History of the Earth

Age Eon (Ma) Era Period

Neogene

ICS

Period
Quaternary*

Epoch
Pliocene
Pleistocene
Holocene

Stage
Calabrian/Gelasian

AGE (Ma)
2.6

Neogene

Cenozoic Paleogene

Era

Paleogeographic Maps

Earth History

Mesozoic

100

Cretaceous Jurassic Triassic Permian

Tortonian Burdigalian Aquitanian Chattian Rupelian Priabonian Bartonian Lutetian Ypresian Thanetian Selandian Danian Maastrichtian Campanian
Serravallian Langhian

Messinian

Zanclean

Piacenzian

5.3

Miocene

M E

Phanerozoic

Cenozoic

200

Oligocene

L E L M E

23 34

300

Paleozoic

Carboniferous Devonian Silurian Ordovician Cambrian Ediacaran

Paleogene

Early Neogene

Eocene

400

500

Paleocene

L M E

56 66

600

Late
Cryogenian
700

Neoproterozoic

Cretaceous

Santonian Coniacian Turonian Cenomanian Albian

800

100

Late Cretaceous

900

Tonian
1000

Early

Aptian Barremian Hauterivian Valanginian Berriasian Tithonian

1100

Mesozoic

Stenian

146

Early Cretaceous

Mesoproterozoic

1200

Late

Kimmeridgian Oxfordian Callovian Bathonian Bajocian Aalenian Toarcian

161

1300

Ectasian

Jurassic

Middle

176

1400

Proterozoic

1500

Calymmian

Early

Pliensbachian Sinemurian Hettangian Rhaetian Norian

200

1600

Late
1700

Statherian

Triassic

Carnian

1800

228
Ladinian Middle Anisian
Olenekian

Late Triassic

1900

Paleoproterozoic

Orosirian

Early Lopingian

245 251 260 271

2000

Induan Changhsingian Wuchiapingian Capitanian Wordian/Roadian Kungurian Artinskian

2100

2200

Rhyacian

Permian

Guadalupian

Cisuralian Sakmarian Asselian Gzhelian Kasimovian Moscovian Bashkirian Serpukhovian

Middle Permian
299

2300

Pennsylvanian

Late Middle Early Late

2400

Carboniferous

Siderian

318

2500

2600

Neoarchean

Mississippian

Middle

Visean

2700

Early

Tournaisian

Middle Mississippian
359

2800

Famennian
2900

Late

Mesoarchean

Devonian

Frasnian Middle Givetian Eifelian Emsian Early

Pridoli

3000

Paleozoic

385 398

3100

3200

Archean

Pragian Lochkovian Ludfordian/Gorstian Homerian/Sheinwoodian Telychian

Paleoarchean

3300

Silurian

Ludlow Wenlock Llandovery

416 419 423 428

Early Middle Devonian

3400

Aeronian/Rhuddanian Hirnantian Katian Sandbian Middle Darriwilian Dapingian Floian Early Tremadocian Stage 10 Stage 9 Paibian Drumian Stage 5 Stage 4 Stage 3 Stage 2 Fortunian
Guzhangian

444

Ordovician

3500

Late

461 472

3600

3700

Eoarchean

Middle Ordovician
488

3800

Furongian

Cambrian

3900

501 510 521

AFR ANT AUS BAL Gon Map Legend Spreading Center Mountain Belt Subduction Zone Africa Antarctica Australia Baltica Gondwana O Ocean
(mountainbuilding episode)

Series 3 Series 2

4000

Lower limit is not defined

Or Orogeny IND NAM SAM SIB

4100

Terreneuvian

Formation of the Earth ca. 4.55 billion years

India North America South America Siberia

542

International divisions of geologic time (eras, periods, epochs, stages) are standardized by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS, www.stratigraphy.org). The color scheme of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World is shown for these divisions, and their numerical ages are from "A Geologic Time Scale 2004" (Gradstein et al., Cambridge University Press). Paleogeographic maps were provided courtesy of Ron Blakey with plate positions modified from Chris Scotese. The evolution of life is modified from John Gurches painting Tower of Time ( Smithsonian Institution). This chart was compiled and drafted by Gabi Ogg and Bruce Wardlaw. * The status of the Quaternary is not yet decided. Its base may be assigned as the base of the Gelasian and extend the base of the Pleistocene to 2.6 Ma.

This poster was developed in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey and with the CHRONOS program (sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation).

Copyright 2007, International Commission on Stratigraphy