The Basic Timeline Of Life On Earth

After the formation of our world, about 4.5 billion years ago. It took about another billion years or so to get things started.

Here is a chart showing the time scale of life and its development on Earth.

All of the times are approximate, and subject to change as we learn more about our world and it's past.

3.8 billion years simple cells

3 billion years and we have the stromatolites and photosynthesis.

2 billion years and complex cells have formed.

1 billion years we get multicultural life.

600 million years, simple animals start to appear.

570 million years we have arthropods.

550 million years complex animals.

500 million years we have fish and the beginnings of amphibians

475 million years and at last we have land plants.

400 million years the insects arrive.

360 million years we have true amphibians appearing.

300 million years we have the reptiles.

200 million years the mammals are here.

150 million years birds take to the air.

130 million years and plants have flowers.

65 million years all the dinosaurs are dead.

2.5 million years and mans early ancestors make an appearance.

And it's only in the last 200,000 years that we have been around.