Where did it all begin?

Million s
Years 

Event
Description 

Significance 

15,000 

Big Bang or Start of All 

Production of Elements 

4,500 

Earth Crust Solidifies 

Start of Prebiotic or Chemical Evolution 

3,900 

First Life Forms 

End of Chemical Evolution 

1,600

 

Eukaryotes 

 

Endosymbiotic Evolution Ends

 2,700? Eukaryotes Brocks et al changes

545 

Invertebrates 

hi

505 

Dominance of Invertebrates 

First Appearance of Vertebrates 

439 

Land Plants and Land Invertebrates 

hi hi

208 

Rise of Giant Dinasaurs and First Birds 

Jurassic 

146 

Disappearance of Dinosaurs 

Meteorite hits Mexico 

1.6 

Appearance of humans 

hi

0.01 

Development of Domestic
Animals and Plants 

Great Genetic Advances 

Reference: Strickberger, Monroe. 1996. Evolution. 2 ed. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Pp 670.

A fun sight: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/

This web site is provided for instruction in Botany and Zoology 342

by Kenneth G. Wilson,
Professor of Botany
Miami University
wilsonkg@muohio.edu