world’s foremost scientists have yet been
unable to determine—created a disturbance in that dust cloud, setting forth a string of
events that would lead to the formation of life as we know it. One common belief among
scientists is that a distant star collapsed, creating a supernova explosion, which disrupted
the dust cloud and caused it to pull together. This formed a spinning disc of gas and dust,
known as a solar nebula. The faster the cloud spun, the more the dust and gas became
concentrated at the center, further fueling the speed of the nebula. Over time,
the gravity at the center of the cloud became so intense that hydrogen atoms began to
move more rapidly and violently. The hydrogen protons began fusing, forming helium and
releasing massive amounts of energy. This led to the formation of the star that is the
center point of our solar system—the sun—roughly 4.6 billion years ago.
HADEAN ERA: THE FORMATION OF EARTH
4.6 to 4.0 Billion Years Ago
The story of Earth starts in the Hadean Eon. If you could rewind time 4.6
billion years, Earth was almost unrecognizable. Asteroids and comets
repeatedly pelted Earth. The temperature was hot with lava flowing. It didn’t
look like the Blue Marble we’re all familiar with.

From 4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago, the Hadean Eon is the first eon on Earth. Its
key events are:

• HEAT SOURCE: Earth established a heat source with the sun.

• MAGNETIC FIELD: Convection currents produced a geodynamo. This was
the first step for life to persist on Earth.
• MOON FORMATION: The formation of our moon was key to stabilizing our
climate.
Earth coalesced from
The Big Bang created all matter in the universe. This
a cloud of dust into a includes the sun, planets, and our solar system.
planet
From a cloud of dust, gravity moulded our solar system.
The terrestrial planets were positioned closer to the sun.
After Mars, these are the gas outer planets.

The core accretion model describes the creation of our

solar system. Solar winds swept in hydrogen and helium
closer to the sun because they were smaller in size.

But the sun couldn’t pull in the heavier elements. They

spiraled and gelled together into planets of their own.
Earth coalesced surrounding matter to form a sphere.
The heaviest material like iron and zinc sank to the core.
Finally, lighter material remained on top to form a crust.
A Magnetic Field Forms

From the core accretion model, Earth formed a solid iron

core. Inside Earth, it was multi-family layered. Surrounding
the inner core, Earth established a liquid outer core.

GEODYNAMO: Because the solid inner core heats the

outer liquid layer, it produces convection currents. This
geodynamo is Earth’s magnetic field.

In the Hadean Eon, Earth’s magnetic field was just

developing. It just started deflecting solar winds making
Earth more habitable.
Without it, Earth would be exposed to the sun’s deadly
rays. And humans which didn’t exist at this wouldn’t
have habitable conditions to evolve.
 Earth Meet Moon

The giant impact hypothesis explains the formation of our moon. This
happened sometime at the start of the Hadean Eon.

First, an object the size of Mars headed towards Earth. At tremendous

speed, it delivered a glancing blow to Earth. It didn’t hit Earth directly.
But it grazed the side.
But Earth’s gravity was able to pull the moon into its orbit. And
the moon has remained orbiting Earth ever since.

The formation of the moon had profound effects on Earth’s climate.

Not only did the moon slow down Earth’s rotation, but the
impact tilted Earth on its axis.

This is when the Earth started to have seasons. Because the moon
stabilizes the Earth from wobbling, Earth also developed a more
balanced climate.
 Asteroids and Comets Pelted Earth

At the end of the Hadean Eon, the Earth was still in the late heavy
bombardment stage. Asteroids and comets pelted Earth.

We know it wasn’t only Earth because we can see these impacts all
around our solar system.

In the Hadean Eon, heat flow was nearly 3 times as high as it is

today. Because of the intense heat, water would have evaporated
into space.
This is why scientists suggest that comets may have transported
water during the late bombardment stage.

And what was the spark that built the chemical building blocks for
life? Scientists are trying to recreate the collisions that took place at
this time. They are trying to reconstruct the first chains of DNA.
 ARCHEAN ERA
4.0 to 2.5 Billion years ago
Some of the major highlights of the Archean Eon
include:

• OCEANS AND CONTINENTS: Because Earth cooled

down, it was able to support oceans and
continents.

• BANDED IRON FORMATIONS: Next, oxygen filled

the oceans from cyanobacteria. Interestingly,
most of the world’s iron ore deposits were
produced in this eon from banded iron formation.

• OZONE LAYER: Eventually, the ozone layer forms.

This layer of protection was essential for life to
form.
Earth has its First Oceans
Earth began cooling in the Archean Eon. And because it was cool enough,
water could finally condense to form its first oceans. This was in a large part
because the moon stabilized Earth’s climate giving it seasons.

Remember that heat flow was intense in the Hadean Eon. Because of the
high temperatures, any water on the planet would have evaporated into
space.

Also, in the heavy bombardment stage, this is when scientists believe

comets transported water to Earth. The alternate theory for the origin of
water is that it existed all along in rocks inside the crust. Because Earth’s
interior contains minerals with hydrogen and oxygen, volcanoes continually
“degassed” releasing H2O as water vapor.

Now, that the Earth’s climate stabilized, water no longer evaporated from
extreme temperatures. Finally, water condensed, then oceans remained.
And because Earth had oceans, this is where life began about 3.5 billion
years ago.
The First Tectonic Activity Builds Continents

Scientists still debate whether or not continents existed in the

Archean Eon. There are no definitive answers yet when the first
supercontinent emerged.

There is evidence the first cratons are now located in Western

Australia and South Africa. This crust from the supercontinent
Vaalbara dates back 2.7 to 3.6 billion years ago.

This resonates with the fact that Earth’s crust was cooling in the
Archean Eon. This cooler climate allowed the formation of
continents because the lithosphere became more stable.

Also because plate tectonics are necessary for building continents,

this means tectonic activity was present in this eon.
Oxygen Begins to Fill the Atmosphere
At the start of the Archean Eon, Earth was without free oxygen. Water
molecules had oxygen but they were bonded with Hydrogen.

In this eon, Earth’s atmosphere was mostly methane and nitrogen. The
only life forms that could exist were anaerobic cyanobacteria (blue-
green algae).

In the absence of oxygen, these microscopic cyanobacteria converted

sunlight to energy. They carried out photosynthesis in the oceans
metabolizing their own food. As a waste product, cyanobacteria
released oxygen.

Over time, free oxygen built up in the oceans into banded iron
formations. But oxygen poisoned cyanobacteria threatening their very
own existence.
STROMATOLITES
 Iron Collects on the Seafloor
As oxygen filled the oceans, it mixed with iron.
Iron rusts when it reacts with oxygen. So over
time, the seafloor collected rusted iron.

Most of the world’s iron ore deposits were

produced in the Archean Eon. We can
find banded iron formation all over the world
such as Australia, Canada and Russia.

Oxygen continued to form rusted iron in the

oceans. Because there was no more iron to rust
in the oceans, oxygen entered the atmosphere.

This event is the Great Oxygenation Event when

the atmosphere first became oxygenated.
BANDED IRON
EO-ARCHEAN PERIOD
• Earth is covered mostly with water
• First of single-celled orgasinms "Uncellular"
PALEO-ARCHEAN PERIOD
• First known oxygen – producing bacteria "Cyanobacteria"
MESO-ACRHEAN PERIOD
• First fossil discovered "Stromatolites"
• First Microfossil of Microplankton
• The oldest Glaciation event ''Pongola'', starts toward the
end of this period
• The first supercontinent, Vaalbara, broke up during this
time
• The Supercontinent, Ur, may have originated during this
time
• Oldest Banded Iron-Ore formations are from this time
• Free oxygen present in the oceans, possibly formed from
cyanobacteria
NEO-ACRHEAN PERIOD
• Plates are start moving itself
PROTEROZOIC ERA: EUKARYOTES TO
MULTICELLULAR LIFE
2.5 Billion to 541 Million years ago
Earth was a very different place in the Proterozoic Eon
(2500 to 541 million years ago).

Temperatures cooled down significantly compared to

the Archean Eon just before. And not a lot of life could
survive in these harsh conditions.

Although some microscopic bacteria known as

cyanobacteria existed, they did so without oxygen.
These bacteria were known for releasing oxygen.

This oxygenation of Earth resonated into the

Proterozoic Eon and becomes a central theme.
 The Oxygen crisis for Anaerobic Cyanobacteria
Without oxygen, only anaerobic life existed in the
Proterozoic Eon. Microscopic bacteria known as
cyanobacteria flourished.

The key to their survival was that they didn’t need oxygen to
exist. Cyanobacteria photosynthesize sunlight and convert it
into energy.

But as a waste product, they released oxygen. So, for

millions of years, cyanobacteria generated oxygen.
Eventually, they filled the oceans with oxygen.

The irony of cyanobacteria is that the oxygen they released

was toxic to them. Cyanobacteria didn’t completely vanish
in the Proterozoic Eon. By hiding in low oxygen
environments, cyanobacteria avoided their mass extinction.
 Earth Freezes Over

Another key event in the Proterozoic Eon was that

Earth completely froze over. Again, oxygen played a
key role in forming a “Snowball Earth” or “Slushball
Earth”.

Remember that the atmosphere before the great

oxygenation event was filled with methane.

One thing that methane did very well was trap heat in
the atmosphere. Actually, it’s one of the most efficient
greenhouse gases that exists.
“Snowball Earth” or “Slushball Earth”
 The Presence of an Ozone Layer
What makes Earth unique is its ozone
layer. It’s essential to life on Earth
because it protects us from harmful
radiation from the sun.

After the Great Oxygenation Event, oxygen

atoms could bond and form ozone. Over
time, Earth’s ozone layer thickened in the
upper atmosphere.

Before the full presence of an ozone layer,

life was restricted to shallow water. This
is because water shields harmful
radiation.
 The Emergence of Eukaryotes and Multicellular Organisms

We know that Earth had the right conditions to support life. In

the Proterozoic Eon, there is evidence that eukaryotes and
multicellular organisms appeared on Earth.

What makes eukaryotes different from prokaryotes is they are

complex cells. Their genes are stored in the form of DNA in a
nucleus.

Scientists believe eukaryotic cells evolved when one simple cell

engulfed another through endosymbiosis. Then, multicellular life
developed because multiple cells benefited by cooperating like
an ant colony.

Because these organisms did not fossilize, it still

remains unclear when eukaryotes and multicellular
organisms evolved on Earth. Long before, the Last Universal
Common Ancestor (LUCA) existed which share the same origin
as us.
PALEO-PROTEROZOIC PERIOD

• 2.4 billion years ago Earth's Atmosphere

fills with oxygen
• 2 billion years ago, First evidence of
eukaryotic cell that contain internal
"organs'' (Organelles). Including DNA –
containing nucleus. Recent discoveries
suggest multicellular life may have also
developed during this time.
• Had a supercontinent name ''Columbia''
MESO-PROTEROZOIC PERIOD
• Formation of the supercontinent
named ''Rodinia''
• During this period there was no
ozone layer
• Bangiomorpha pubescens, a
multicellular filament is the
earliest evidence of eukaryotes
• The break up of the
supercontinent ''Columbia''
NEO-PROTEROZOIC PERIOD
• the supercontinent Pannotia began to form
• The Ediacaran is known for the first large scale
radiation of multicellular life. Most Ediacaran
biota do not survive into the Cambrian.
• 700 million years ago ''Snow Ball'' Earth was
formed
• The carbon cycle was affected. Rain washes
carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere into the
ground.
• The supercontinent ''Rodinia'' breaks up
PALEOZOIC ERA: DIVERSIFICATION OF LIFE
540 to 252 Million years ago
Some of the key highlights from the Paleozoic Era
include:

• CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION: Bony fish diversified during the

Cambrian explosion. Just to end in the largest
extinction in Earth’s history (Permian-Triassic
Extinction).

• RAINFORESTS: Rainforests flourished from coasts to

land. Just to end up being buried, compacted and
cooked as coal deposits in the Carboniferous
Rainforest Collapse.

• AMPHIBIANS: Finally, amphibians took their first breath

of fresh air and colonized an empty continent. Just to
end up in a dry desert when rainforests collapsed.
 Cambrian Explosion brings new life
The Cambrian explosion was the largest
diversification of life in Earth’s history. New life
started in the ocean and then moved to land.

Everything before this era was Precambrian. We

couldn’t identify life because we didn’t
have fossilized shells and animals.

The Paleozoic Era marked a huge shift when hard-

shelled invertebrates (without a spine) began to
evolve.

From there, life got more diverse in the oceans in

the age of fish. Eventually, life evolved on land in
the age of amphibians.
The Age of Invertebrates, Fish and Amphibians Begin
During the age of invertebrates,
animals without spinal columns
evolved:

• AGE OF INVERTEBRATES: Trilobites

are often considered the first large
organism to evolve on Earth.
Trilobites were joint-legged animals
related to insects, crabs, and
spiders. They were hard-shelled
organisms belonging to the group of
arthropods. We know trilobites
dominated at this time because
there’s an abundance of fossilized
exoskeletons. They are often
considered one of the most
important early animals for fossils.
• AGE OF FISH: Next came the age of
fish when thousands of fish species
evolved. These fish had spines, jaws,
and mouths which humans share with
these vertebrate ancestors. Early
sharks and lobe-finned fish swam in
the oceans at this time. These fish
were ancestors of amphibians who
made their appearance at this time.
• AGE OF
AMPHIBIANS: From the
ocean to the land, the
first vertebrate land
animal made its leap
ashore. Amphibians
took a breath of fresh
air and colonized the
empty continent of
Gondwana.
 Rainforests Collapsed and were buried as Coal deposits
In the Paleozoic Era, the first land plants spread away from
the coasts. Eventually, lush rainforests towered over ten
meters in height.

What’s believed to be an abrupt shift in global warming

caused a major marine and terrestrial extinction event. This
event was the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse.

It buried plants and swamps. Then, they were compacted and

cooked into underground coal deposits. To this day, we
extract coal from the ground and power electricity
generation.

Before the Paleozoic Era, there was no coal, oil, or natural

gas in Precambrian rocks. These rocks stored most iron ore
(hematite). But the Paleozoic Era marked a time when coal
deposits were buried underground.

It left behind vast deserts and islands of rainforests. This

was tough for amphibians because they lay their eggs in
water. Because of these dryer conditions, reptiles were
better suited in the presence of an arid climate.
The Permian-Triassic Extinction
The Paleozoic Era ended with the largest extinction in
Earth’s history. Suddenly, the largest evolution of life from
the Cambrian explosion became the largest mass extinction.

The Permian-Triassic Extinction vanquished 96% of all

marine species. About 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species
were wiped out.

Some believe it was a major asteroid impact event. After the

impact, volcanism increased releasing methane into the
atmosphere.

An alternative Permian-Triassic Extinction cause was that

there was a change in sea levels. This caused a reduction in
oxygen in the oceans which prevented the growth of plant
and animal life.
Opinions vary about the Permian-Triassic Extinction cause.
Since it occurred 252 million years ago, much of the
evidence no longer exists or is buried beneath the surface.
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
• Many diffirent types of organisms evolve in a relatively
short period of time called ''Cambrian Explosion''
• During this ''explosion'' the first true vertebrate (animal
with a backbone) appear
• Fisrt cambrian animal discovered is ''Trilobites''
• The first animals with backbones arose during the
Cambrian: these were jawless fish called "A gnathans".
• In the oceans many marine invertebrates, including
sponges and brachiopods (lamp shells), were present.
• Invertebrate animals are found in this period.
OROVICIAN PERIOD
• New species founded like bivalves, gastropods (snails), bryozoans
(moss animals), and crinoids (sea lilies).
• ''Bryozoans'' first appeared in the Ordovician and comprise an important
group of colonial, marine organisms that still exist today.
• Most experts agree that the ancestors of land plants first evolved in a
marine environment, then moved into a freshwater environment and
finally onto land.
• Many mountains are being rise ''The Appalachian Mountains''
• This extinction is the first major extinction event recorded in the rock
record. An estimated 25% of the known (marine) taxonomic families
were lost, including the disappearance of one-third of all brachiopod
and bryozoan families, as well as numerous groups of conodonts (eel-
like animals related to vertebrates), trilobites, and graptolites (colonial
worm-like animals).
• The glaciation of the supercontinent ''Gondwana'' was formed
after the extinction
SILURIAN PERIOD
• a new group of fish had appeared both in freshwater and oceans—the
so-called ''jawed fish''.
• The earth's atmosphere are developing
• Ozone and Oxygen

DEVONIAN PERIOD
• This period was called ''Ages of Fish''
• As plants moved out of their watery environments onto
continents
• First insects found ''Springtails'' known as the oldest
insects.
• Ended with a mass extinction, during which 22% of all
marine families disappeared.
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
• This period called ''Ages of Crinoids''
• Also noteworthy in this period is the first appearance of
amphibians. (Temnospondyli)

PERMIAN PERIOD
• Earth’s crustal plates formed a single, massive continent called
''Pangaea''.
• Earth’s surface was covered by a large ocean called ''Panthalassa''.
• Rises of Amniotes
• The largest extinction event in Earth’s history—far more devastating than
the more famous Cretaceous extinction when the dinosaurs disappeared—
marks the end of the Permian.
MESOZOIC ERA: THE AGE OF REFTILES,
DINOSAURS AND CONIFERS

252 to 66 Million Years Ago

The Mesozoic Era had a lot of “firsts”. For example, it
had the first birds, first mammals, first dinosaurs, and
first flowering plants.

Not only was this a significant era for evolution, but

also for climate and tectonic activity.

Pangaea started rifting into separate continents from

one giant landmass.

And Earth’s climate was dry. Though opinions vary,

it’s believed to have had its highest oxygen levels in
history.
Reptiles adapted better to drier conditions
Remember the Paleozoic Era just before underwent a
remarkable diversification in life (Cambrian explosion).

It was only to end in the largest extinction event in Earth’s history

(Permian-Triassic Extinction). But life didn’t completely vanquish at this
point.

When Earth’s climate became hotter and drier, rainforests began to

collapse. Deserts swept the land and left islands of forests.

Reptiles were different because they could lay their hard-shelled eggs on
land. By cutting ties with the ocean, reptiles adapted to life on land.

Amphibians already partially evolved to land conditions. But reptiles were

larger and could travel longer distances.
It’s the age of dinosaurs for 160 million years
As conditions changed, dinosaurs (also known as terrible lizards)
began to evolve. Similar to reptiles, they had scaly skin and hatched
eggs like reptiles.

At the same time, conifers filled the landscape. This became an

important food source for dinosaurs. In addition, oxygen levels
increased to 35% compared to 21% today.

The theory is that gigantism correlated with oxygen content in the

atmosphere. Higher oxygen levels meant more size and mass. There
is varying opinion on oxygen levels in the Mesozoic Era. Regardless,
these reptile-like mammals grew extraordinarily in size.

For the next 160 million years, dinosaurs were the dominant land
vertebrates on Earth. This existed until the Cretaceous-Paleogene
extinction.
The age of conifers begins
Vegetation was very different in the Mesozoic Era. Plants were
less diverse. And conifers began dominating the landscape.

Conifers store vast amounts of carbon. They really changed the

chemical makeup of the atmosphere as carbon storage was
believed to have jumped at this time.

At the bottom of the food chain, plants became an essential

source of food. Some dinosaurs adapted as carnivores and some
as herbivores.

But most dinosaurs were plant-eaters and snacked on plants like

conifers. This means their biological success was tied to specific
varieties of plants. Without them, there would have not been
dinosaurs or any other animal.
The Pangaea supercontinent starts rifting apart
After the extinction of dinosaurs, geologists have dug up fossils from around
the world. They’ve kept a thorough record documenting the species and
location.

The first thing geologists found was that some dinosaurs were better suited
for water, air, and land. For example, pterodactyls preyed upon fish from the
sky. But the “lystrosaurus” was a herbivore and ate small plants on land.

The second thing geologists uncovered was the distribution of fossils on

land. For instance, they found “lystrosaurus” fossils in India, Africa, and
Antarctica.

So how can land herbivores exist on separate continents? They didn’t fly or
swim. The reason is because Earth existed as one giant supercontinent
Pangaea. But over time, the land masses separated apart into the 7
continents and 5 oceans that we see today.

Now we know that plate tectonics was the mechanism that tore continents
apart. Because of the fossil evidence, we know the Mesozoic Era
experienced a significant continental rift.
TRIASSIC PERIOD
•This era is popularly known as the “Age of Reptiles”
•The first dinosaurs walked on the land, the first
pterosaurs sailed through the skies, and the first
ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs swam in the oceans.
•Pangaea began to break apart
•The Triassic ended with the world’s fourth, but not
last, mass extinction.

JURASSIC
•
PERIOD
• This period called ''Golden Age of Dinosaurs''
• Brachiosaurus
• Titanosaurians
• Tyrannosaurus Rex
• First bird in this period called ''Archaeopteryx''
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
• First Flowering Plants ''Angiosperms''
• Rocky Mountains began to rise from the
Cretaceous Interior Seaway.
• Have a Most Mass Extinction
CENOZOIC ERA: FROM DINOSAURS EXTINCTION TO
HUMAN EVOLUTION

66 to 0 Million Years Ago

The central theme of the Mesozoic Era right before was how
dinosaurs dominated the land. Now, the Cenozoic Era (66 Million
Years Ago to Present) is a story about us.

It’s the era when humans began to evolve. But first, humans needed
a bit of help.
As dinosaurs roamed the Earth for over 160 million years, we needed
their dominance to end.

And this finally happened with the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction

event at the start of the Cenozoic Era.

From there, early humans evolved from small, furry mammals. They
began walking on two legs, using their freed hands and sharing
information in groups.

And finally, here we are now. From hominids, humans evolved in the
last 4 million years of the Cenozoic era.
The Dinosaurs went extinct
Ultimately, the start of the Cenozoic Era was the demise of
dinosaurs. After a 6-mile wide asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago,
a dust cloud blocked the sun. It was the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-
Pg) extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.

The worldwide climate disruption caused temperatures to plummet

and enter an ice age. Because of the reduced sunlight, it halted
photosynthesis from plankton and plants.

From the initial strike, dinosaurs were almost completely wiped into
extinction. But mammals managed to survive the impact of the
Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) event. So how come mammals didn’t
go extinct?

Though opinions vary, it’s believed their burrowing lifestyle shielded

them from the heat. Mass extinctions have occurred several times in
Earth’s history. Similarly, scientists are still trying to unravel the
mysteries.
Mammals diversified and grew larger
Mammals existed long before the Cenozoic Era. But they kept a
low profile because dinosaurs dominated the land.

When dinosaurs roamed the Earth, mammals remained small and

fury. After the extinction of the dinosaurs, mammals finally had
their chance to evolve.

In the Cenozoic Era, warm-blooded mammals diversified to land,

air, and sea habitats. It was the peak of evolution in the age of
mammals.

Not only did mammal diversity increase, but they were the
largest land animal at the time. This diversification eventually
gave rise to the human species.
There was a shift from Four legs to Two
Chimpanzees are humans’ most common ancestor. About 13
million years ago, these creatures lived high in the trees for
their primary food source.

But as Earth’s climate began to shift, grass began to spread.

As a result, there were fewer trees in places like the African
Savannah.

The loss of forests meant fewer food sources for

chimpanzees. Likewise, there was more competition for food
in the trees.

This forced chimpanzees to find new food sources. With their

heads above the grass to see predators, it’s believed this is
when four-legged mammals adapted to walk on two legs.
The Stone Age Period Begins
When early humans began walking on two legs, it freed their hands.
Now, they had an advantage because they no longer walked on four
legs. At this point in time, human evolution really began to kick off.

Hominids were the early proto-humans who really began to master the
use of their hands and fingers. For instance, they were known for
sharpening objects with silicon rocks.

But not only did these early humans start manipulating tools, but they
were also able to control fire. In the stone age, early humans cooked
their food. This gave them more calories and the chance to develop
larger brains.

Lastly, early humans learned to make more complex sounds and share
information in groups. This cooperation helped them bond, form
cultural groups, and build like-minded communities. At 7.6 billion
people, the human footprint has left a profound impact on the planet.
Modern Humans Dominate the Land
The Cenozoic Era started with the extinction of
dinosaurs and moved into the age of mammals. This
led to the diversification and increase in size of
mammals.
Chimpanzees began to walk on two legs because they
needed to find food sources in the African Savannah.
This freed their hands to carve out tools and gain
control of fire.
So humans have only existed for 0.004% of the age of
the Earth. From human evolution to bustling cities,
modern-day humans are now the most dominant
species on Earth.
PALEOGENE PERIOD
• “Age of Reptiles”
• Bird Diversification
• Development of Grasses
• the continents drifted farther apart, heading toward their
modern positions

EOCENE PERIOD
• Replacement of older mammalian orders by modern ones
• Not only known the warmest period

OLIGOCENE PERIOD
• a global expansion of grasslands, and a regression of
tropical broad leaf forests to the equatorial belt.
MIOCENE PERIOD
• a distinct cooling of the climate resulted in the reduction of forests
and an increase in grassy plains.

PLIOCENCE PERIOD
• The climate was markedly cooler and drier

(both of this periods are have Hominid Evolution )

PLEISTOCENE PERIOD
• Popularly known as the “Ice Age”
• Have a Growth of Large ice sheets, ice caps, long valley glaciers
• The last age in this period that time was about 11 degrees Fahrenheit
(6 degrees Celsius)
• The Archaic Humans can make a Tool Sharpers

HOLOCENE PERIOD
• Modern forms of Homo sapiens first appeared
• Land Brigdes
• Extinction of Large Mammals