Fossil Geological Timeline: Meet the Eras Behind Your Fossils

Geological Timeline Layout

Journey through millions of years of Earth's history and discover the incredible stories behind each fossil in our collection. Every piece is ethically sourced and carries the legacy of ancient life.

Paleozoic Era illustration
🐚 Paleozoic Era (541–252 mya) — Age of Ancient Marine Life
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The Paleozoic Era was a time when life exploded in diversity, particularly in the oceans. This era saw the rise of complex marine ecosystems and the first ventures onto land.

🌊 Key Features

Trilobites, brachiopods, early fish; first forests and amphibians; several extinction events shaped evolution.

🦐 Marine Life

Trilobites
Brachiopods
Early fish
Crinoids

🌿 Land Life

First forests
Amphibians
Primitive insects
Seed plants

⏰ Periods

Cambrian
Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian

💡 Fun Fact: Trilobites had some of the first compound eyes and dominated the oceans for nearly 300 million years.

Trilobite fossil illustration Petrified wood photograph Brachiopod fossil illustration

Mesozoic Era illustration
🦕 Mesozoic Era (252–66 mya) — Age of Dinosaurs
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The “Age of Dinosaurs” also hosted incredible marine diversity—ammonites ruled the seas while early mammals emerged.

🦖 Key Features

Dinosaurs ruled land; ammonites and marine reptiles dominated seas; flowering plants appeared; ends with a mass extinction.

🌊 Marine Life

Ammonites
Belemnites
Marine reptiles
Early sharks

🦕 Land Life

Dinosaurs
Early mammals
Flying reptiles
Flowering plants

⏰ Periods

Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous

💡 Fun Fact: Ammonites—kin to today’s squid and octopus—used jet propulsion and grew elaborate shells.

Mesozoic Era Gallery Ammonite fossil photograph Dinosaur bone fossil photograph

Cenozoic Era illustration
🦣 Cenozoic Era (66 mya–present) — Age of Mammals ▼

After the dinosaurs, mammals diversified rapidly. The seas saw giants—from early whales to the mighty Megalodon.

🐋 Key Features

Rise of mammals and modern ecosystems; Megalodon and marine mammals dominate eras leading to today.

🌊 Marine Life

Megalodon
Early whales
Modern fish
Marine mammals

🦣 Land Life

Mammals
Ice age giants
Early primates
Modern plants

⏰ Periods

Paleogene
Neogene
Quaternary

💡 Fun Fact: Megalodon teeth could be the size of your hand; the shark itself reached ~60 feet!

Cenozoic Era Gallery Mammoth tooth fossil photograph Shark tooth fossil photograph

🌟 Bring Ancient History Home

Every fossil in our collection connects you to Earth’s incredible past.

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Geological timeline

Geological Timeline Layout

Paleozoic Era

541-252 million years ago

The Paleozoic Era, meaning 'ancient life,' was a time of tremendous diversification of life forms. This era saw the emergence of complex marine ecosystems, the first vertebrates, and the colonization of land by plants and animals. The "Age of Ancient Life" saw the explosion of complex life forms. Marine invertebrates dominated early seas, followed by the first fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Vast forests of primitive plants created the coal deposits we use today.

Mesozoic Era

252-66 million years ago

The Mesozoic Era, known as the 'Age of Reptiles,' was dominated by dinosaurs. This era saw the rise of flowering plants, the first birds, and the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. The "Age of Reptiles" was dominated by dinosaurs on land, marine reptiles in the seas, and pterosaurs in the air. The first flowering plants appeared, and the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart.

Cenozoic Era

66 million years ago - present

The Cenozoic Era, the 'Age of Mammals,' began after the extinction of dinosaurs. This era saw the rise of mammals, birds, and flowering plants, leading to the diverse ecosystems we see today. The "Age of Mammals" began after the dinosaur extinction. Mammals diversified rapidly, grasslands expanded, and the climate gradually cooled. This era includes the evolution of humans and the ice ages.