Geological Time Scale

  • 4600 BCE

    Earth is formed

  • 4600 BCE

    Archean Eon

  • 2500 BCE

    Saskatchewan is part of a large ancient continent

  • 2500 BCE

    Proterozoic Eon

  • 2100 BCE

    Breakup of the ancient continent, creation of a large ocean

  • 1900 BCE

    Volcanoes in SK

  • 1850 BCE

    Wathaman Batholith (an intrusion of magma under the surface)

  • 1800 BCE

    Orogeny Trans- Hudson Orogen Earth

  • 1800 BCE

    Earth changes from an anoxygenic evironment

  • 1800 BCE

    Martin Sandstone is deposited with Stromatolites

  • 1700 BCE

    Erosion of the mountains

  • 1300 BCE

    Uranium deposited

  • 544 BCE

    Phanerozoic Eon

  • 544 BCE

    Paleozoic Era

  • 544 BCE

    Cambrian Period

  • 544 BCE

    Hard shelled invertebrates including Trilobites

  • 489 BCE

    Ordovician Period

  • 478 BCE

    Meteorites hits SK, leaving behind the Carswell Meteorite Crater

  • 470 BCE

    Tyndall Stone deposited as massive limestone

  • 433 BCE

    Silurian Period

  • 418 BCE

    Devonian Period

  • 390 BCE

    Winnipegosis Reefs are deposited, later to become a trap for oil deposits

  • 385 BCE

    Potash is deposited in the shallow ses that covers SK

  • 360 BCE

    Carboniferous Period

  • 355 BCE

    First amphibians

  • 300 BCE

    Permian Period

  • 253 BCE

    Mesozoic Era

  • 253 BCE

    Triassic Period

  • 248 BCE

    Mass extinction in the oceans, 90% of the species disppear

  • 245 BCE

    First dinosaurs

  • 220 BCE

    First mammals

  • 213 BCE

    SK is again covered by a shallow sea

  • 200 BCE

    Jurassic Period

  • 144 BCE

    Cretaceous Period

  • 100 BCE

    Diamonds are brought to the surface of SK in volcanic pipes

  • 75 BCE

    Shallow sea begins to retreat

  • 70 BCE

    Swamps, rivers and lakes form the badlands

  • 70 BCE

    Lignite if formed from the plants deposited in swamps

  • 66 BCE

    Triceratops roam SK

  • 65 BCE

    Cenozoic Era

  • 65 BCE

    Tertiary Period

  • 65 BCE

    Paleocene Epoch

  • 65 BCE

    Extinction of the dinosaurs

  • 55 BCE

    Eocene Epoch

  • 50 BCE

    Climate changes, Saskatchewan plateau develops

  • 34 BCE

    Oligocene Epoch

  • 23 BCE

    Miocene Epoch

  • 5 BCE

    Pliocene Epoch

  • 2 BCE

    Quaternary Period

  • 2 BCE

    Pleistocene

  • 2 BCE

    Ice age begins, covering SK except for Cypress Hills area

  • 2 BCE

    Diamonds covered by glacial till

  • 50

    Bison come to North America

    (should be 0.05 BCE)
  • 80

    Humans come to North America

    (should be 0.02 BCE)
  • 100

    Origin of the Prairies

    (Should be 0.01 BCE)
  • 100

    Holocene Epoch

    (Should be 0.01 BCE)