Time periods of Earth history
Below is a list of the commonly used eras that are used to identify differing stages in the planet Earth’s history.
While this list has been updated to be as accurate as possible, it should be borne in mind that some of these dates are considered approximate and may vary by a few hundred thousand years either way.
In addition to this, as new techniques are utilised, studies are conducted and our understanding increases, then these temporal boundaries may in the future be redefined and altered to how they appear below.
In addition to this, alternative names for some of these periods are also sometimes used, but these below are the most universally common.
| Cenozoic | Quaternary | Holocene | (0-0.0117 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Pleistocene | (U) Tarantian (0.0117-0.126 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | (M) Ionian (0.126-0.781 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | (L) Calabrian (0.781-1.806 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | (L) Gelasian (1.806-2.588 Mya) |
| “ | Neogene | Pliocene | Piacenzian (2.588-3.6 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Zanclean (3.6-5.332 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Miocene | Messinian (5.332-7.246 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Tortonian (7.246-11.608 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Serravallian (11.608-13.65 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Langhian (13.65-15.97 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Burdigalian (15.97-20.43 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Aquitanian (20.43-23.03 Mya) |
| “ | Paleogene | Oligocene | Chattian (23.03-28.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Rupelian (28.1-33.9 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Eocene | Priabonian (33.9-38 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Bartonian (38-41.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Lutetian (41.3-47.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Ypresian (47.8-56 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Paleocene | Thanetian (56-59.2 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Selandian (59.2-61.6 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Danian (61.6-66 Mya) |
| Mesozoic | Cretaceous | Upper | Maastrichtian (66-72.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Campanian (72.1-83.6 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Santonian (83.6-86.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Coniacian (86.3-89.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Turonian (89.8-93.9 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Cenomanian (93.9-100.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Lower | Albian (100.5-113 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Aptian (113-125 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Barremian (125-129.4 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Hauterivian (129.4-132.9 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Valanginian (132.9-139.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Berriasian (139.8-145 Mya) |
| “ | Jurassic | Upper | Tithonian (145-152.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Kimmeridgian (152.1-157.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Oxfordian (157.3-163.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Middle | Callovian (163.5-166.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Bathonian (166.1-168.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Bajocian (168.3-170.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Aalenian (170.3-174.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Lower | Toarcian (174.1-182.7 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Pliensbachian (182.7-190.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Sinemurian (190.8-199.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Hettangian (199.3-201.3 Mya) |
| “ | Triassic | Upper | Rhaetian (201.3-208.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Norian (208.5-228 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Carnian (228-235 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Middle | Ladinian (235-242 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Anisian (242-247.2 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Lower | Olenekian (247.2-251.2 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Induan (251.2-252.2 Mya) |
| Paleozoic | Permian | Lopingian | Changhsingian (251-253.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Wuchiapingian (253.8-260.4 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Capitanian (260.4-265.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Guadalupian | Wordian (265.8-268 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Roadian (268-270.6 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Cisuralian | Artinskian (275.6-284.4 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Sakmarian (284.4-294.6 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Asselian (294.6-299 Mya) |
| “ | Carboniferous | Pennsylvanian | Gzhelian (299-303.9 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Kasimovian (303.9-306.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Moscovian (306.5-311.7 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Bashkirian (311.7-318.1 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Mississippian | Serpukhovian (318.1-328.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Visean (328.3-345.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Tournaisian (345.3-359.2 Mya) |
| “ | Devonian | Upper | Famennian (359.2-374.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Frasnian (374.5-385.3 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Middle | Givetian (385.3-391.8 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Eifelian (391.8-397.5 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Lower | Emsian (397.5-407 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Pragian (407-411.2 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Lochkovian (411.2-416 Mya) |
| “ | Silurian | Upper | Pridoli (416-418.7 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Middle | Ludlow (418.7-422.9 Mya) |
| “ | “ | “ | Wenlock (422.9-428.2 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Lower | Llandovery (428.2-443.7 Mya) |
| “ | Ordovician | Upper | Hirnantian |
| “ | (443.7-488.3 Mya) | “ | Katian |
| “ | “ | “ | Sandbian |
| “ | “ | Middle | Darriwilian |
| “ | “ | “ | Dapingian |
| “ | “ | Lower | Floian |
| “ | “ | “ | Tremadocian |
| “ | Cambrian | Upper | Stage 10 (488.3-499 Mya) |
| “ | (488.3-542 Mya) | “ | Stage 9 |
| “ | “ | “ | Paibian |
| “ | “ | Middle | Dresbachian |
| “ | “ | “ | Drumian |
| “ | “ | “ | Stage 5 |
| “ | “ | Lower | Toyonian |
| “ | “ | “ | Botomian |
| “ | “ | “ | Atdabanian |
| “ | “ | “ | Tommotian |
| “ | “ | “ | Nemakit-Daldynian |
| Proterozoic | Neoproterozoic | Ediacaran (542-635 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Cryogenian (635-850 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Tonian (850-1000 Mya) |
| “ | Mesoproterozoic | Stenian (1000-1200 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Ectasian (1200-1400 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Calymmian (1400-1600 Mya) |
| “ | Paleoproterozoic | Statherian (1600-1800 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Orosirian (1800-2050 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Rhyacian (2050-2300 Mya) |
| “ | “ | Siderian (2300-2500 Mya) |
| Archean | Neoarchean (2500-2800 Mya) |
| “ | Paleoarchean (2800-3200 Mya) |
| “ | Mesoarchean (3200-3600 Mya) |
| “ | Neoarchean (3600-3800 Mya) |
Hadean
(3800-4600 Mya)