1.2 EVENTS OF WORLD HISTORY ll Prehistory ll Part: 1 Pg. 2 ll Rabi The Digital

 

EVENTS OF WORLD HISTORY
A Documentation of Brief Historical Accounts of World Events       

From the distant past to the present

Compiled & edited by RABI ROY, the blogger

THIS BLOG INFO IS TO BE USED FOR            
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Prehistory: Major Events

 

c. 6,000,000,000: The estimated age of the Solar System (variously estimated as 4,700,000,000 to 6,500,000,000)[1]

c. 3,000,000,000: Moon parted from Earth. Earth formed around 4.54 billion years ago, approximately one-third the age of the universe, by accretion from the solar nebula. 

c. 1,200,000,000: The lowest form of life appeared in the sea (algæ[2]).

c. 570,000,000: Cambrian Age[3]: trilobites[4] and sponges[5] in the sea.

c. 500,000,000: Ordovician Age[6]: Considerable changes in positions of oceans; sea snails found; the climate was generally hot. 

c. 440,000,000: Silurian Age[7]: vertebrate animals developed; large sea scorpions; first land plants (leafless) appeared.

c. 395,000,000: Devonian Age: active volcanoes formed mountains; osteichthyes[8], bony fishes existed; leafy land plants and trees developed; wingless creatures left the sea and came ashore; period of old red sandstone.

c. 340,000,000: Carboniferous Age: giant trees yielding our coal; development of amphibian reptiles; legs first appeared.

c. 225,000,000: First evolution of the dinosaurs c. 65,000,000: Disappearance of dinosaurs

c. 275,000,000: Permian Age: rapid development of land life gradually dominating life in the sea but still mainly reptilian.

c. 225,000,000: Triassic Age: Development of ichthyosaurus and crustacean ancestors; first evolution of the dinosaurs, two distinct orders (Saurischia and Ornithischia); originally these creatures were bipedal, but later often became quadruped. Winged insects and small mammals were present; palm ferns were also visible.

c. 195,000,000: Jurassic Age[9]: a period of limestone formation; great increase in size of dinosaurs---principal age of the great reptiles; first bird, archaeopteryx having teeth and reptilian characteristics; ammonites in the sea.

c. 140,000,000: Australia severed from land-mass Asia: cause of continued existence of primitive animal life on the continent.

c. 136,000,000: Cretaceous Age: chalk foundations laid; great areas of swamp bordered the seas; terrible and fantastic lizards developed, including pterodactyls; earliest beginnings of warm-blooded mammals.

c. 65,000,000: Eocene Age: the disappearance of dinosaurs and marine reptiles; rapid development of mammals; early on, dinotherium, mastodon and saber-toothed tiger.

c. 38,000,000: Oligocene Age: extension of land masses; monkeys and apes existed.

c. 26,000,000: Miocene Age[10]: the appearance of primitive anthropoid ape (proconsul); many forms of waterfowl; great sharks in the sea.

c. 7,000,000: Pliocene Age[11]: present forms of continent developed; anthropoid apes flourished.

c. 2,000,000: Pleistocene Age[12]: a period of recurrent ice ages which had a profound effect on planet life; Australopithecus[13] and Homo habilis[14], which may have developed into man, existed; colitis of this period may or may not be of artificial construction; insects probably existed.  

c. 500,000: Man-like creatures (Pithecanthropus) used primitive stone implements; fire came into use; the emergence of the Paleolithic Age[15].

 

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[1] The Solar System: The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. The major planets of the solar system are (in order of distance from the sun) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto, which is very much known as the ninth planet, is a dwarf planet.

[2] algae (plural noun of alga), a simple, non-flowering, and typically aquatic plant-like organism of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue. Origin: mid 16th century: from Latin, ‘seaweed’.

[3] The Cambrian period is a significant geological time frame that lasted from approximately 542 to 488 million years ago. It is the first period of the Paleozoic Era. It is marked by a dramatic increase in the diversity of life, known as the Cambrian Explosion, where a wide range of complex, multi-cellular organisms appeared in the fossil record. This period is crucial for understanding the evolution of life on Earth, as it represents a major step forward in biological complexity. - New World Encyclopedia+4

[4] Trilobites are extinct fossil arthropods that first appeared around 521 million years ago during the Cambrian Period. They are easily recognized by their distinctive three-lobed, three-segmented form. Trilobites were exclusively marine animals and are known from more than 10,000 fossil species. They were arthropods, divided into three parts from head to tail and from side to side. Trilobites were abundant during the Cambrian and Ordovician periods but eventually went extinct. -Britannica

[5] Sponges are primitive multicellular aquatic animals that constitute the phylum Porifera. They are permanently affixed (sessile), mostly marine, solitary or colonial invertebrates. Sponges have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them. They consist of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. The mesohyl contains embedded amoeboid cells that secrete tiny needles called spicules or protein fibers that help give the sponge its structural strength. -Britannica

[6] The Ordovician Period is a significant geological time frame that lasted from approximately 485.4 million years ago to 443.8 million years ago. It is the second period of the Paleozoic Era, following the Cambrian Period and preceding the Silurian Period. The Ordovician is divided into three epochs: Early, Middle, and Late Ordovician, and is known for a diverse range of marine life and significant geological events.

[7] The Silurian Age is a geological period that lasted from approximately 443.8 million years ago to 419.2 million years ago. It is the third period of the Paleozoic Era, following the Ordovician and preceding the Devonian periods. During the Silurian, the Earth experienced significant environmental changes, including rising sea levels and the diversification of marine life, as well as the first evidence of life on land. The period is named after the Silures, a Celtic tribe in Wales, where rocks from this age were first studied.

[8] Osteichthyes refers to a class of vertebrates known as bony fish, characterized by an endoskeleton primarily composed of bone tissue. This class includes over 30,000 species, making it the largest class of vertebrates. Key features of Osteichthyes include a skeletal endoskeleton, gill covers (operculum), and, in most cases, paired fins.

[9] The Jurassic Age, spanning from approximately 201.3 million to 145 million years ago, was a significant period in Earth's history marked by the dominance of dinosaurs and major geological changes. The Jurassic Period is part of the Mesozoic Era and is divided into three epochs: Early Jurassic (201.3 to 174.1 million years ago), Middle Jurassic (174.1 to 163.5 million years ago), and Late Jurassic (163.5 to 145 million years ago). -Britannica

[10] The Miocene epoch is a significant geological period that lasted from about 23.03 to 5.333 million years ago. It is the first epoch of the Neogene Period and is characterized by the evolution of many modern mammal families, as well as drastic climate changes and the formation of new landscapes. The Miocene saw the rise of grasslands and kelp forests, marking a shift in global ecosystems. This epoch is crucial for understanding the evolutionary history of mammals and the environmental changes that shaped the Earth. -Britannica

[11] The Pliocene Epoch, spanning from approximately 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago, represents a significant chapter in Earth’s geological history. It is the final epoch of the Neogene Period and is characterized by notable climatic shifts and evolutionary developments that laid the groundwork for the emergence of modern ecosystems and species. The Pliocene is often viewed as a transitional phase, bridging the gap between the warmer Miocene and the cooler Pleistocene epochs.

[12] The Pleistocene epoch is a geological period that lasted from approximately 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. It is characterized by repeated glaciations, where large ice sheets covered significant portions of the Earth’s surface. The Pleistocene is significant for its impact on the evolution of many species, including humans, and is often referred to as the Ice Age due to the extensive presence of glaciers during this time. The epoch is divided into several stages, including the Gelasian, Calabrian, Chibanian, and the final stage, which leads into the Holocene epoch. -Britannica

[13] Australopithecus, often referred to as australopithecines, is the name given to an extinct genus of hominid primates. Up to seven distinct species within this genus are known to have lived in prehistoric Africa around 4 million years ago.

[14] Homo habilis, meaning "handy man," is an extinct species of early human that lived in East and South Africa approximately 2.4 to 1.5 million years ago. It is considered one of the earliest members of the genus Homo and is known for its use of stone tools, which marks a significant development in human evolution. Homo habilis exhibited features that were intermediate between the more primitive Australopithecus and later Homo species, playing a crucial role in the discussion surrounding the origins of our genus. -Wikipedia

[15] The Paleolithic age, also known as the Old Stone Age, spans from approximately 2.6 million years ago to around 10,000 years ago. This period is characterized by the development of the first stone tools, the emergence of early human art, and the establishment of a nomadic lifestyle among hunter-gatherers. The term "Paleolithic" is derived from the Greek words "palaios," meaning "old," and "lithos," meaning "stone," reflecting the era's primary tool-making materials. This age marks a significant phase in human prehistory, laying the foundation for subsequent cultural and technological advancements. -Wikipedia