The origins of life (3,700 to 490 million years ago)
The voyage starts from Place Valhubert with an immersion in Precambrian and Cambrian times. Between the formation of the Earth and the first evidence of life, there was a gap of nearly a billion years! And over the next 3 billion years, the life forms were very discreet and only to be found in the sea.
Primary era (490 to 250 million years ago)
The tour continues into the Palaeozoic era. Organisms started to adapt to the terrestrial environment: at first small plants, then animals, particularly insects and vertebrates.
Secondary era (250 to 66 million years ago)
The Mesozoic era heralded a boom in biodiversity, notably dinosaurs. These strange and sometimes gigantic “terrible lizards” reigned supreme during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Tertiary era (from 66 million years ago to the present time)
The walk ends in the Cenozoic era. Intensive volcanism and the impact of a giant meteorite greatly upset the biodiversity. Some species became extinct, like the non-avian dinosaurs and the ammonites. The mammals, which were very small until this point, became the most dominant of the terrestrial vertebrates and increasingly diversified.
An exhibition coproduced by the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and China Light Festival.
