The significance of our insignificance

In the two columns below, each pixel of height represents 1,000 years in time. Compare the age of our species to the age of our Earth.

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Age of Earth

4,540,000,000 years
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65,000,000 years ago
A massive asteroid hit the Yucatan Peninsula, and ammonites and non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. Birds and mammals were among the survivors.
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130,000,000 years ago
As the continents drifted toward their present positions, the earliest flowers evolved, and dinosaurs dominated the landscape. In the sea, bony fish diversified.
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225,000,000 years ago
Dinosaurs and mammals evolved. Pangea had begun to break apart.
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248,000,000 years ago
Over 90% of marine life and 70% of terrestrial life went extinct during the Earth's largest mass extinction. Ammonites were among the survivors.
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360,000,000 years ago
Four-limbed vertebrates moved onto the land as seed plants and large forests appeared. The Earth's oceans supported vast reef systems.
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420,000,000 years ago
Land plants evolved, drastically changing Earth's landscape and creating new habitats.
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450,000,000 years ago
Arthropods moved onto the land. Their descendants evolved into scorpions, spiders, mites, and millipedes.
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500,000,000 years ago
Fish-like vertebrates evolved. Invertebrates, such as trilobites, crinoids, brachiopids, and cephalopods, were common in the oceans.
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555,000,000 years ago
Multi-cellular marine organisms were common. The diverse assortment of life included bizarre-looking animals like Wiwaxia.
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3,500,000,000 years ago
Unicellular life evolved. Photosynthetic bacteria began to release oxygen into the atmosphere.
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3,800,000,000 years ago
Replicating molecules (the precursors of DNA) formed.
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4,540,000,000 years ago
The Earth formed and was bombarded by meteorites and comets.
Done

Age of Homo sapiens

300,000 years