Which epochs are included in the cenozoic era

It is also the most recent and current period of history. The Cenozoic Era is divided into two periods, the Paleogene and Neogene which are divided into epochs. The Cenozoic has seen the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs and the rise of mankind.

It is marked by the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period and the end of the Mesozoic Era. This era is the era of new life. Mammals may not have risen from the oceans at this time, but they did evolve into a diverse collection of terrestrial, marine, and avian forms. The major geological happenings of the Cenozoic Era are that the continents moved into their current positions.

Antarctica moved into its current position over the South Pole and the Atlantic Ocean widened. Eventually, South America became attached to North America. Our species, Homo sapiens, existed by thousand years ago.

By the time the latest continental glaciers were retreating, about 14 thousand years ago, humans were crossing from Siberia to North America. At the end of th Pleistocene Epoch, many species of large mammals became extinct, including mammoths, mastodonts, and saber-toothed cats.

Others, such as horses, and camels, disappeared from North America but survived elsewhere. About fourteen thousand years ago the last great ice sheet began to retreat from the area now called Michigan. Lakes, rivers, marshes, and bogs soon dominated the lowland, and forests of jackpine and spruce later spread across the higher ground.

These new habitats were repopulated by animal species that moved into Michigan from ice-age refuges to the south and west. Most of these species are still living today, in Michigan and elsewhere.

The largest and most spectacular late ice-age animals, like the dire wolf, inhabited the state for a brief time then disappeared forever. Hall of Evolution: Cenozoic Era. Cenozoic Era From the extinction of the dinosaurs until today, the Cenozoic Era is the age of mammals. Tertiary Period 66 to 2 million years ago. Paleocene Epoch 66 to 56 million years ago With the dinosaurs gone, mammals began to fill the roles of large herbivores and carnivores. Eocene Epoch 56 to 38 million years ago The climate over much of the world was fairly warm and moist.

Oligocene Epoch 38 to 24 million years ago At this time Asia and Western North America had a cooler, drier climate, causing the spread of grasslands and temperate forests. Miocene Epoch 24 to 5 million years ago During this epoch the continents moved closer to their modern positions. Pliocene Epoch 5 to 2 million years ago The continents were very close to their present positions.

Diorama by R. What animals were on Earth during the Eocene Epoch? What plants were on Earth during the Eocene Epoch? What was Virginia like during the Eocene Epoch? Diorama by J. What animals were on Earth during the Oligocene Epoch? What plants were on Earth during the Oligocene Epoch? What was Virginia like during the Oligocene Epoch?

What animals were on Earth during the Miocene Epoch? What plants were on Earth during the Miocene Epoch? What was Virginia like during the Miocene Epoch? What animals were on Earth during the Pliocene Epoch?

What plants were on Earth during the Pliocene Epoch?