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CHAPTERONE:
FromCreationtotheDawnofHistory
13,730 Millionyearsagoto 5509 BC
I N T HE B EGINNING...
13,729,998,016 BC
July4 :TheBigBang
TheUniverseiscreatedfromaninfintesimallysmallpointinablindingflashoflight!
13,729,998,016c.13,729,621,000 BC
TheonofChaos
Forthefirst377,000yearsaftertheBigBang,theentireUniverse,muchsmallerthanitis
today,existsasahot,opaquemassofswirlingprotonsandphotonsandshit.
c.13,729,600,00013,200,000,000 BC
TheonofDarkness
TheUniversecontinuestoexpandandthehot,opaquemassofsuperheatedparticlesclearsup.
AndwithnostarsyetcreatedandthelightoftheBigBangfading,theUniversegrowscoldand
darknessspreadsacrossthefacesofthedeep...
c.13,200,000,000 BC
TheFirstStarsareCreated,...andtherewaslight.
c.13,200,000,0008,000,000,000 BC
Thestarsanddustintheheavensgathertogetherandthefirstgalaxiesappear.
c.8,300,000,000 BC
OurGalaxy,theMilkyWay,isCreated.
c.4,680,000,0004,532,000,000 BC
TheChaotianon
TheFormationoftheSolarSystem
c.4,680,000,0004,630,000,000 BC
TheNepheleanPeriod
AmassivenebulainthemiddlerimoftheMilkyWayGalaxybeginstocollapseandformdozens
ofprotostars,oneofwhichisdestinedtobecomeourownSun.
c.4,630,000,0004,568,000,000 BC
TheErebreanPeriod
Theballofgaswhichisourprotosuncontinuestocollapseunderitsowngravity,growingever
hotter,allthewhileslowlydriftingawayfromitssistersunsandthegreatnebulaofitsbirth.
4,568,276,145 BC
TheSunisCreated
NuclearFusionissparkedinitsheartandourSunshinesitsfirstlight.
c.4,568,000,0004,560,000,000 BC
TheHyperitianPeriod
Ournewlybornsuncontinuestocollapseunderitsowngravity,growingeverbrighterasavast
discofdustandgasbeginstoformaroundit.
c.4,560,000,0004,533,000,000 BC
TheTitanomacheanPeriod
ThevastdiscofdustandgassurroundingournewbornSunbeginstocoalesceintoballsofrock
anddustwhichthemselvescollideformingasteroidsandprotoplanets.Thesethencollidein
incrediblyviolentcollisionsformingbiggerandbiggerprotoplanetsuntil,finally,theSolar
Systemclosetowhatweknowittodayisformed.
c.4,540,000,000 BC
TheprotoplanetsTellusandTheiaformfromadiscofdustandrocksinwhatwillbecomethe
orbitoftheEarth.
4,532,788,009 BC
TheEarthisCreated
April22: TheprotoplanetTheiacollideswithTellus.Botharedestroyedinacatalclysmicfuryof
fireandrockandtheEarthandtheMoonformfromthedebris.
c.4,532,000,0004,020,000,000 BC
TheHadeanon
c.4,532,000,0004,490,000,000 BC
TheHephaesteanPeriod
ForthefirstfortymillionyearsafterthecollisionoftheprotoplanetsTellusandTheiaforged
theEarthandtheMoon,boththeseglobesexistasviolent,moltenworldsofmagma.
c.4,490,000,0004,235,000,000 BC
TheJacobeanPeriod
ThecrustoftheEarthhassolidifiedintosolidstoneandgasandsteam
spewoutofgreatvolcanoesandimmensecracksinthesurfacecreating
Earthsfirstatmosphere.Thisfirstatmosphereismuchthickerandmore
toxicthantodays,andthisearlyEarthresemblesathickcloudcovered
Venusianhothouse.
c.4,234,820,0004,234,780,000 BC
TheFirstOceansForm
AstheEarthcoolsitsdense,steamyearly
atmospherebeginstocondenseandtorrentialrains
falluponitssurfacecontinuouslyforfortythousandyears.
c.4,234,000,0004,150,000,000 BC
TheProcrusteanPeriod
Forthenexteightymillionyearsorso,thestilllifelessEarthsettlesintowhatseemstobeits
finalform.Oceanscoveritsentiresurfaceandthestilldense,toxicatmospherecloudsthesun.
Atthispointthereare563daysintheyearaseachdayisonly15hourslong.
c.4,150,000,0004,050,000,000 BC
ThePrometheanBombardment
Afterseeminglysettlingintoitsfinalform,theEarthisrockedagainasthe
outerplanetsshiftintheirorbitsandhurtlemillionsofasteroidstowards
theinnerSolarSystem.
ForahundredmillionyearstheEarthisbombardedwiththousandsof
asteroids.Thefirstoceansarevaporisedandthesurfaceisreshapedagain.
c.4,050,000,0002,400,000,000 BC
TheArchaeanon
c.4,050,000,0003,600,000,000 BC
TheEoarchaeanEra
AsthebombardmentofasteroidsofthePrometheanPerioddieoff,theoceansformagainand
thefirstchainsofvolcanicislandsrisefromtheseas.
Meanwhile,deepatthebottomoftheoceans,nearvolcanicvents,chemicalsbubbleandfrothin
weirdways...
c.4,026,000,000 BC
LifeonEarthisCreated
Bubblingfromthemoleculesoftheprimordialsoup,thefirstliving
organismsevolve,muchsimplerthananyknowninourworldtoday.
c.3,650,000,000 BC
TheFirstContinentisFormed
TheEarthstectonicmotionpusheschainsofislandstogetherintooneplaceformingVaalbara,
thefirstcontinent.
c.3,600,000,0003,200,000,000 BC
ThePaleoarchaeanEra
AstheArchaeanondragson,LifeonEarthproliferatesacrosstheworld,evolvingintosimple
onecelledorganismssuchasbacteria.Meanwhile,thecontinentVaalbaracontinuestogrowas
itslowlyaccumulateslandoverthegeologicages.
ForthenextfewbillionyearstheEarthwillremainrelativelyunchanged.Lifeintheoceanswill
slowlyevolvebutthelandwillremainabarrendesertandtheatmosphereunbreathableto
modernhumans.
c.3,460,000,000 BC
Thefirstbacteriaevolve.
c.3,200,000,0002,800,000,000 BC
TheMesoarchaeanEra
AsLifeevolvesandproliferatesthroughouttheseas,theoceans,foratime,turngreen.The
simplelifeoftheplanetcontinuestoslowlyevolveformingstromatalites,rocklikecollections
ofmicroorganismsonjuttingoutofthewateralongthecoasts.
c.3,100,000,000 BC
Ur,Earthssecondcontinentisformed.
c.2,950,000,0002,920,000,000 BC
ThePongolaIceAge
c.2,800,000,000 BC
ThecontinentVaalbarabreaksup.
OnthefarsideoftheGalaxy:ThemysteriousElderRacebuildssuperstructuresontheplanet
Arzeama(butnevermindthisoddfact,Ireallydontknowanythingelseaboutit).
c.2,800,000,0002,500,000,000 BC
TheNeoarchaeanEra
ChangesontheEarthareslowlybeginningtorevealthemselves.Thickmicrobialmatsbeginto
formontheoceanfloorsandcertainnewbreedsofmicroorganismsslowlybegintointroducea
newgastotheatmosphere:oxygen.
c.2,700,000,000 BC
Kenorland,thelargestcontinenttodate,isformed.
c.2,500,000,000 BC
ThelargecontinentKenorlandbreaksup.
c.2,500,000,000542,000,000 BC
TheProterozoicon
c.2,500,000,0002,300,000,000 BC
TheSiderianPeriod
Newspeciesofcyanobacteriaevolveintheseasspewingoutcopiousamountsofoxygenintothe
atmosphere.Ironically,thispreciousgaswhichmostmodernlifeonEarthcannotlivewithoutis
poisonoustothemajorityofthemicroscopiclifeofthisancienttime,andmanygoextinct.
c.2,400,000,000 BC
TheGreatOxygenCatastrophe
Oxygenproducingbacteriabegintofilltheairwithoxygen.
c.2,350,000,0002,100,000,000 BC
TheHuronianIceAge
c.2,300,000,0002,024,000,000 BC
TheRhyacianPeriod
AperiodbeginningwithoneofthegreatesticeagestheEarthhaseverseen.Snowandice
coverthelands,eveninthetropics.
Laterintheperiod,astheicemelts,thefirstmulticellularlifebeginstoform,althoughstill
simpleandmicroscopic.
c.2,100,000,000 BC
Thefirstformsofmulticellularlifeevolve.
c.2,024,000,0001,850,000,000 BC
TheOrosirianPeriod
Aperiodbracketed,atitsbeginningandend,bytwoofthelargestasteroidimpactssincethe
PrometheanBombardment.
2,023,490,760 BC
AlargeasteroidcollideswithEarth.
1,850,020,534 BC
AnotherlargeasteroidcollideswithEarth.
c.1,850,000,0001,500,000,000 BC
TheStatherianPeriod
AperiodwhichsawLifeevolveintothefirsteukaryotes.Complexsinglecelledlifeformswhich
weretheancestorsofallmodernplants,fungi,andanimals.
Atthispointthereare450daysintheyearaseachdayisonly20hourslong.
c.1,800,000,000 BC
TheEarthsfirstarrayofcontinentsassembletogethertoformthefirstsupercontinent:
Kolumbia.
c.1,500,000,000 BC
ThesupercontinentKolumbiabeginstobreakup.
c.1,500,000,0001,400,000,000 BC
TheCalymmianPeriod
Aperiodinwhichnothingmuchhappens.
c.1,400,000,0001,200,000,000 BC
TheEctasianPeriod
Aperiodwhichsawtheeukaryotesevolveintoalgae,thefirstmulticellularformofplantlife,
andthefirstformsoflifetoreproducesexually.
c.1,200,000,000 BC
MotherEarthgetshercherrypopped(organismsevolvesexual
reproduction).
c.1,200,000,0001,000,000,000 BC
TheStenianPeriod
AperiodwhichsawtheriseofthesupercontinentRodiniaandnotmuchelse.
c.1,100,000,000 BC
ThelongdispersedremnantsofKolumbiareassembleandthesupercontinentofRodiniais
formed.
c.1,000,000,000850,000,000 BC
TheTonianPeriod
ThelastperiodoftheProterozoiconbeforechangestakeshapewhichwillforeveralterthe
Earth,whichforeonsexistedasabarrenworldwithmicroscopiclifeevolvingimperceptablyin
theseas,intothelush,lifecoveredworldthatweknowtoday...
c.850,000,000635,000,000 BC
TheCryogenianPeriod
AstheProterozoiconwindstoanend,aseriesoficeagesdescendsupontheEarth,thelikes
ofwhichhasneverandwillneverbeseenagain.Glaciers,milesdeep,covertheentiresurface
oftheglobe,fromtheArctictotheEquator.
Lifeisputtoitsultimatetest.
c.750,000,000 BC
ThesupercontinentRodiniabeginstobreakup.
c.750,000,000700,000,000 BC
TheSturtianIceAge
ThefirstoftwogreaticeageswhentheEarthwascompletelycoveredinsnowandglaciers.
c.660,000,000635,000,000 BC
TheVarangerIceAge
ThesecondofEarthsgreatglobaliceages.
c.635,000,000542,000,000 BC
TheEdiacaranPeriod
AstheEarth,onceagain,warmsupafterthegreat,globaliceagesoftheCryogenianPeriod,
theworldsfirstecosystemofcomplex,macroscopiclifeformsemerge.Livingonthestill
remainingthickmatofmicrobiallife,thesecreaturesareneitherplant,animalorfungiandare
likenothingonEarthtoday.
Attheendoftheperiod,formysteriousreasons,thesestrangeandunearthlycreaturesandthe
microbialmatstheyliveongoextinct.
Inanalternateuniverseinwhichthesecreaturesdidnotgoextinct,theywilleventuallyevolve
intothecreaturesseeninthemovieTheMist...
c.542,000,000252,000,000 BC
ThePaleozoicEra
c.542,000,000488,300,000 BC
TheCambrianPeriod
Atthispointthereare383daysintheyearaseachdayislessthan23hourslong.
c.542,000,000 BC
TheCambrianExplosion
LifeonEarth,whichforbillionsofyearshadbeenlimitedtosimplemicroscopicorganisms,
suddenlyandinexplicablybeginstoevolveanddiversifyintolargecomplexcreatures,suchas
thosethatfilltheEarthtoday.
c.530,000,000 BC
Thefirstfishevolvefromearlierwormlikecreatures.
c.488,300,000443,700,000 BC
TheOrdovicianPeriod
c.480,000,000 BC
Thefirstplantsbegintogrowontheland.
c.450,000,000 BC
Bugsbegintocrawlontotheland.
c.449,000,000441,000,000 BC
TheOrdovicianIceAge
443,740,935 BC
TheOrdovicianExtinctionEvent
Agreatsupernovaonethousandlightyearsaway,floodsthealreadyiceageafflictedEarthwith
lethalgammarayscausingoneofthegreatextinctioneventsofherhistory.
c.443,700,000416,000,000 BC
TheSilurianPeriod
c.416,000,000359,200,000 BC
TheDevonianPeriod
TheAgeofFish
c.380,000,000 BC
Thefirstforestsgrowacrosstheland.
c.375,000,000 BC
Thefirstamphibiansevolvefromthefish...
...andAnimalsCrawlOntoDryLand
c.368,000,000367,000,000 BC
TheLateDevonianExtinctionEvent
c.359,200,000299,000,000 BC
TheCarboniferousPeriod
TheAgeofAmphibians
c.340,000,000 BC
Thefirstreptilesevolvefromtheamphibians.
c.310,000,000 BC
Mammallikereptilesbegintoevolvefromthereptiles.
c.300,000,000 BC
TheancientPaleozoiccontinentscombinetoformthesupercontinentofPangaea.
c.299,00,000252,281,000 BC
ThePermianPeriod
TheAgeofReptiles
c.252,281,000 BC
TheGreatDying
CausedbythegreatvolcanosoftheSiberianTraps,95%ofalllifeonEarthperishesandEarth
isleftabarrenwasteland.
c.252,000,00065,500,000 BC
TheMesozoicEra
TheAgeofDinosaurs
c.252,281,000199,600,000 BC
TheTriassicPeriod
c.230,000,000 BC
Thefirstdinosaursevolve.
c.220,000,000 BC
Thefirstmammalsevolvefromthemammallikereptiles.Theyremainassmallrodentsuntilthe
endoftheAgeofDinosaurs.
199,600,003 BC
TheTriassicExtinctionEvent.
...asteroid.
c.199,600,000145,500,000 BC
TheJurassicPeriod
c.180,000,000 BC
ThesupercontinentPangaeabeginstosplitintowhatwillbecomethecontinentsweknow
today.
c.154,000,000150,000,000 BC
ThelongneckedBrontosaurusthundersacrosstheJurassiclandscape.
ThehornytailedStegosauruswalkstheEarth.
c.150,000,000 BC
Thefirstbirdsevolvefromthedinosaurs.
c.145,500,00065,500,000 BC
TheCretaceousPeriod
c.125,000,000 BC
Thefirstflowersbegintobloom.
c.75,000,00071,000,000 BC
TheverociousVelociraptorstalksthejunglesoftheCretaceousPeriod.
c.68,000,000 BC
ThemightythreehornedTriceratopsevolves.
Quatzalcoatlus,themightiestofthepteradactylswithafiftyfootwingspan,soarsoverthe
Cretaceousskies.
c.67,000,000 BC
TyrannosaurusRexevolvestoruleasKingoftheDinosaurs.
65,499,525 BC
TheExtinctionoftheDinosaurs
AsixmilewidecometcrashesintowhatwillbecomeChicxulub,Mexico,heraldingtheendof
thereignofthegreatestbeaststoeverwalktheEarth.
c.65,500,000present BC
TheCenozoicEra
TheAgeofMammals
c.65,499,00055,800,000 BC
ThePaleoceneEpoch
Atthispointthereare368.3daysintheyearaseachdayisonly23:48hourslong.
c.65,000,000 BC
Intheabsenceofdinosaurs,mammalsbegintoevolveintothemanygreatanddiverseformswe
knowtoday.
c.63,000,000 BC
Ourearliestprimateancestorsevolve.
c.55,800,00033,900,000 BC
TheEoceneEpoch
c.55,000,000 BC
Little,cutehorsesthatgeteatenbybig,meanbirdsgalloptheirwayintonaturalhistory.
c.40,000,000 BC
Thefirstdogsbarkandbite.
c.35,000,000 BC
Thefirstbladesofgrasssproutfromtheearth.
c.33,900,00023,030,000 BC
TheOligoceneEpoch
c.30,000,000 BC
Catsmaketheirfirstmeows.
Pigsmaketheirfirstoinks.
Bearsmaketheirfirst,uh,appearance.
c.23,030,0005,330,000 BC
TheMioceneEpoch
c.20,000,000 BC
Thefirstdeerprancethroughtheforests.
Thefirstgiraffesstretchtheirnecks.
c.10,000,000 BC
ThelastcommonancestorofmanandthegreatapesstalkstheEarth.
c.9,000,000 BC
Gigantopithecusblacki,ancestoroftheSasquatchandtheYeti,evolvesinsoutheastAsia.
c.6,500,000 BC
Thefirstapemencomedownfromthetreesandwalkupright.
c.5,332,0002,558,000 BC
ThePleioceneEpoch
5,330,348 BC
TheMediterraneanFlood
TheAtlanticOceanbreaksthroughtheStraitsofGibralterandcatastrophicallyfloodsthe
Mediterraneanbasinwhichhadbeendryforover600,000years.
c.4,800,000 BC
Mammothsmaketheirfirstthunderousappearance.
c.3,600,000 BC
Ourancestor,theAustralopithecus,evolvesinsouthernAfricafromearlieruprightapemen.
c.2,580,000 BC
ThefirstofthelatestseriesoficeagesdescendsupontheEarth.
c.2,558,00075,000 BC
ThePaleolithic
TheOldStoneAge
c.2,500,000 BC
Thearrivalofthefearsomesabertoothedtiger.
c.2,300,000 BC
Ourancestor,Homohabilis,evolves.Thefirsttoimplementstonetools.
c.1,400,000 BC
Ourancestor,Homoerectus,evolves.Thefirsttotamefire.
c.700,000 BC
HomoheidelbergensisevolvesfromHomoerectus,commonancestortomodernhumansandthe
Neanderthal.
c.400,000 BC
Ourcousin,theNeanderthal,evolvesinEurope.
c.200,000 BC
Thefirstofourownspecies,ArchaicHomosapiens,evolvesinAfricawithbrainsbiggerthan
anyeverseenonEarth,yetstillanimalinnature,possessingnosoul.
c.130,000115,000 BC
ThelastinterglacialwarmperiodbeforetheLastIceAgedescendsupontheEarth.
c.75,00010,000 BC
TheMesolithic
TheMiddleStoneAge
70,004 BC
MankindisCreated
ThecatacylismiceruptionoftheTobaSuperVolcanocoincideswiththebirthsofKintuand
NambiinAfrica,thefirsthumanbeingstopossessasoul.
c.45,000 BC
TheancestorsoftheAborigineescolonizeAustralia.
c.35,000 BC
CroMagnoncavemen(ancestorsofmodernEuropeans)enterEurope,inhabitedalreadyby
brutishNeanderthals.
c.22,657 BC
TheLastNeanderthaldies.(Presumably,althoughmodernsightingshavebeenreportedin
Russia)
c.18,000 BC
TheheightoftheLastIceAge.
c.17,500 BC
EuropeancavemencrosstheAtlanticandcolonizetheeastcoastofNorthAmerica.
c.12,000 BC
TheancestorsoftheAmericanIndiansfollowthemightymammothacrosstheBeringStraitinto
NorthAmerica.
c.10,0005000 BC
TheNeolithic
TheLateStoneAge
c.10,0007000 BC
TheAgriculturalRevolution
Manlearnstodomesticatetheanimalsandtamethesoil.
9831 BC
TheMonolithtoEliserectedatTellMakor,Israel,bytheancestorsoftheJews.
9564 BC
TheFallofAtlantis.
c.9000 BC
TheEndoftheLastIceAge.
Themammothandotherprehistoricbehemothsgoextinct.
Jericho,theoldestcityonEarth,isbuilt.
c.8700 BC
CoppercomesintouseinMesopotamia.
c.6800 BC
ThefirstwallsofJerichoarebuilt.
c.6500 BC
TheploughisinventedinMesopotamia.
c.6000 BC
Thefirstseaworthyshipsarebuilt.
5509 BC
AdamandEve,fatherandmotherofthechosenones,arebornintheGardenofEden.
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