Accretion of solar nebula material creates proto-Earth.

Giant impact of planetary body Theia ejects debris that forms the Moon.

Crystallization of zircon grains, the oldest known materials on Earth.

A peak in asteroid impacts heavily craters the crust and potentially delivers volatile water to the early Earth.

Earliest chemical signatures of anaerobic unicellular organisms in oceanic vents.

Photosynthetic cyanobacteria form reef-like structures, producing oxygen.

Cyanobacteria develop the ability to split water molecules using solar light, releasing O2 gas.

Ur, the earliest stable continental landmass, coalesces as crustal plates consolidate.

Photosynthetic oxygen ruins anaerobic systems, precipitating ice ages.

Cells develop nucleated membranes, enabling sexual reproduction.

Red algae-like eukaryotes begin reproducing sexually, accelerating genetic diversity.

Tectonic plates collide to form the massive global supercontinent Rodinia, surrounded by a global ocean.

Runaway ice-albedo glaciations freeze the entire planet surface.

First diverse soft-bodied multicellular marine organisms emerge.

Rapid evolutionary burst establishes major invertebrate body plans.

The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event dramatically increases marine invertebrate diversity.

Primitive bryophytes move ashore, altering soil chemistry and climate.

Lobe-finned fish Tiktaalik crawls out of shallow swamps.

Marine anoxia and climate cooling eliminate about 75% of all species, particularly reef ecosystems.

High atmospheric oxygen levels support massive terrestrial arthropods, such as Meganeura.

Tectonic drift merges all landmasses into a single supercontinent.

Volcanic traps trigger runaway greenhouse warming; 95% of species die.

Therapsids give way to early specialized archosaurian reptiles.

Volcanic eruptions release CO2, triggering acidification and warming that allows dinosaurs to dominate.

Supercontinent breaks into Laurasia and Gondwana, opening the Atlantic.

Archaeopteryx shows transitional features between reptiles and birds.

Angiosperms diversify and begin using insect pollinators, replacing conifers as dominant flora.

A 10km asteroid strikes Yucatan, creating nuclear winter and wiping out dinosaurs.