Cenozoic Era

Prepared By: John Patrick Bala

 Definition Of Cenozoic Era
 The Cenozoic Era is the most recent of the three major subdivisions of animal history. The other two are the 
Mesozoic and Paleozoic Eras.

 The Cenozoic spans only about 65 million years, from the end of the Cretaceous Period and the extinction of
non-avian dinosaurs to the present.

 The Cenozoic is sometimes called the Age of Mammals, because the largest land animals have been
mammals during that time.

 This is a misnomer for several reasons. First, the history of mammals began long before the Cenozoic
began.Second, the diversity of life during the Cenozoic is far wider than mammals.

 The Cenozoic could have been called the "Age of Flowering Plants" or the "Age of Insects" or the "Age of
Teleost Fish" or the "Age of Birds" just as accurately.

 The Cenozoic (65.5 million years ago to present) is divided into three periods: the Paleogene (65.5 to 23.03
million years ago), Neogene (23.03 to 2.6 million years ago) and the Quaternary (2.6 million years ago to
present).

 The Paleogene is subdivided into three epochs: the Paleocene (65.5 to 55.8 million years ago), the Eocene
(55.8 to 33.9 million years ago), and the Oligocene (33.9 to 23.03 million years ago). The Neogene is
subdivided into two epochs: the Miocene (23.03 to 5.332 million years ago) and Pliocene (5.332 to 2.588 million
years ago).*
The Construction Of The Cenozoic Era

 Eocene system 50 million years ago  Miocene system 20 million years ago

Pleistocene system 50,000 years ago

 Tectonics
 During the Cenozoic era the continents moved to their modern
positions.

 India collided with Asia in a high speed collision that caused so much
geological stress that it raised the largest mountain range currently
known to man, the Himalayas.

 Antarctica moved to the south pole, and South America slowly

attached itself in a cushioned low-speed collision with North America
forming the Isthmus of Panama.

 North America continued separating form Europe widening the

Atlantic ocean.

 Arabia collided with Eurasia in a low-speed collision closing the

Tethys ocean.
 Life
 Marine life in the Cenozoic began much as it is today.

 Land animals and birds continued evolving.

 Near the beginning of the Cenozoic the world was dominated by birds, crocodiles, and only a few
mammals. However, the land was now dominated by mammals.

 The Neogene period saw a rise in savannas, flowers, and perhaps most importantly, grass. The
grass created a change in mammal evolution.

 Mammals similar to horses, cows, and other grazers appeared.

 There are several conflicting theories on the origin of man. Human ancestors may have evolved
around 1 million years ago.

 The species Homo sapiens was probably formed by 50,000 years ago.

 However, it isn't until about 6,000 years ago that evidences such as a written language and cities
began to form and humanity began to grow into what it has now become.
 Age Of Mammals
 The Cenozoic Era, from 65 million years ago to today, is the age of mammals and
flowering plants and is marked by global cooling.

 The extinction of the dinosaurs allowed mammals to diversify and grow in size during the
Cenozoic.

 Early horses, such as this Mesohippus celer, stood about half a meter high at the
shoulders.

 Horses gradually grew and adapted from expansive woodlands of the warm early
Cenozoic to the extensive grasslands of the cooler later Cenozoic.
 Climate and geography
 The global climate of the early portion of the Cenozoic Period was much warmer
than it is today, and the overall climate of the Earth was much more consistent
regardless of proximity to the equator.

 The most significant period of global warming, known as the Paleocene–Eocene

Thermal Maximum, took place of 55.8 million years ago. It was followed by a long
cool, dry period.

 The current global warming event has been set off primarily by human activity.Each
segment of the Cenozoic experienced different climates. During the Paleogene
Period, most of the Earth’s climate was tropical.

 The Neogene Period saw a drastic cooling, which continued into the 
Pleistocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period.As for the changing landscape, the
continents drifted apart during the Paleogene Period, creating vast stretches of
oceans.

 During the Pleistocene Epoch, glaciers covered central North America, extending as
far east as New York, south to Kansas and Nebraska and west to the northern West
Coast. The Great Lakes were formed as the glaciers receded.

 Several of the world’s foremost mountain ranges, including the Alps, Himalayas and
the Rocky Mountains, were formed during the Cenozoic Era.
Thank You!!