Paleontology

5.

History of Life: Major Groups

5.1.

Precambrian Life

5.1.1.

5.1.1.1.

Hypotheses for Life's Origin

5.1.1.2.

Earliest Evidence of Life

5.1.2.

Stromatolites and Cyanobacteria

5.1.2.1.

Formation and Significance

5.1.3.

Ediacaran Biota

5.1.3.1.

Soft-Bodied Organisms

5.1.3.2.

Ecological Roles

5.2.

5.2.1.

The Cambrian Explosion

5.2.1.1.

Causes and Consequences

5.2.1.2.

Major Animal Groups

5.2.2.

Marine Invertebrates

5.2.2.1.

5.2.2.2.

5.2.2.3.

5.2.2.3.1.

5.2.2.3.2.

5.2.2.3.3.

5.2.2.4.

5.2.2.4.1.

5.2.2.4.2.

5.2.2.5.

5.2.2.6.

5.2.2.7.

5.2.3.

The Rise of Fishes

5.2.3.1.

5.2.3.2.

5.2.3.3.

Cartilaginous Fishes

5.2.3.4.

5.2.4.

Invasion of Land

5.2.4.1.

Early Land Plants

5.2.4.1.1.

5.2.4.1.2.

Vascular Plants

5.2.4.2.

Arthropods on Land

5.2.4.2.1.

5.2.4.2.2.

5.2.4.2.3.

5.2.4.3.

Tetrapod Origins and Amphibians

5.2.4.3.1.

Transition from Water to Land

5.2.4.3.2.

Early Amphibians

5.2.5.

The Carboniferous Period

5.2.5.1.

5.2.5.2.

Giant Arthropods

5.2.5.3.

Evolution of Seed Plants

5.2.5.4.

5.2.6.

The Permian Period and Mass Extinction

5.2.6.1.

5.2.6.2.

End-Permian Extinction

5.3.

5.3.1.

Post-Extinction Recovery

5.3.1.1.

Early Triassic Faunas

5.3.2.

Marine Reptiles

5.3.2.1.

5.3.2.2.

5.3.2.3.

5.3.3.

5.3.3.1.

Evolution of Flight

5.3.3.2.

Diversity and Extinction

5.3.4.

5.3.4.1.

5.3.4.1.1.

Sauropodomorpha

5.3.4.1.1.1.

5.3.4.1.1.2.

5.3.4.1.2.

5.3.4.1.2.1.

Early Theropods

5.3.4.1.2.2.

5.3.4.2.

5.3.4.2.1.

5.3.4.2.1.1.

5.3.4.2.1.2.

5.3.4.2.2.

5.3.4.2.2.1.

5.3.4.2.2.2.

5.3.4.2.3.

Marginocephalia

5.3.4.2.3.1.

5.3.4.2.3.2.

Pachycephalosaurs

5.3.5.

Origin of Birds

5.3.5.1.

Archaeopteryx and Early Birds

5.3.5.2.

Feather Evolution

5.3.5.3.

Flight Evolution

5.3.6.

Origin of Mammals

5.3.6.1.

Synapsid Evolution

5.3.6.2.

Early Mammalian Traits

5.3.6.3.

Mesozoic Mammals

5.3.7.

Mesozoic Plants

5.3.7.1.

5.3.7.2.

Rise of Angiosperms

5.3.8.

The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction Event

5.3.8.1.

Impact Hypothesis

5.3.8.2.

Effects on Life

5.4.

5.4.1.

Diversification of Mammals

5.4.1.1.

5.4.1.2.

5.4.1.3.

5.4.2.

Major Mammalian Groups

5.4.2.1.

5.4.2.1.1.

5.4.2.1.2.

5.4.2.2.

5.4.2.3.

5.4.2.4.

5.4.2.5.

5.4.2.6.

Rodents and Lagomorphs

5.4.2.7.

5.4.2.8.

5.4.2.9.

Megafauna of the Pleistocene

5.4.3.

Evolution of Birds

5.4.3.1.

Modern Bird Groups

5.4.3.2.

Flightless Birds

5.4.4.

Spread of Grasslands and Co-evolution

5.4.4.1.

Grassland Formation

5.4.4.2.

Grazing Adaptations

5.4.5.

Human Evolution

5.4.5.1.

5.4.5.2.

Australopithecines

5.4.5.3.

5.4.5.4.

Cultural Evolution

Previous

4. Paleontological Methods

Go to top

Next

6. Reconstructing Ancient Worlds