Evolution Timeline
Here’s a timeline of major evolutionary events:
4.6 billion years ago
Earth forms
3.5 billion years ago
First life appears (bacteria)
2.4 billion years ago
Great Oxygenation Event
2.1 billion years ago
First complex cells (eukaryotes)
600 million years ago
First multicellular organisms
540 million years ago
Cambrian explosion - rapid diversification of animal life
Understanding the Timeline
The timeline above shows some of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Each point represents a major evolutionary breakthrough that shaped life as we know it today.