Earlier today, I saw some pretty cool remastered video footage of New York in 1911.

Suits and top hats everywhere, and quieter streets than the city is used to on an average day, pandemic excluded.

If you want to cast your eyes way, way, way back, you might be pleased to know that a former Google engineer has developed a map that can track 750 million years of the world’s history.

Before we snoop around, this info via Tech Times:

Ian Webster developed the Dinosaur Pictures website based on the PALEOMAP maps created by geologist Christopher Scotese. It packs complicated scientific data in a tool, which students, teachers, parents, or anyone interested in Earth history could easily use…

The website shows how the Earth looks like during a certain period and each timestamp includes a brief explanation of the most significant developments that happened then.

That sounds reasonably fancy, but using it is actually very simple.

Head to https://dinosaurpictures.org/ancient-earth#400, punch in Cape Town in the top right, and select ‘400 million’ from the dropdown menu above the globe.

This image is condensed, but illustrative:

There’s also a great breakdown in the bottom left related to ecological developments.

Skip forward to 150 million years ago, and you get this:

Late Jurassic, guys, and here come the first lizards.

Let’s see what today looks like:

Nothing in the bottom left.

I’d say mid-December will see migration from up north towards Cape Town, particularly from the Gauteng region, and parking spots anywhere near a beach will be hard to come by.

There will also be far too many razor wire tattoos on display. I call it the devolution of man.

If you want to see what the world looked like when the first dinosaurs roamed, or first insects, or first primates, that option also exists in the top right corner.

Head here, and click around to your heart’s content.

[sources:techtimes&dinosaurpictures]