23.03 MA NEOGENE
PERIOD
(23.03-2.588
MA) MIOCENE
EPOCH23.03
(23.03-5.332
MA) Evolution
of grasses
Modern
type mammals and birds appear Catarrhini Split -
Superfamily Cercopithecoidea diverges from Superfamily Hominoidea AQUITANIAN
STAGE
(23.03-20.43 MA) 20.43 MA
BURDIGALIAN
STAGE
(20.43-15.97 MA) 23.03 Ma 19 Ma Africa
collides with Eurasia in Turkish/Arabian region (-12 ma)18 Ma Megalodon, largest carnivorous fish ever, appears around this
time (-1.5 Ma) Hylobatidae
(gibbons) separate from Hominidae
(great apes and humans) 17 Ma Early
anscestors of hominids migrate from Eurasia to Africa 15.97 Ma LANGHIAN
STAGE
(15.97-13.82
Ma) 13.82 Ma
SERRAVALLIAN1
STAGE
(13.82-11.608 MA) 12 Ma Dryopithecus
+ 12-9 Maspread
out over eastern Africa and Eurasia 11.608 Ma TORTONIAN
STAGE
(11.608-7.246 MA 9 Ma Dryopithecus- 7.246 Ma MESSINIAN
STAGE
(7.246-5.332 MA) 5.59 Ma Messinian
Salinity Crisis begins - Strait of
Gibraltar closes and Mediterranean dries up partly or completely (-5.33 MA) 5.332 MA PLIOCENE
EPOCH
(5.332-2.588
MA) Increasing
mountain glaciation Flowering
plants abundant Mammals
abundant ZANCLEAN
STAGE
(5.332-3.6 MA) 5.33
Messinian Salinity Crisis ends 4.6 Ma Hipparion zandaense - three-toed horse from Tibetan Plateau
4.4 MA Ardipithicus ramidus 4 MA Australopithecines - earliest known
hominids (-1.7 MA) 3.7 MA Laetoli
Footprints (Tanzania)- hominid leave
footprints - very similar to modern humans (Australopithecines?) 3.6 MA PIACENZIAN
STAGE
(3.6-.588
MA) 3.4 MA "Lucy"
Skeleton - Australopithecus afarensis Burtele foot - homonid with opposable big toe also in Eastern Africa with A. afarensis 3 MA GREAT
AMERICAN INTERCHANGE - newly risen Isthmus
of Panama allows migration of all types of animals