65.5 MA CENOZOIC 65.5 ERA (65.5
M) (67 Ma-present) TERTIARY PERIOD (65 M)
no official rank (ICS)(67-2
MA) PALEOGENE (65.5-23.03
MA) PALEOCENE
EPOCH
(65.5-55.8
MA) Alpine
mountain building worldwide throughout Tertiary Third
and final major stage of breakup of Panagaea - Norwegian Sea opens up
(Paleocene to Oligocene) K/T
Extinction Event - dinosaurs disappear, along with ammonites (or K/Paleogene) DANIAN
STAGE
(65.5-61.1
MA)
65 MA Earliest
white shark teeth (-60 M) 63 MA Haplorrhini
(dry nosed)splits from more
primitive Strepsirrhines (wet nosed) primate line 62 MA Phorusrhacidae
family (aka Terror Birds) appear (-2 MA) 61.1 MA MA SELANDIAN
STAGE
(61.1-58.7
MA) 60 MA Hyracotherium
("Eohippus") - earliest known member of the horse family (60-45 Ma) 58.7 MA THANETIAN
STAGE
(58.7-55.8
MA) 56 MA Sifrhippus - small horse that got smaller as time proceeded 55.8 MA EOCENE
EPOCH
(55.8-36
MA) PETM -
Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum - rapid
global warming by 6 degrees Celsius hits peak Mass faunal extinctions after PETM Hammerhead
sharks (Sphyrnidae) appear during Eocene YPRESIAN
STAGE
(55.8-48.6 MA) 55 MA EECO
begins - Early Eocene Climatic Optimum -
brought on by increased volcanic activity? No useful fossil record has been discovered for this period
(55-26 m)
Anscestors
of the wombat appear - Diprodontia
53
MA
ELMO event - "Eocene Layer of
Mysterious Origen
50 MA EECO ends
- cooling of deep water in Oceans worlwide Cataceans
- land mammals adapt to marine life - Pakicetids
Earliest
known bat Lemur/Loris
Split Notharctus
- inhabited Europe 49 MA Azolla
Event - freshwater fern "Azolla"
blooms in Arctic Ocean - draw down of carbon produces current "Ice
House" age 48.6 MA LUTETIAN
STAGE
(48.6-40.4
MA)
45 MA Tarsius
syrichta (Philippine tarsier) (-present) 40.4 MA BARTONIAN
STAGE
(40.4-37.2
MA) 40 MA Formation
of 1st Antarctic ice Basilosaurus
cetoides ("emperor reptile") (40-37
MA) Alabama state fossil Canids
first appear (dog family) Old world/New World monkey split 37.2 PRIABONIAN
STAGE
(37.2-33.9) 33.9 MA OLIGOCENE
EPOCH
(33.9-25
MA) First
felids (cats) emerge (33.9-25MA) RUPELIAN
STAGE
(33.9-28.4 MA) 33.5 MA Grand
Coupure Event (MP21 event) - major turnover
of European mammalian fauna -Asian influx to follow 30 MA South
America and Antarctica separate creating Drake's Passage 28.4 MA CHATTIAN
STAGE
(28.4-23.03
MA)