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Dinosaur Remains

Earth's Timeline

Earths' timeline

This webpage is currently being rebuilt to provide a great deal more information than was supplied previously. This is as a result of the high level of interest shown by users searching for Earth timeline data.

An earlier timeline diagram on this page contained dates which became obsolete as more accurate measurements were taken and better rock dating techniques were developed. As a result a more generic diagram has been added - and the dates of the geological time zones have been placed into table form so that it is easier to update.

The dates below were published in 2004 by the International Commission on Stratigraphy.

Stratigraphic table and dates

Eon: Phanerozic - 542 million years to the present
Era:Period:Starting age
CaenozoicNeogene23.03 Ma
Palaeogene65.5 +/- 0.3 Ma
MesozoicCretaceous145.5 +/- 4.0 Ma
Jurassic199.6 +/- 0.6 Ma
Triassic251.0 +/- 0.4 Ma
PalaeozoicPermian299.0 +/- 0.8 Ma
Carboniferous359.2 +/- 2.5 Ma
Devonian416.0 +/- 2.8 Ma
Silurian443.7 +/- 1.5 Ma
Ordovician488.3 +/- 1.7 Ma
Cambrian542.0 +/- 1.0 Ma

Eon: Proterozoic - 2500 million years to 542 million years
Era:Period:Starting age
NeoproterozoicEdiacaran630 Ma
Cryogenian850 Ma
Tonian1000 Ma
MesoproterozoicStenian1200 Ma
Ectasian1400 Ma
Calymmian1600 Ma
PalaeoproterozoicStatherian1800 Ma
Orosirian2050 Ma
Rhyacian2300 Ma
Siderian2500 Ma

Eon: Archaen - Older than 2500 million years
Era:Period:Starting age
Neoarchean2800 Ma
Mesoarchean3200 Ma
Palaeoarchaen3600 Ma
Eoarchaennot defined

Dates published in 2004 by the International Commission on Stratigraphy.
(Ma = Mega annum - 'million years' ago).
The Proterozoic and Archaean are sometimes referred together as the 'Precambrian'.

Approximate first appearance of new types of organism

OrganismTime zoneapprox date
GrassesOligocene30 Ma
BeesCretaceous100 Ma
Flowering plantsCretaceous135 Ma
Bird-type dinosaursLate Jurassic150 Ma
MammalsTriassic220 Ma
DinosaursTriassic228 Ma
FernsCarboniferous300 Ma
ConifersCarboniferous300 Ma
ReptilesCarboniferous310 Ma
Land vertebratesDevonian380 Ma
InsectsDevonian400 Ma
Vertebrates with jawsDevonian410 Ma
Land plants, FungiSilurian450 Ma
Jawless vertebratesOrdovician470 Ma
CrustaceansCambrian530 Ma
MolluscsCambrian530 Ma
WormsCambrian540 Ma
Echinoderms (starfish etc), Sponges
and Coelenterates (jellyfish etc)		Cambrian540 Ma
Unicellular animalsNeoproterozoic700 Ma
AlgaePalaeoproterozoic2,100 Ma
BacteriaPalaeoarchaen3,600 Ma


Extinctions

OrganismTypeTime zoneApprox date
DodoFlightless birdHolocene

Last survivor reported 1681

Dwarf mammoth
(Wrangel Island, Russian arctic)		Large mammalHolocene6,360 years ago
Mammoth
(N. America)		Large mammalHolocene10,000 years ago
AmmonoidsMarine animalEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
BelemnitesMarine animalEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
DinosaursLand animalEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
Rudist & Trigoniid bivalvesMarine molluscEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
PlesiosaursMarine reptileEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
PterosaursFlying reptileEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
Hybodont sharksMarine animalEnd Cretaceous65 Ma
Ichthyosaurs'fish lizard' - marine reptileUpper Cretaceous95 Ma
TrilobitesMarine animalPermian
PlacodermiaArmoured fishEnd Carboniferous
Ancient fernsLand plantUpper Carboniferous
GraptolitesMarine animalUpper Carboniferous

(The Extinction table is still under construction.)

Rocks and fossils of the Isle of Wight

Era:Period:Epoch:Rock Groups:Approx ageTypical fossils
CaenozoicNeogenePleistocene?Bison, elephant
PalaeogeneOligoceneSolent34-33 Ma
EoceneSolent38-34 MaMolluscs
EoceneBarton-38 Ma
EoceneBracklesham51-
EoceneThames54-51 MaShark teeth, molluscs
PalaeoceneLambeth56-55 Ma
MesozoicCretaceousUpper KWhite Chalk93.5-68 MaAmmonites, belemnites, sea-urchins, shark teeth, sponges
Upper KGrey Chalk99-93.5 MaAmmonites, sea-urchins, sponges
Lower KUpper Greensand105-99 MaAmmonites
Lower KLower Greensand120-Ammonites
Lower KWealden126-120 MaDinosaur bone and footprints!, crocodile, turtle, pterosaur

(This table is under construction. It will grow in size and content - with more examples of fossils)
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Culver Parade,
Sandown,
Isle of Wight
PO36 8QA

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Fax: +44 (0)1983 407502
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