2.9 MA
GREAT
AMERICAN INTERCHANGE - newly risen Isthmus
of Panama allows migration of all types of animals
2.8 MA
2.7 MA
2.6
OLDOWAN TOOL INDUSTRY + oldest stone tool industry (2.6-1.7 Ma)
2.588
QUATERNARY PERIOD (2 M) (2.58
MA-p) PLEISTOCENE
EPOCH (1.99
M)
(2.58
MA -12000 A) GELASIAN2.588
STAGE (.78
M)
(2.588-1.806
MA)
Lower Pleistocene - Villafranchian
(-600000)
"Great
Ice Age" (- aka Quaternary Glaciation) - continues to today - although it
is year 12000 of an interglacial Growth
of major deserts Australopithecines - ultimately there are two branches of this group living
along side Homo - only the latter survives
2.5 MA
Sabretooth
cats "arrive" 2.4 MA
2.3 MA 2.2 MA Homo
habilisappears - perhaps the oldest Homo that we know of
- descended from Australopithecines (-1.6 MA 2.1 MA 2
MAPhorusrhacidae family (aka Terror Birds) appear (-2 MA)
1.9 MA
Homo
ergaster appears - use of complex
tools (e.g. hand axes and cleavers)
1.806 MA
CALABRIAN1.806
STAGE (1.025
M)
(1.806-.781
MA)
1.8 MA
Homo
erectus (aka Pithecanthropus
erectus) (1.8-1.3 Ma)
1.75 MA
Definite
stone tools - Paleolithic starts here instead of 500,000?
1.65 MA
ACHEULEAN INDUSTRY (-100,000) (possibly 1.8 MA)Earliest accepted example of Acheulean industry from West
Turkana, Kenya
1.6 MA
KNM-WT
15000 ("Turkana Boy") - Homo
ergaster skeleton from Lake Turkana, Kenya Homo
Habilis extinction event 1.5 MA KNM ER 992 - lower
jaw of Homo ergaster - type specimen for species (Koobi Fora, Kenya) 1.4 MA Homo ergaster extinction
event
1.3 MA
1.2 MA
1.1 MA
1
MA Acheulean
stone tool industry reaches Europe 1st unambiguous homonid use of fire (as evidenced in Wonderwerk
Cave, South Africa)
900000
850000
800000
781000
IONIAN.781
STAGE (.655
M)
(.781-.126
MA)
750000
700000
650000
600000
Early Middle Pleistocene
Gunz
and Mindel Glaciations
First Interglacial
550000
500000 Kaguerian-Kamasian
Interpluvial Levels Neanderthal
and human lineages diverge
Stone-tipped spears used by Homo hiedelbergensis hunters - Earliest estimate
450000
400000
350000
300000
Mousterian Culture+ (-30,000) BP
275000
Late Middle Pleistocene
Second
Interglacial Riss
Glaciation
250000
Rise
of Homo species
200000
Homo
sapiens sapiensemerge in Africa
savannah
150000
Mitochondrial Eve
126000
UPPER PLEISTOCENE.126 STAGE
(.1143 M) (.126-.0117 MA)
120000
95000
Late Pleistocene
Third
Interglacial Wurm
Glaciation Homo
sapiens definitely evolved - burial of
dead 75000 74000
Mount Toba erupts in - largest eruption in last 25 million years
60000
Mount Toba
erupts in - largest eruption in last 25 million years Homo sapiens sapiens (the surviving y adam ancestors) first journey out of Africa around this time - through Sinai or Gulf of Aden 50000 Barrington
Crater Impact Event in Arizona - 50m meteeorite crashes at at least 28,000 mph
Homo sapiens reach
Australia (50000-45000)
45000 Arignacian Culture + Upper Limit 40000
UPPER PALEOLITHIC
Last
Ice Age (-9000)
Glaciation
connects Japan to the Asian mainland Homo sapiens sapiens reach Eurasia and Oceana- modern man appears Cro-Magnon
Man moves westward to Europe 32000 Aurignacian
Culture - declines in Europe and Southwest Asia (34000 BP) Gravettian Culture + supercedes Aurignacian 30000 Neanderthal
Man becomes extinct 29000 28000 Man
crosses landbridge between Asia and North America 27000 26000 25000 24000 23000 22000 21000 Decline
of Aurignacian Culture in Europe and Southwest Asia (23000 BP) 20000 Cave
Painting (Lascaux, altimira, et al) (-12000) 19000 18000 Maximum
extent of last glaciation Magdalenian Culture
+ in Western Europe (18000-10000BP)
17000 16000 15000 14500
Homo
sapiens sapiens inhabit Americas 14400 13000 12000BP/10000BCE