ArcBuilder Universe© Time Line Page

What's New

13.7 billion years ago: The Universe emerges from a tremendously hot and dense state, expanding outward at a high rate. Within 3 minutes hydrogen ions had formed, but it would be nearly 400,000 years before the formation of stable hydrogen and helium atoms. It is during the early process of the Big Bang that the ultimate set of physical laws which govern the Universe are laid down.	What's New June 25, 2007 Added some entries dealing with Ghellhonus. September 8, 2006: I've updated this section with information from the new Tsubar'ey write-up. I also changed my emails at the bottom. August 17, 2006: Continued to work on updating this page, eventually completing it. August 16, 2006: I've established this page, and begun adding its data.
13.6 billion years ago: The earliest stages of the formation of the Milky Way Galaxy. At this point, the Galaxy is a rather dark cloud of helium and hydrogen, bound together by gravity, with many regions of denser material, inside of which the earliest stars will eventually emerge. Other early galaxies in the universe share similar characteristics, and many of them continue a process of collisions and mergings which will eventually lead to their modern masses and configurations.
6.82 billion years ago: The rise of the Angelic civilization within the Milky Way. This is the earliest known sapient species, and one which rose to the level of a Galactic Civilization. In their time, they spanned most of the galaxy, and created vast numbers of megastructures and artificial habitats. They are also known to have terraformed hundreds of thousands of worlds, as well as performing other feats of planetary engineering. These actions may well have been the cause for many secondary biomes to take hold and eventually give rise to many sapient species over the following hundreds of millions of years. Indeed, it is likely that the Angelics began a sequence of evolutionary events that, through various means, eventually gave rise to intelligence within the Local neighborhood.
6.5 billion years ago: The approximate date that the world of Absalom, orbiting van Maanen's Star, was colonized and engineered by the Angelics. The planet, originally a Gaian world with a rich biosphere, had its crust and upper mantle extensively tunneled by the Angelics. How they overcame the natural geological activity and destructive movements of plate tectonics is not known, but the labyrinths were extensively used and modified up until the disappearance of the Angelic civilization.
5.5 billion years ago: The earliest forms of multicellular life evolve on Ghellhonus, orbiting Alpha Centauri A. These appear in a wide variety of forms as evolution literally experiments with different body plans, although creatures with a specific body plan will eventually rise to dominance in the seas and on the land.
4.6 billion years ago: Sol begins to form from a protoplanetary nebula, embedded within a much larger emission nebula complex. The materials in this disk are being compressed by gravity to form the Sun, a process initiated by the massive stellar wind of a massive O-type supergiant located within 5 light years. In appearance the protoplanetary nebula resembles a somewhat flattened disk, with a bulge in the center that will become the Sun. Many other stellar siblings begin forming at the same time, forming a stellar cluster.
4.567 billion years ago: The initial formation of the Earth from the pre-Solar nebula. The formation process begins as small rock and metal particles, attracted by slow collisions and ever-growing mutual gravitational attraction, collect and form an "embryonic" planetary body. As it grows its gravitational influence gets stronger, and it attracts more material. the Earth will continue to grow in this manner for some 30 million years.
4.533 billion years ago: The formation of Earth's moon occurs when a Mars-massed planetary body named Theia, having itself formed at Earth's L₅ point, is gravitationally destabilized by Earth's increased mass. Theia swings back and forth, relative to Earth, in ever increasing degrees until it finally collides with the planet at a low, oblique angle. A large portion of Earth's crust was ejected into orbit, where it combined with the remains of Theia's crust within a few weeks. Within a year, under the influence of its own gravity, this object became a spherical body: the Moon.
4.52 billion years ago: The Angelic civilization vanishes, its ultimate fate unknown. Some believe that they migrated beyond the Galaxy, or even ascended into higher form beings, although the latter has absolutely no scientific basis. What is known is that no relics from their civilization exist beyond this period, and that no remains have ever been found whatsoever of the Angelics themselves. Whatever their fate, it was apparently final and complete.
3.85 billion years ago: The earliest known forms of life appear on Earth. These carbon-based microbial forms lacked a nucleus and segregated their DNA or RNA from the surrounding cytoplasm, and flourished within the darkness of cracks in the Earth's seafloor crust and around deep, boiling-hot ocean springs. Without a need for light or oxygen, these extremophiles likely lead to the birth of all forms of modern Terrestrial life. These forms were largely responsible for producing large amounts of methane, as a waste product, which eventually came to dominate the early Earth's atmosphere.
3.7 billion years ago: The original major groups of life on Ghellhonus, creatures with radial symmetry and twelve appendages, fall into extinction as radial symmetrical creatures gain dominance, and spread out into nearly ecological niche on the planet.
3.4 billion years ago: The deposits of the Cthulu Anomaly are laid down on the planet of Ghellhonus, orbiting Alpha Centauri A. It is likely that these deposits were formed by the presence of a technologically advanced structure or series of structures, with a total surface area roughly the size of a small city. The fact that no other such deposits, or ruins, have been found on Ghellhonus indicates that the site may have been an off world colony of some sort.
1.35 billion years ago: The Dunwalli civilization arises on a world that may have been terraformed by the now ancient Angelic civilization. The planet orbits a low mass star, and has been given a self-perpetuating geological cycle, giving it a long biological life. The Dunwalli will spread out and come to inhabit roughly half of the Galaxy in their time, leaving it with numerous examples of megastructures. But most prevalent are their ringworlds, megastructures some 2,000 kilometers in diameter on average, often orbiting low mass stars and thus remaining largely intact for millions, even billions of years.
1.1 billion years ago: Ghellhonus suffers a major catastrophe, with nearly all life being wiped out. The planet is inhabited only by simple multicellular forms, which begin the long climb towards dominance once again.
1.0 billion years ago: The earliest multicellular plant life evolves on Earth. Similar to green algae, these forms are largely responsible for producing atmospheric oxygen, which they produce as a metabolic by-product.
900 million years ago: The earliest multicellular animals evolve on Earth. Resembling modern day sponges, these creatures are totipotent, being able to reassemble themselves if disrupted.
747 million years ago: On a surviving, biologically rich Dunwalli ringworld, the T'zeche species evolves into sapiency and begins to build up a culture that will culminate in a Galactic Civilization. The T'zeche are remarkable for their great prowess at terraforming worlds into long term, sustainable biospheres, some of which have survived for hundreds of millions of years on their own.
600 million years ago: The Dunwalli civilization, after having been in a long decline, finally fades away and, for all intents and purposes, becomes extinct. While there may still be populations of Dunwalli, or their descendents, scattered throughout the Milky Way, the species itself is long gone. Left behind are their many examples of megastructures, including their trademark ringworlds, some of which continue to maintain viable biomes into the modern era.
588 million years ago: On a world originally seeded with life by the long vanished T'zeche, a species known as the Eiyogsha evolve, and swiftly spread out into the Galaxy. Their main method of interstellar travel is through the use of great starships, and over time the Eiyogsha become more and more integrated with those ships. Eventually, their intellects are uploaded into the ships themselves. By this point, their Galactic Civilization status begins to waver as they move from interests of socialization and culture to matters of individual interest.
542 million years ago: Roughly the time of the Cambrian Explosion's beginning, on Earth. It was during this period that complex multicellular forms on Earth made a relatively sudden appearance, likely evolving due to pressures and opportunities afforded by the climate and general environmental conditions of the time. Many of the precursors of modern forms of Terrestrial life also appeared during this time, although many other forms, almost experimental in nature, were also present.
505 million years ago: The earliest known vertebrates appear. They have internal skeletons of cartilage, and are the precursors of the later, more advanced boney fish. These early forms are represented by the ostracoderms, jawless fish, and the agnatha, such as Haikouichthys. While these early vertebrates play a minor role and are often overshadowed by the early arthropods, they will eventually win the evolutionary competition for the dominance of the oceans and the land.
475 million years ago: Evolving from green algae that had long lived along the shores of lakes and streams, the first true land plants evolve on the earth. At the same time, the first fungi evolves, and it is very likely that the two forms co-exist in an early symbiotic relationship. The greening of the Earth has begun.
450 million years ago: The first land animals, arthropods, move into terrestrial environments that have been created by the expanding land plants. With an exoskeleton that provides support and protects from water loss, these animals are an evolutionary success and which thrive to the modern day. At roughly the same time, the first myriapods and arachnids also arrive on land.
421 million years ago: The earliest forms of the Tsubar'ey are provolved by the T'zeche, in a Jovian environment. This marks the beginning of the First Tsubar'ey Civilization, which operates in tandem with the T'zeche.
384 million years ago: The T'zeche disappear, possibly migrating away from their old territories, or possibly beyond the Galaxy. The First Tsubar'ey Civilization continues on, utilizing the remains of the Tsubar'ey polity to continue their own existence.
382 million years ago: The First Tsubar'ey Civilization comes to an end as the old T'zeche technology and ways of doing things slowly begin to fail them. However, rather than succumb to senescence and extinction, the Tsubar'ey follow their deeply ingrained instincts and migrate, en mass, to more "fertile grounds". This marks the end of the First Civilization, and the beginning of the First Migration.
370 million years ago: The First Migration of the Tsubar'ey comes to an end as they reach the Andromeda Galaxy. Their arrival marks the founding of the Second Civilization, one dedicated to the recreation of the First. However, their society will eventually split into two distinct camps as genetic manipulation of the species for specific functions comes into conflict with the older, more established use of hard technology.
365 million years ago: Some species of lobe-finned Sarcopterygii develop legs and evolve into the earliest amphibians. This movement was likely driven by radiative adaptation in order to exploit the food resources of the arthropod-rich terrestrial environments, as well as pressure due to environmental fluctuations. However, these primitive amphibians cannot remain out of the water long, and it will not be until later that the first lungs will evolve in these creatures.
363 million years ago: The Eiyogsha civilization is, for all intents and purposes, extinct as the hundreds of thousands of remaining individuals, literally living starships, disperse out among the stars of the Galaxy. Some individuals may have even moved beyond the Galaxy itself. While their influence has been seen in various aspects within the Local Neighborhood, no actual member of the species has been encountered within that volume of space, although there is evidence that the automated remains of one such individual has been discovered on the world of New Phoenix, orbiting Nu Phoenicis.
327 million years ago: The Second Civilization of the Tsubar'ey begins to crumble as the genetic tweak and the technological factions encounter seemingly insurmountable ideological differences. Rather than degenerate into conflict, however, the genetic modification proponents decide to depart back to the Milky Way, beginning the Second Migration. The Second Civilization itself will remain extant, and it is believed that by the modern period they have come to populate the entirety of the Andromeda Galaxy, and most of its satellite galaxies as well. There are some indications that this Civilization has split into many different factions, however, and that occasionally they are at odds with one another.
315 million years ago: The Second Migration of the Tsubar'ey comes to an end as they re-enter the Milky Way, and colonize a single star system, founding their Third Civilization. However, they will swiftly spread throughout the Galaxy, with the aid of provolving and genetic tweaking of themselves and other creatures for specific functions.
300 million years ago: The earliest reptiles evolve when the shelled amniotic egg is developed. This adaptation, along with the thickened, water-retaining scaled skin allows these animals to leave behind water sources and expand throughout the land, exploiting previously untouched biomes. These reptiles are so successful that they will eventually diversify into future modern animal groups, such as birds and mammals.
220 million years ago: The earliest Dinosaurs evolve. These animals will become one of the most successful major animal groups to ever inhabit the planet. Diversifying greatly over the next few million years, they will come to inhabit every portion of the globe, and will give rise to the birds, which themselves survive into modern times. At the same time, the earliest mammals evolve. These animals are small and shrew-like, and will remain so for much of the Mesozoic Period, primarily due to their loss to the early Dinosaurs in the competition to become a dominant land animal group.
198 million years ago: During their rampant genetic manipulations throughout the Galaxy, the Tsubar'ey unwittingly create a virus which is extremely deadly to them, and which spreads rapidly, but which may lay dormant for centuries with no indication of being present. When this Plague strikes, Tsubar'ey holdings throughout the Galaxy are devastated, to the point where the infrastructure of the Third Civilization begins to unravel. In time, even many client species begin to fall to the Plague. A cure is eventually engineered and released throughout the Galaxy, one which actively seeks out the Plague organism and eliminates it. But it will take time, and so the remaining Tsubar'ey leave the Milky Way and begin their Third Migration, allowing the Galaxy to be "cured" in the meantime.
175 million years ago: The Third Migration of the Tsubar'ey ends as they reach the Triangulum Galaxy. They enter this galaxy through various different entry points, establishing several different centers of civilization, the Fourth Civilization. The emphasis of this civilization remains largely biological, with special attention towards grooming vast Dyson tree groves.
150 million years ago: The earliest birds evolve from therapod Dinosaurs. Retaining many reptilian characteristics, these animals will slowly diversify until they reach the point where they begin to out-compete the flying Pterosaur reptiles.
78 million years ago: A mass extinction event strikes the biosphere of the planet Ghellhonus. Some 92% of all life, marine and terrestrial, goes extinct. The ultimate cause remains unknown, but evidence suggests that it was due to various circumstances which effected the climatic conditions of the planet.
65 million years ago: An asteroid nearly six kilometers in diameter slams into the Earth, initiating a mass extinction on a biosphere that had already been weakened by environmental stresses caused by continental drift and receding oceans. The result is that nearly half of all life is wiped out, including all Dinosaurian species. The extinction of the Dinosaurs, however, clears the way for the advancement of mammals, which will diversify and eventually lead to the evolution of Humanity. Indeed, at this same time, and possibly in response to the sudden opening of new ecological niches, the earliest primates evolve, and appear very similar to modern tree shrews.
42 million years ago: Projecting the Milky Way to be nearly Plague-free, a portion of the Fourth Tsubar'ey Civilization begin the Fourth Migration back to their home galaxy.
30 million years ago: An asteroid some 8 kilometers in diameter strikes the planet of Ghellhonus, which orbits Alpha Centauri A. The result is a mass extinction affecting nearly 70% of all Ghellhonian life, although modern forms will quickly evolve and adapt to fill the empty niches. The impact crater will come to be known as the Bore Basin to future colonists from Earth.
25 million years ago: The earliest apes, the Hominoidea, evolve in the Old World on Earth. These creatures will diversify greatly, but their numbers will slowly diminish over time. Even so, they will eventually give rise to Humanity.
16 million years ago: The Fourth Tsubar'ey Migration comes to an end in the Large Magellanic Cloud, where twin Brammian worlds are discovered. The planets are rich with life, and convince the Tsubar'ey to establish their Fifth Civilization here, rather than to continue on to the Milky Way. This civilization will continue to leisure expand through the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds for some time.
15 million years ago: The ancestors of Humans and the great apes diverge from the group which also gives rise to the gibbons.
13 million years ago On Earth, the primate species Pierolapithecus catalaunicus lives, and is likely the ancestor of both humans and the great apes. Living in what will become Spain, it had special adaptations for tree-climbing, although it retained more primitive, monkey-like features. The species likely moved between Europe and Africa as the rising and falling of the Mediterranean Sea allowed. One or more Eiyogsha individuals terraform the world of Raövik in the Xi Scorpii system. For unknown reasons, they also create the Orophim Spire, which will remain behind long after they finally depart. The planet is given a self-sustaining biosphere, the life forms coming from an unknown original location, and possibly genetically revived from samples carried by the Eiyogsha themselves.
11.3 million years ago: The Eiyogsha depart the Xi Scorpii system, their unknown purpose apparently completed. While it is certain that these individuals left the Local Neighborhood, their ultimate destination is a mystery.
10 million years ago: The ancestors of Humans speciate from the ancestors of gorillas, probably as a result of the drying climate of their native Africa. While the gorilla ancestors remain within the forests, the Human ancestors adapt to the ever-growing savannas and grasslands.
9 million years ago: While the Fifth Tsubar'ey Civilization continues to expand, specializing in a harmonious fusion of technology and biology, as well as the construction of artificial worlds, a core population of bio-ists decide to resume the trek to the Milky Way, and thus begin the Fifth Migration.
5.6 million years ago: The Fifth Migration of the Tsubar'ey arrives within the Milky Way, where they settle a Brammian world in the AX Microscopii system. This establishes the Sixth and current Civilization, which specializes in biotechnology, and which will come to encompass all of the Local Neighborhood, and most of the Orion Arm as well.
5.2 million years ago: The earliest interstellar presence of the Gruy-koi, a species that will establish the Galactic Assembly, a future Galactic Civilization that, by the time of the League, will be the largest such civilization in the Galaxy.