The ocean tides are a key driver of a range of Earth system processes. Tidal energy drives vertical mixing with consequences for ocean circulation, climate, and biological production, and the tidal stream transport sediments, pollutants, and other matter through the ocean. Tides have also been proposed to be one component influencing key evolution and extinction events, including initiating the radiation of terrestrial vertebrates. Here, I will use the latest series of high-resolution numerical model simulations of Phanerozoic tides to which we have applied novel tidal proxies, including jellyfish fossils and dinosaur footprints, and discuss how tides may have been a key controller of evolution events in Earth’s history.