M A S T E R P A G E
Earth History Events
2.3c
1. Earth formed—approximately 4.54 billion years ago
2. North and South America joined by the closing of the Isthmus of Panama—approximately 2,800,000 years ago
3. Last trilobites died out—approximately 225 million years ago
4. Earliest known humanoid (our early ancestor) fossils deposited—approximately 2 million years ago
5. Earliest known animal fossils (jellyfish-like organisms) deposited—approximately 1.2 billion years ago
6. New Madrid rift zone opened—approximately 500 million years ago
7. Earliest known reptile fossils deposited—approximately 290 million years ago
8. Earliest known bird fossils deposited—approximately 160 million years ago
9. Earliest known mammal fossils deposited—approximately 200 million years ago
10. Earliest known flowering plant fossils deposited—approximately 135 million years ago
11. Earliest known trilobite fossils deposited—approximately 600 million years ago
12. Present day Appalachian Mountains formed—approximately 250 million years ago
13. Rocky Mountains formed—approximately 70 million years ago
14. Mass extinction of dinosaurs and other forms of life occurred—approximately 65 million years ago
15. Breakup of Pangaea began—approximately 180 million years ago
16. Earliest known fossils of land animals deposited—approximately 390 million years ago
17. Last lee Age ended—approximately 10,000 years ago
18. Oldest known rock on Earth formed in southwest Greenland—approximately 3.2 billion years ago
19. Himalayas begin forming as India joined Asian continent—approximately 30 million years ago
20. Formation of iron, copper, and nickel ores—1 billion years ago
21. Much of continental land masses underwater—330 million years ago
22. Active volcanoes in New England—210 million years ago
23. Earliest microfossils formed in South African chert—3.2 billion years ago
24. Algal stromatolites formed in Rhodesian limestones—3 billion years ago
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