This document outlines the major geological eras and periods relevant to primate and human evolution over the last 570 million years. It describes how continental drift changed global climates, causing temperatures to decline from the warm and wet Eocene period to present. Key events included the breakup of Pangea, the rise of angiosperms during the Mesozoic, mammalian diversification in the Paleogene as new food sources emerged, and hominin emergence in the Neogene as forests retreated due to cooling and drying trends.

1. Geologic Time ScaleRelevant to Primate & Hominin Evolution

2. Animal life diversifies starting in the PhanerozoicPaleozoic EraMesozoic EraCarboniferousTriassicJurassic & CretaceousOrdovicianSilurianDevonianPermianCambrian570 mya500430395345280225190Marine invertebratesFirstvertebratesArthropodsExpansion of reptiles,decline of amphibiansAge of Fishes, 1st amphibians & insectsAge of amphibians, 1st reptiles, 1st great insect radiation

3. Cenozoic EraCretacousPeriodTriassic PeriodJurassic Period22519013665Age of dinosaurs1st birdsMammals, birds, insectsflourish1st Mammals (Monotremes) & dinosaurs1st flowering trees (angiosperms)!st Marsupials, Placental mammalsDinosaurs vanish @ 65mya Mesozoic Era

4. Primates finally start to enter the scene, 65 myaCenozoic Era: 65 my - present: 3 Periods: 7 EpochsPliocenePleistoceneEoceneOligocenePaleocene EpochMiocene1.8 myaHoloocene10 kya523655434Oldest primates(?) PlesiadapiformsFirst Primates EvolveProsimians thrive1st AnthropoidsEvolveMonkeys &1st primatesin South AmericaHomininsHumans1stHominoids

5. Mammalian Evolution: A summaryPaleozoic: Devonian: First mammal-like reptiles (Therapsids)Mesozoic: Triassic: First mammals (Monotremes)Mesozoic: Cretaceous: First Marsupials & Placental mammals, CenozoicPaleocene: Plesiadapiforms & 1st true primatesEocene: Prosimians thrive + first AnthropoidsOligocene: Anthropoids spread + first HominoidsMiocene & Pliocene: First Hominids (7-1.7 mya)Pleistocene: First Hominines (1.7-0.1 mya)200,000-100,000 ya: First HumansHolocene: 10,000 ya: History

6. Over last 200 my, the earth rearranged itself

7. Continental drift is important part of human history because it changed global climates Temperatures have declined steeply from Eocene to presentHuge fluctuations in last 5 my25C = 77 F10C = 50 F

8. The MesozoicTriasic (225 mya)Pangea was a single continentDinosaurs & small mammals evolvePangea HUGE land mass = cold winters, hot moist summers (Wisconsin)200 mya Pangea starts breaking up --> Laurasia & GondawanaOceans are barriers to gene flow = new species formWorld gets warmer when continent splitsDinosaurs and mammals evolve in this warmer worldRise of angiosperms = fruits bearing trees = new foods

9. The Cenozoic: Paleogene PeriodMammalian adaptive radiation to fill angiosperm nichesPaleocene wet & warmEocene wetter & warmerTropical forestsSA isolated from NA & Europe = new speciesPrimates (prosimians) highly successful & diverseFirst anthropoids appearOligocene getting colder & drier, more seasonal variationMostly modern continent positionsSA still separateCold water currents cooling earth but Africa & SA tropical forestsMonkeys prosper, first hominoids appear

10. The Cenozoic: Neogene Period & QuaternaryNeogene PeriodMiocene warm & moist at beginning, got colder & drierForests retreating = open woodland habitatHimalayas form = block warm & create cold air currentsRift valley forms = rain shadow & dry savannah in AfricaFirst hominins evolved (late Miocene)Pliocene begins frequent temperature fluctuationsHominins diversifyQuaternary PeriodPleistocene: extreme temperature fluctuationsModern humans evolve