A view of the Himalayas from the Tibetan Plateau, captured by astronauts on the International Space Station in 2004, with Mt. Everest in the center.
c. 70 Million BCE: The Majestic Himalayas – A Tectonic Marvel

The Himalayas, formed from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, are a prime example of the dramatic mountain-building process, resulting in peaks like Mt. Everest, created through thrust-faulting and continuous upward stacking of [...]

Albert Bierstadt's 1866 painting 'A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie' depicts the dramatic geological and meteorological features of the relatively young Rocky Mountains
c. 80 Million BCE: The Geological Formation of the Rocky Mountains

Explains the formation of the Rocky Mountains, a geological anomaly far from the North American plate's edge, initially formed by continental collisions 300 million years ago and later uplifted by the subducting Farallon plate around [...]

Top: A fossil of Archaefructus liaoningensis, about 125 million years old, one of the earliest known flowering plants. Bottom: A bee gathering pollen from a Zinnia flower.
c. 130 Million BCE: The Evolution and Impact of Flowers

Explores the relatively recent emergence of flowers, detailing their evolution from non-vascular plants to angiosperms in the Cretaceous period, and their role in attracting pollinators, contributing to the biodiversity and adaptability of flowering plants

A seagull at sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, formed around 140 million years ago from a rift in Pangea that separated the North American and African tectonic plates
c. 140 Million BCE: Formation of the Atlantic Ocean – A Tectonic Tale

Explores the formation of the Atlantic Ocean as a result of Pangea's breakup, driven by lithospheric plate dynamics and massive volcanic eruptions, leading to the creation of the mid-Atlantic ridge and the largest mountain chain [...]

A breathtaking view of Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point, featuring the iconic Half Dome mountain as the tallest peak.
c. 155 Million BCE: The Geological Formation of the Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada mountain range is a testament to the Earth’s dynamic geological processes, much of which occur out of sight, deep underground. One key aspect of these processes is the formation of magma, molten [...]

An imprint of an Archaeopteryx fossil from around 160 million years ago, showcasing a feathered, bird-like dinosaur, a precursor to modern birds, about the size of a common raven
c. 160 Million BCE: The Evolution of Birds from Dinosaurs

Explores the evolution of birds from feathered dinosaurs during the Age of the Dinosaurs, discussing the role of feathers and the survival of avian dinosaurs through the Cretaceous mass extinction, leading to the diverse, intelligent [...]

An artist's illustration showcases the impressive size and diversity of dinosaurs, with 13-foot-tall (4 meters) Diplodocus grazing in shallow waters beneath flying Pterosaurs, dominant land vertebrates for over 135 million years
c. 200-65 Million BCE: Dinosaurs – The Reign of Ancient Giants

Exploring the rise of dinosaurs post-Permian and Triassic extinctions, this article highlights their evolution from small bipedal predators to diverse, dominant species, culminating in their extinction 65 million years ago, with birds as their living [...]

A close-up microscopic image of a small, fossilized tooth from a conodont, a jawless, eel-like vertebrate from the Triassic period.
c. 200 Million BCE: The End Triassic Extinction – A Turning Point in Earth’s History

Discusses the End Triassic mass extinction event over 200 million years ago, which led to the extinction of half the species on Earth, including many archosaurs and marine species, paving the way for the rise [...]

An artist's depiction of Megazostrodon, a small, furry, shrew-like early mammal, encountering a scorpion, first appearing in the fossil record around 200 million years ago
c. 220 Million BCE: The Evolutionary Journey of Mammals

Tracing mammals' evolution, this article highlights their origins from synapsids in the Pennsylvanian period, their survival through the Great Dying, and the rise to dominance post-dinosaur extinction, aided by unique characteristics and environmental changes

A fossil of tabulate coral from just before the end of the Permian period, when it, along with 96 percent of marine species, went extinct.
c. 252 Million BCE: The Great Dying – Earth’s Largest Mass Extinction

Discusses The Great Dying, the largest mass extinction event around 252 million years ago, which wiped out approximately 96% of ocean species and 70% of land vertebrates, with various hypotheses about its causes and its [...]