<Table> <Tr> <Th> ( hide ) Supereon </Th> <Th> Eon </Th> <Th> Era </Th> <Th> Period </Th> <Th> Epoch </Th> <Th> Age </Th> <Th> Major events </Th> <Th> Start , million years ago </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> n / a </Td> <Td> Phanerozoic </Td> <Td> Cenozoic </Td> <Td> Quaternary </Td> <Td> Holocene </Td> <Td> <P> chrons : Subatlantic Subboreal Atlantic Boreal Preboreal </P> </Td> <Td> Quaternary Ice Age recedes , and the current interglacial begins . Sahara forms from savannah . Rise of human civilization , beginning of agriculture . Stone Age cultures give way to Bronze Age ( 3300 BC ) and Iron Age ( 1200 BC ) , giving rise to many pre-historic cultures throughout the world . Little Ice Age ( stadial ) causes brief cooling in Northern Hemisphere from 1400 to 1850 . Following the Industrial Revolution , atmospheric CO levels rise from around 280 parts per million volume ( ppmv ) to the current level of 400 ppmv . </Td> <Td> 0.0117 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pleistocene </Td> <Td> Late ( locally Tarantian Tyrrhenian Eemian Sangamonian ) </Td> <Td> Flourishing and then extinction of Pleistocene megafauna . Evolution of anatomically modern humans . Quaternary Ice Age continues with glaciations and interstadials ( and the accompanying fluctuations from 100 to 300 ppmv in atmospheric CO levels ) , further intensification of Icehouse Earth conditions , roughly 1.6 Ma . Last glacial maximum ( 30000 years ago ) , last glacial period ( 18000 -- 15000 years ago ) . Dawn of human stone - age cultures , with increasing technical complexity relative to previous ice age cultures , such as engravings and clay statues ( e.g. Venus of Lespugue ) , particularly in the Mediterranean and Europe . Lake Toba supervolcano erupts 75000 years before present , causing a volcanic winter that possibly pushes humanity to the brink of extinction . Pleistocene ends with Oldest Dryas , Older Dryas / Allerød and Younger Dryas climate events , with Younger Dryas forming the boundary with the Holocene . </Td> <Td> 0.126 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Middle ( formerly Ionian ) </Td> <Td> 0.781 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Calabrian </Td> <Td> 1.8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gelasian </Td> <Td> 2.58 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Neogene </Td> <Td> Pliocene </Td> <Td> Piacenzian </Td> <Td> Intensification of present Icehouse conditions , present ( Quaternary ) ice age begins roughly 2.58 Ma ; cool and dry climate . Australopithecines , many of the existing genera of mammals , and recent mollusks appear . Homo habilis appears . </Td> <Td> 3.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zanclean </Td> <Td> 5.333 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Miocene </Td> <Td> Messinian </Td> <Td> Moderate Icehouse climate , punctuated by ice ages ; Orogeny in Northern Hemisphere . Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable . Horses and mastodons diverse . Grasses become ubiquitous . First apes appear ( for reference see the article : `` Sahelanthropus tchadensis '' ) . Kaikoura Orogeny forms Southern Alps in New Zealand , continues today . Orogeny of the Alps in Europe slows , but continues to this day . Carpathian orogeny forms Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe . Hellenic orogeny in Greece and Aegean Sea slows , but continues to this day . Middle Miocene Disruption occurs . Widespread forests slowly draw in massive amounts of CO , gradually lowering the level of atmospheric CO from 650 ppmv down to around 100 ppmv . </Td> <Td> 7.246 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tortonian </Td> <Td> 11.63 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Serravallian </Td> <Td> 13.82 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Langhian </Td> <Td> 15.97 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Burdigalian </Td> <Td> 20.44 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Aquitanian </Td> <Td> 23.03 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Paleogene </Td> <Td> Oligocene </Td> <Td> Chattian </Td> <Td> Warm but cooling climate , moving towards Icehouse ; Rapid evolution and diversification of fauna , especially mammals . Major evolution and dispersal of modern types of flowering plants </Td> <Td> 28.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rupelian </Td> <Td> 33.9 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Eocene </Td> <Td> Priabonian </Td> <Td> Moderate , cooling climate . Archaic mammals ( e.g. Creodonts , Condylarths , Uintatheres , etc . ) flourish and continue to develop during the epoch . Appearance of several `` modern '' mammal families . Primitive whales diversify . First grasses . Reglaciation of Antarctica and formation of its ice cap ; Azolla event triggers ice age , and the Icehouse Earth climate that would follow it to this day , from the settlement and decay of seafloor algae drawing in massive amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide , lowering it from 3800 ppmv down to 650 ppmv . End of Laramide and Sevier Orogenies of the Rocky Mountains in North America . Orogeny of the Alps
<Table> <Tr> <Th> ( hide ) Supereon </Th> <Th> Eon </Th> <Th> Era </Th> <Th> Period </Th> <Th> Epoch </Th> <Th> Age </Th> <Th> Major events </Th> <Th> Start , million years ago </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> n / a </Td> <Td> Phanerozoic </Td> <Td> Cenozoic </Td> <Td> Quaternary </Td> <Td> Holocene </Td> <Td> <P> chrons : Subatlantic Subboreal Atlantic Boreal Preboreal </P> </Td> <Td> Quaternary Ice Age recedes , and the current interglacial begins . Sahara forms from savannah . Rise of human civilization , beginning of agriculture . Stone Age cultures give way to Bronze Age ( 3300 BC ) and Iron Age ( 1200 BC ) , giving rise to many pre-historic cultures throughout the world . Little Ice Age ( stadial ) causes brief cooling in Northern Hemisphere from 1400 to 1850 . Following the Industrial Revolution , atmospheric CO levels rise from around 280 parts per million volume ( ppmv ) to the current level of 400 ppmv . </Td> <Td> 0.0117 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pleistocene </Td> <Td> Late ( locally Tarantian Tyrrhenian Eemian Sangamonian ) </Td> <Td> Flourishing and then extinction of Pleistocene megafauna . Evolution of anatomically modern humans . Quaternary Ice Age continues with glaciations and interstadials ( and the accompanying fluctuations from 100 to 300 ppmv in atmospheric CO levels ) , further intensification of Icehouse Earth conditions , roughly 1.6 Ma . Last glacial maximum ( 30000 years ago ) , last glacial period ( 18000 -- 15000 years ago ) . Dawn of human stone - age cultures , with increasing technical complexity relative to previous ice age cultures , such as engravings and clay statues ( e.g. Venus of Lespugue ) , particularly in the Mediterranean and Europe . Lake Toba supervolcano erupts 75000 years before present , causing a volcanic winter that possibly pushes humanity to the brink of extinction . Pleistocene ends with Oldest Dryas , Older Dryas / Allerød and Younger Dryas climate events , with Younger Dryas forming the boundary with the Holocene . </Td> <Td> 0.126 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Middle ( formerly Ionian ) </Td> <Td> 0.781 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Calabrian </Td> <Td> 1.8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gelasian </Td> <Td> 2.58 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Neogene </Td> <Td> Pliocene </Td> <Td> Piacenzian </Td> <Td> Intensification of present Icehouse conditions , present ( Quaternary ) ice age begins roughly 2.58 Ma ; cool and dry climate . Australopithecines , many of the existing genera of mammals , and recent mollusks appear . Homo habilis appears . </Td> <Td> 3.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zanclean </Td> <Td> 5.333 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Miocene </Td> <Td> Messinian </Td> <Td> Moderate Icehouse climate , punctuated by ice ages ; Orogeny in Northern Hemisphere . Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable . Horses and mastodons diverse . Grasses become ubiquitous . First apes appear ( for reference see the article : `` Sahelanthropus tchadensis '' ) . Kaikoura Orogeny forms Southern Alps in New Zealand , continues today . Orogeny of the Alps in Europe slows , but continues to this day . Carpathian orogeny forms Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe . Hellenic orogeny in Greece and Aegean Sea slows , but continues to this day . Middle Miocene Disruption occurs . Widespread forests slowly draw in massive amounts of CO , gradually lowering the level of atmospheric CO from 650 ppmv down to around 100 ppmv . </Td> <Td> 7.246 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tortonian </Td> <Td> 11.63 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Serravallian </Td> <Td> 13.82 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Langhian </Td> <Td> 15.97 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Burdigalian </Td> <Td> 20.44 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Aquitanian </Td> <Td> 23.03 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Paleogene </Td> <Td> Oligocene </Td> <Td> Chattian </Td> <Td> Warm but cooling climate , moving towards Icehouse ; Rapid evolution and diversification of fauna , especially mammals . Major evolution and dispersal of modern types of flowering plants </Td> <Td> 28.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rupelian </Td> <Td> 33.9 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Eocene </Td> <Td> Priabonian </Td> <Td> Moderate , cooling climate . Archaic mammals ( e.g. Creodonts , Condylarths , Uintatheres , etc . ) flourish and continue to develop during the epoch . Appearance of several `` modern '' mammal families . Primitive whales diversify . First grasses . Reglaciation of Antarctica and formation of its ice cap ; Azolla event triggers ice age , and the Icehouse Earth climate that would follow it to this day , from the settlement and decay of seafloor algae drawing in massive amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide , lowering it from 3800 ppmv down to 650 ppmv . End of Laramide and Sevier Orogenies of the Rocky Mountains in North America . Orogeny of the Alps
which is the first era of earth 's history
which is the first era of earth 's history
Cenozoic
Cenozoic