origin and evolution of species [4]

Since its formation some 4.6 billion years ago, the Earth has witnessed the genesis of continents and oceans and the appearance of animals and vegetation.

Quaternary

The most recent geological period in the Earth’s history; it is marked by glaciations and the appearance of modern humans.

homo sapiens sapiens

The representative of the first modern man appeared about 100,000 years ago.

wooly mammoth

A cousin of the elephant, this fossil had a thick wooly covering and long curved tusks. It died out 10,000 years ago.

Tertiary

Period marked by the diversification and dominance of mammals (appearance of horses, whales and others). First primates also appeared.

basilosaur

About 65 ft long and somewhat resembling a snake, this marine mammal fossil was the ancestor of today’s cetaceans.

smilodon

Carnivorous feline fossil with prominent upper canines for tearing meat.

hyracotherium

About the size of a dog, this ancestor of the horse had four digits on its forelegs and three digits on its hind legs.

proconsul

Large primate fossil, thought to be the ancestor of the chimpanzee.

Cretaceous

This period was marked by the extinction of 75% of plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs.

triceratops

One of the last dinosaurs. This four-legged herbivore had three horns and a bony cervical collar.

tyrannosaur

Two-legged carnivorous dinosaur measuring about 50 feet in length, with powerful jaws. This extremely ferocious predator had sharp teeth.

flowering plants

Appearing at the end of the Jurassic period, these plant species diversified widely over time; today, they form the largest group of plants on Earth.