23.03 MA NEOGENE
PERIOD
(23.03-2.588
MA) MIOCENE
EPOCH23.03 (18
M)
(23.03-5.332
MA) Evolution
of grasses
"Modern"
type mammals and birds appear Catarrhini Split -
Superfamily Cercopithecoidea diverges from Superfamily Hominoidea AQUITANIAN23.03
STAGE (2.6
M)
(23.03-20.43 MA) 20.43 MA
BURDIGALIAN20.43
STAGE (4.46
M)
(20.43-15.97 MA) 23.03 MA19 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 LANGHIAN15.97
STAGE (2.15
M)
(15.97-13.82
MA) 13.82 MA
SERRAVALLIAN13.82
STAGE (2.21
M)
(13.82-11.608 MA) 12 MA MA Dryopithecus
+ 12-9 MAspread
out over eastern Africa and Eurasia 11.608 MA TORTONIAN11.608
STAGE (4.36
M)
(11.608-7.246 MA 9 MA Dryopithecus- 7.246 MA MESSINIAN7.246
STAGE (1.914
M)
(7.246-5.332 MA) 5.59 MA MA Messinian
Salinity Crisis begins - Strait of
Gibraltar closes and Mediterranean dries up partly or completely (-5.33 MA) 5.332 MA PLIOCENE
EPOCH (2.74
M)
(5.332-2.588
MA) Increasing
mountain glaciation Flowering
plants abundant Mammals
abundant ZANCLEAN5.332
STAGE (1.732
M)
(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 PIACENZIAN3.6
STAGE (1.01
M)
(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