Eon
Phanerozoic
538.8000 – 0.0000 Ma
The Phanerozoic is the current and the latest of the four geologic eons in the Earth's geologic time scale, covering the time period from 538.8 ± 0.6 million years ago to the present. It is the eon during which abundant animal and plant life has proliferated, diversified and colonized various niches on the Earth's surface, beginning with the Cambrian period when animals first developed hard shells that can be clearly preserved in the fossil record. The time before the Phanerozoic, collectively called the Precambrian, is now divided into the Hadean, Archaean and Proterozoic eons.
← Geological time scale
Fossil genera 48
Grallator
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
195 occ.
Paronychodon
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
136 occ.
Eubrontes
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
132 occ.
Camarasaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
107 occ.
Allosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
106 occ.
Triceratops
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
101 occ.
Iguanodon
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
101 occ.
Richardoestesia
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
100 occ.
Brontopodus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
91 occ.
Massospondylus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
68 occ.
Stegosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
68 occ.
Saurornitholestes
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
68 occ.
Caririchnium
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
64 occ.
Apatosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
59 occ.
Anomoepus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
57 occ.
Diplodocus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
54 occ.
Ichthyosaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
52 occ.
Troodon
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
48 occ.
Megalosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
48 occ.
Pteraichnus
Pterosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
47 occ.
Prognathodon
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
45 occ.
Edmontosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
45 occ.
Megalosauripus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
43 occ.
Parabrontopodus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
43 occ.
Hadrosauropodus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
41 occ.
Mosasaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
40 occ.
Anchisauripus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
39 occ.
Platecarpus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
38 occ.
Zalmoxes
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
37 occ.
Psittacosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
37 occ.
Nothosaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
34 occ.
Camptosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
32 occ.
Amblydactylus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
31 occ.
Kayentapus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Extinct
29 occ.
Plesiosaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
29 occ.
Deltapodus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
29 occ.
Tenontosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
29 occ.
Tarbosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
28 occ.
Dromaeosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
27 occ.
Platypterygius
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
27 occ.
Tylosaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
26 occ.
Tetrapodosaurus
Dinosaurs
Ichnogenus
Formal taxon
Extinct
26 occ.
Cetiosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
24 occ.
Thescelosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
24 occ.
Saurolophus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
23 occ.
Ceratosaurus
Dinosaurs
Valid
Extinct
23 occ.
Stenopterygius
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
22 occ.
Pliosaurus
Marine reptiles
Valid
Extinct
22 occ.