Precambrian Era

13.7 billion years ago 4.6 billion years ago 1.5 billion years ago 650 million years ago
The Big Bang Up to 70% of Sexual Snowball Earth
A huge water comes reproduction Scientists
explosion that from comets stimulates believe the
creates that bombard evolutionary Earth’s surface
matter and the newly variety. froze.
energy. It is formed Earth. Organisms Oxygen builds
incredibly hot They also can adapt to up in the
but cools and contain changing atmosphere
eventually organic environments. and in the
stars and material that Algae oceans.
galaxies form. kickstarts life generate their Algae, sponges
on the planet. own food and the first
The water through worms begin to
cycle begins. photosynthesi live in the
Volcanoes s. oceans.
create the first
atmosphere.
 Paleozoic Era
540 million years ago 500 million years ago 420 million years ago
The Cambrian Gondwana Mosses and
Explosion Land masses begin to liverworts
Conditions on converge into a giant successfully
Earth are continent. colonise land.
suitable for a Fierce sea predators appear, It takes a further
growing variety such as giant sea scorpions 60 million years
of life forms. known as cephalopods. for plants to
Competition First adapt away from
Orthocer
leads to: fossils as water.
camouflage; of hard- Soil begins to be
muscles; shelled
formed.
teeth; animals.
Oxygen levels rise
shells; rapidly
body parts. Trilobites
Have
armour
plated
bodies
and
eyes.
 Paleozoic Era
360 million years ago 320 million years ago 280 million years ago

First insects First reptiles Pangea

appear. appear. Some A giant
Meganeura is a evolve to eat supercontinent
giant dragonfly- vegetation and , named by
like insect with others to eat meat. scientists as
a wingspan of Some reptiles, Pangea, is
up to 75 cm. such as Dimetrodon, formed.
Earliest known have sail-like Volcanic
spider evolves. backbones that activity on
There are tall, help to regulate Earth results
woody trees. their body in a mass
Swamps temperature. extinction.
eventually Tiktaalik
transform A creature
that
organic debris
develops
into coal. lungs to
gasp air and
‘wrist
bones’ in its
fins to
 Paleozoic Era
245 million years ago 200 million years ago

Life slowly recovers as Another mass

volcanic activity extinction occurs.
reduces. Some reptiles return to
First dinosaurs appear. the sea and become
Archosaurs fierce predators, such
Plesiosaurus as Plesiosaurus.
Scelidosaurus
Pterosaurs take to the
sky.
 Mesozoic Era
189 million years ago 150 million years ago

First true mammal Giant sauropod

appears. Megazostrodon is dinosaurs roam the
small, furry and hunts at Earth.
night. It eats insects and Archaeopteryx is the
small lizards. oldest known feather-
Mammals continue to winged dinosaur.
adapt by growing fur and
giving birth to live young. Brachiosau
rus

Diplodocu
s
 Mesozoic Era
141-100 million years ago 66 million years

First flowering plants Another mass

appear, bearing fruits. extinction, caused by a
They attract a growing meteorite striking the
number of insects. Earth around present-
Pollination develops and day Mexico.
represents a growing
theme whereby plants,
insects and animals co-
evolve.
 Cenozoic Era
65 million years ago 50 million years ago 45 million years ago

Global warming Antarctica settles over A sticky resin

occurs. This the south pole. from pine
gives rise to Movement of the land trees, known
an increase in masses creates as amber,
the variety mountains. The traps insects
and success Himalayas form as India and flowers,
of mammals. collides with Asia. The preserving
Birds and insects Alps are also created. them.
thrive.
Trees and plants
spread and
colonise the
Earth.
 Cenozoic Era
4-5 million years ago 2-3 million years ago

Australopithecus afarensis: the Homo habilis: a short

first ape to walk on two ‘human’. Develops
legs. the ability to make
primitive tools. This
marks the start of
the Stone Age.
 Cenozoic Era
1-2 million years ago 1 million years ago 100,000 years ago
Homo erectus: Fire! Neanderthal man evolves.
evolution means Early humans This human is stocky and
this early human make fire for able to adapt to a cooler
has a larger brain. cooking and for climate.
Homo erectus warmth.
migrates out of A change in the
Africa. tilt of the Earth
gives seasonal
change.
 Cenozoic Era
60,000 years ago 20,000 years ago 15,000 years ago

Homo sapiens develop Humans migrate. Humans make

language, dance, art and This signals the permanent
music. start of another settlements, the
mass extinction, first farmers
caused by over work the land.
hunting and Animals such as
climate change. cats, dogs, cows,
sheep, pigs and
horses are
domesticated.
 Cenozoic Era
10,000 years ago 6000 years ago 5000 years ago 4000 years ago 2000 years ago
Great Barrier Britain Copper Age Bronze Age Iron Age(2,800
years ago)
Reef begins becomes Early man The skills of
to form. It discovers a forging and Iron is used
an island
will way to smelting for
around
eventually mine mean that agriculture
6000
become copper and harder tools and
years ago.
the only uses it in and weapons weapons of
living tools. can be made. war.
Specific The
structure varieties building
visible of grape of
from are Stonehenge
space. grown to began,
produce 5000
wine.
The Stone Age (15,000 BC- 3000years
BC)
ago.
Ancient Egypt (7500 BC- 30 BC)
Ancient Sumer (5000 BC- 2330 BC)
The Indus Valley
(3300 BC- 0 BC)