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180,000,000
Years Ago
Ø North America, Europe, and much of Asia began to split from South America and Africa.
Ø India separated from the landmass around the South Pole and started moving northward
Ø Australia and Antarctica drifted to the south and west.
Ø The Atlantic and Indian Oceans began to form.
Ø Green algae, corals, and sponges lived in the warm waters that covered much of Earth.
Ø Ammonites, which looked like giant snails, also lived in Earth’s oceans.
Ø Many amphibians, including ancestors of modern frogs, roamed the land.
Ø The first dinosaurs appeared on Earth.
Ø Somewhat later, Archaeopteryx, a birdlike animal, also lived on Earth.
Ø Conifers were dominant plants.
135,000,000 Years Ago
Ø North America is moving north and west.
Ø India is moving north.
Ø Australia is moving east.
Ø Africa is moving east, while South America is moving north.
Ø Sea urchins, sand dollars, and green algae populated the seas.
Ø Dinosaurs such as Camptosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Apatosaurus roamed the land.
Ø Birds soared through the skies.
Ø Conifers, ferns, and ginkgoes made up the plant life on the planet.
65,000,000 Years Ago
Ø North America is moving west.
Ø South America is moving northwest.
Ø Australia is stretching away from Antarctica and is moving east.
Ø Asia is moving north.
Ø South America and Antarctica are still joined.
Ø Fish, plankton, corals,
and sponges were
major forms of marine
life.
Ø Insects were very abundant on land. They pollinated the new flowering plants.
Ø Dinosaurs such as Ankylosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyannosaurus lived at this time.
TODAY
Ø North America continues to move north and has broken away from Greenland.
Ø North America has broken away from Asia.
Ø South America continues to move northwest.
Ø Antarctica has moved to the South Pole
Ø Insects are still the most numerous land animals.
Ø Birds, mammals, and seed plants are also very numerous life forms.
Ø Fish, and some mammals swim the seas.
Ø Starfish, mollusks, corals, algae, and plankton live in the ocean, too.
© Ellen Gabor, 2004