Credits & Data Sources

Play Deep Time Earth is built on the following open datasets and tools.

Data Sources

Cao et al. (2024), Earth's tectonic and plate boundary evolution over 1.8 billion years, model version 2.4

CC BY 4.0

Continental crust fragments and plate boundaries at 540–1800 Ma. Not elevations, climate or actual palaeocoastlines.

Cao et al. (2024), Earth's tectonic and plate boundary evolution over 1.8 billion years, model version 2.4

Source ↗Estudio relacionado ↗

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13628813

Modifications: Reconstructed using the model's palaeomagnetic frame and valid source ages. A fixed +60° eastward display rotation aids continuity without changing source data. Latitudes and poles are preserved; display longitudes differ from the model's. Plate boundaries use 5 Ma intervals; interpolation does not improve scientific accuracy. Continental configuration and shape differences remain at 540 Ma.

⚠ The dataset is CC BY 4.0, distinct from the paper's CC BY-NC-ND license. Paper figures and supplemental videos are not redistributed.

PaleoMIST 1.0

CC BY 4.0

Modelo global de mantos de hielo y paleotopografía de los últimos 80.000 años. Los datos tienen pasos de 2.500 años e incluyen deformación terrestre y cambios espaciales del nivel del mar.

Gowan, E.J. (2019). Global ice sheet reconstruction for the past 80000 years. PANGAEA, DOI 10.1594/PANGAEA.905800. Study: Gowan et al. (2021), A new global ice sheet reconstruction for the past 80,000 years, Nature Communications 12, 1199, DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-21469-w.

Source ↗Estudio relacionado ↗

DOI: 10.1594/PANGAEA.905800

Modifications: Relieve y límites de hielo reconstruidos del escenario a1 (bahía de Hudson cubierta durante MIS 3) adaptados para visualización. Se muestra el paso más cercano de los datos originales, separados por 2.500 años; la comparación moderna usa el mismo modelo. Datos derivados: CC BY 4.0. Los bordes suaves no mejoran la precisión observacional. La visualización puede omitir islas y estrechos; no demuestra migración ni transitabilidad. El hielo representa una extensión reconstruida, no hielo marino ni un mapa definitivo de apoyo sobre el lecho. 0 ka corresponde a 1950. No se aplica antes de 80.000 años ni implica garantía o respaldo.

Fuentes de base del modelo

Fuentes de base citadas por el modelo. El servicio usa PaleoMIST; no redistribuye por separado los originales, artículos ni figuras siguientes.

NSIDC Sea Ice Index (G02135, Version 4)

NSIDC data use policy; attribution required

Referencia del hielo marino ártico en verano · septiembre de 1981–2010

Fetterer, F., Knowles, K., Meier, W. N., Savoie, M., Windnagel, A. K. & Stafford, T. (2025). Sea Ice Index (G02135, Version 4). National Snow and Ice Data Center. https://doi.org/10.7265/a98x-0f50. Northern Hemisphere monthly September extent GeoTIFFs, 1981–2010; accessed 2026-09-28.

Source ↗

DOI: 10.7265/a98x-0f50

Modifications: Reducido a partir de 30 cuadrículas de septiembre, conservando el hielo presente en al menos la mitad de los años. Se excluyen tierra y costa; los polos no observados mantienen la hipótesis de hielo de la fuente. Referencia fija, no condiciones actuales, permanencia anual, espesor ni reconstrucción del pasado.

PaleoDEM

CC BY 4.0

Paleodigital Elevation Models (0–540 Ma heightmaps)

Scotese, C.R. and Wright, N.M. (2018). PALEOMAP Paleodigital Elevation Models (PaleoDEMS) for the Phanerozoic.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5460860

Modifications: Terrain adapted for visualization with narrow-strait corrections. Modern coastline data is applied only at 0 Ma.

PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines data v7.3

CC BY 4.0

81 reconstrucciones globales de costas (0–535 Ma). Costas de PaleoDEM ajustadas con registros fósiles para representar la máxima inundación marina.

Kocsis, A.T. and Scotese, C.R. (2023). PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines data, v7.3. Zenodo. Study: Mapping paleocoastlines and continental flooding during the Phanerozoic, Earth-Science Reviews, DOI 10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103463.

Source ↗Estudio relacionado ↗

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7994000

Modifications: Costas y aguas interiores de 5–535 Ma adaptadas para visualización e interpoladas entre edades originales. 0 Ma usa costas modernas de Natural Earth y aguas interiores existentes; 540 Ma usa aguas basadas en el relieve. Los datos derivados también son CC BY 4.0. Agua: estas reconstrucciones representativas muestran la máxima inundación marina, no los límites de lagos o costas en un instante exacto. Los cambios entre edades son estimaciones visuales y no determinan cuándo una cuenca quedó aislada o se reconectó.

Natural Earth

Public Domain

Ocean / marine polygons for shallow-sea correction at 0Ma (modern coastline)

Natural Earth — naturalearthdata.com

Modifications: Used to correct the display of modern coastlines and shallow seas.

CESM paleoclimate simulation

CC BY 4.0

Temperatura superficial, precipitación y viento modelados de 0–540 Ma

Li, X. et al. (2022). A high-resolution climate simulation dataset for the past 540 million years. Scientific Data, 9, 371.

DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01490-4

Modifications: Temperatura superficial media anual de CESM (T): una estimación del modelo, no una observación directa del pasado. Adaptado para visualización, con interpolación entre edades originales separadas por 10 Ma. La temperatura superficial global es una media anual ponderada por área. 0 Ma es preindustrial; Köppen es una clasificación aproximada basada en medias anuales.

PBDB

CC0 1.0

Paleobiology Database (fossil occurrence records)

Peters, S.E. and McClennen, M. (2016). The Paleobiology Database application programming interface. Paleobiology, 42(1), 1-7.

Modifications: Up to 10,000 records sampled per 5 Ma window (0 Ma: 0–2.5 Ma), with supported ancient locations reconstructed. Sampling varies by age, region and taxon; counts are not abundance or biodiversity. Original references are available through PBDB.

GPlates / PyGPlates

GPL v2 (software; model data licensed separately)

Tools for plate-tectonic and ancient-location reconstruction

Müller, R.D. et al. (2018). GPlates: Building a Virtual Earth Through Deep Time. G-cubed, 19.

DOI: 10.1029/2018GC007584

Modifications: Used to reconstruct ancient positions from the models.

SETON2012 rotation model

CC BY 4.0

0–200 Ma plate boundaries (separate model comparison)

Seton, M. et al. (2012). Global continental and ocean basin reconstructions since 200 Ma. Earth-Science Reviews, 113.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10596050

Modifications: Límites de placas reconstruidos a intervalos de 5 Ma y simplificados para su visualización.

PALEOMAP PaleoAtlas (rotation model)

CC BY 4.0

0–540 Ma coordinate reconstruction (Scotese 2016 reference frame; per-point validity checked)

Scotese, C.R. (2016). PALEOMAP PaleoAtlas for GPlates, v3. Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10596610

Modifications: Ancient locations reconstructed for fossils, cities and geological events, within the model's supported locations and ages.

Müller 2022 rotation model

CC BY 4.0

200–540 Ma plate boundary reconstruction

Müller, R.D. et al. (2022). A tectonic-rules-based mantle reference frame since 1 billion years ago – implications for supercontinent cycles and plate–mantle system evolution. Solid Earth, 13, 1127–1159. Model v1.2.4.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13636799

Modifications: Límites de placas reconstruidos a intervalos de 5 Ma y simplificados para su visualización.

PhyloPic

Per-image CC0 / CC BY

Siluetas de taxones en detalles de fósiles y fichas de organismos

PhyloPic — phylopic.org

Modifications: Resized for display. Each image includes its original attribution and artwork/license links.

ICS geological timescale 2026/06

CC BY 4.0

Single source for geological boundaries and period names

International Commission on Stratigraphy, International Chronostratigraphic Chart, 2026/06.

Source ↗

Modifications: Geological boundaries adapted for the service with translated names and service-selected display colors.

CenCO₂PIP v1.02

CC BY 4.0

1 Ma summaries of Cenozoic CO₂ proxy records

CenCO2PIP Consortium (2023), Science 382, eadi5177; vetted data v1.02 (2024).

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14537923

Modifications: Eligible category 1/2 records; median of study medians. Ranges describe samples, not confidence intervals. Empty bins remain unavailable.

Miller 2020 sea level

CC BY 4.0

Sea-level reconstruction, 0.98–64.82 Ma

Miller, K.G. et al. (2020). Smoothed Cenozoic sea-level relative to modern from deep-sea geochemical and continental margin records [dataset]. PANGAEA.

DOI: 10.1594/PANGAEA.923139

Modifications: Linear interpolation of supplied smoothed series; no extrapolation. 0 Ma is a present-day 0 m reference.

Macrostrat

CC BY 4.0

Present-day map geology at 25 city centers

Macrostrat; Peters et al. (2018). Original map references retained and displayed for each city.

Source ↗

Modifications: Selected geology information displayed for each city, retaining original unit names and ages. Not a paleomap or site survey.

Smithsonian NMNH

CC0 1.0

Fossil specimen photos with verified CC0 rights

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Paleobiology and Education & Outreach.

Source ↗

Modifications: Photos selected and resized for display. They are not asserted to be the same specimens as PBDB records.

Los límites de placas comparan otro modelo. Su marco difiere del terreno PALEOMAP; las costas pueden no coincidir.

Esquema derivado del viento y la temperatura del mar. No es una simulación de circulación oceánica; las partículas no indican velocidades físicas.

Wind: CESM annual mean U/V, 1000 hPa. Atmospheric rim glow is decorative.

Orígenes, movimientos y encuentros humanos — estudios

Las fechas, lugares, pruebas e incertidumbres de cada evento se resumen de forma independiente a partir de los estudios originales enlazados. No se redistribuyen textos, figuras ni secuencias genéticas. Cada artículo y sus datos conservan sus propios derechos.

Revisión bibliográfica: 2026-10-12

Multiple Deeply Divergent Denisovan Ancestries in PapuansJacobs et al. · 2019-04-11 · DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.035
Independent age estimates resolve the controversy of ancient human footprints at White SandsPigati et al. · 2023-10-05 · DOI: 10.1126/science.adh5007
The age of the opening of the Ice-Free Corridor and implications for the peopling of the AmericasClark et al. · 2022-03-21 · DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118558119
New fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco and the pan-African origin of Homo sapiensHublin et al. · 2017-06-07 · DOI: 10.1038/nature22336
A weakly structured stem for human origins in AfricaRagsdale et al. · 2023-05-17 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06055-y
Pleistocene chronology and history of hominins and fauna at Denisova CaveJacobs et al. · 2025-05-21 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60140-6
Denisovan mitochondrial DNA from dental calculus of the >146,000-year-old Harbin craniumFu et al. · 2025-06-18 · DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.05.040
The proteome of the late Middle Pleistocene Harbin individualFu et al. · 2025-06-18 · DOI: 10.1126/science.adu9677
Ancient proteins identify various Denisovan remains from Southwest ChinaRao et al. · 2026-09-09 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10976-9
Denisovans from southwestern China and their subsistence strategiesRuan et al. · 2026-09-09 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10997-4
The genome of the offspring of a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan fatherSlon et al. · 2018-08-22 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0455-x
Major expansion in the human niche preceded out of Africa dispersalHallett et al. · 2025-06-18 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09154-0
Neanderthal ancestry through time: Insights from genomes of ancient and present-day humansIasi et al. · 2024-12-12 · DOI: 10.1126/science.adq3010
Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal admixtureSümer et al. · 2024-12-12 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08420-x
Genomic evidence supports the “long chronology” for the peopling of SahulGandini et al. · 2025-11-28 · DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady9493
Middle and Late Pleistocene Denisovan subsistence at Baishiya Karst CaveXia et al. · 2024-07-03 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07612-9
Genetic diversity of late Neanderthals in northwestern EuropeBossoms Mesa et al. · 2026-06-24 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10625-1
The evolutionary history and unique genetic diversity of Indigenous AmericansAraújo Castro e Silva et al. · 2026-04-22 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10406-w
A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene TaiwanTsutaya et al. · 2025-04-10 · DOI: 10.1126/science.ads3888
A new global ice sheet reconstruction for the past 80,000 yearsGowan et al. · 2021-02-23 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21469-w
Climatic windows for human migration out of Africa in the past 300,000 yearsBeyer et al. · 2021-08-24 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24779-1
Human occupation of northern India spans the Toba super-eruption ~74,000 years agoClarkson et al. · 2020-02-25 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14668-4
The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersalVallini et al. · 2024-03-25 · DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46161-7
Homo sapiens reached the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years agoMylopotamitaki et al. · 2024-01-31 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06923-7
40,000-Year-Old Individual from Asia Provides Insight into Early Population Structure in EurasiaYang et al. · 2017-10-12 · DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.030
The population history of northeastern Siberia since the PleistoceneSikora et al. · 2019-06-05 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1279-z
Terminal Pleistocene Alaskan genome reveals first founding population of Native AmericansMoreno-Mayar et al. · 2018-01-03 · DOI: 10.1038/nature25173
Early human dispersals within the AmericasMoreno-Mayar et al. · 2018-11-08 · DOI: 10.1126/science.aav2621
Nuclear DNA sequences from the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos homininsMeyer et al. · 2016-03-14 · DOI: 10.1038/nature17405
Neanderthals in central Asia and SiberiaKrause et al. · 2007-09-30 · DOI: 10.1038/nature06193
Genetic insights into the social organization of NeanderthalsSkov et al. · 2022-10-19 · DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05283-y

Ejemplares de museo

Fotografías de ejemplares de museo distintos de los registros PBDB del mapa. No se afirma que sean los mismos ejemplares. Nombres y edades conservan el texto del catálogo.