Over 50 Ma, an entire mountain range like the Ancestral Rockies can rise up and vanish.
If you're unfamiliar with geologic time terminology and abbreviations, take that detour now.
After an introductory section, Colorado's geologic history will unfold in chronological order below.
As we come up on major divisions along the geologic timeline, a brief "About Time" header will summarize what event or fossil record breakpoint ushered in the upcoming division and show how it's subdivided.
Given enough time, cold surface rock will yield to flowing water and buried rock will bend or even flow rather than break.
The planet's had ample time for all of this, even if it's out of our ken.