CENOZOIC ERA (RECENT LIFE)

CENOZOIC ERA (RECENT LIFE)

THIS ERA IS SUBDIVIDED INTO TWO:

Quaternary Era (The age of man)

            Tertiary Era (The age of mammals)

Periods under the Tertiary era:

          Pliocene                (about 05-02 Mya)

          Miocene                (about 25-05 Mya)

          Oligocene                       (about 38-25 Mya)

          Eocene                  (about 55-38 Mya)

          Paleocene              (about 65-55 Mya)

THE PALEOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE PALEOCENE PERIOD

            First large mammals and Modern  plants appeared

                  

          Alpine orogeny and Himalayan orogeny

THE EOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE EOCENE PERIOD

            Reglaciation took place in the South Pole

            Appearance of first grasses

          Moderate climate

          Formation of marginal seas

           

            Mammals dominated

THE OLIGOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE OLIGOCENE PERIOD

Mammals  and  modern  flowering evolved 

First elephants appeared

Carnovires were well pronounced

Warm climate

THE MIOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE MIOCENE PERIOD

Glaciation took place in Southern Hemisphere

Basaltic flows were evident

Bird families are now distinct

Moderate climate

Grasslands extended

Apes appeared

Modern mammals are now distinct

Horses were assorted

Volcanic activities took place

Bird families became distinct

THE PLIOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE PLIOCENE PERIOD

Appearance of Homo habilis

Beginning of Ice Age

Uplift of the Continent / Mountain building

Huge carnivorous animals were dominant

Hominids (I.e humans like primates) appeared

Cool (but) dry climate

Seas were restricted

Appearance of a lot of the present generation of mammals and mollusks

QUATERNARY ERA (THE AGE OF MAN)

This is subdivided into:

PLEISTOCENE PERIOD                    (about 1.6-0.01 Mya)

HOLOCENE PERIOD            (about 10000 - recent)

THE PLEISTOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE PLEISTOCENE PERIOD

Known as Ice age

Modern Humans evolved

Deserts were formed

Advancement and retraction of ice

Many large mammals went into extinction

Climate was Glacial

A lot of Human populations were destroyed by volcanic eruptions

Beginning of Human Stone Age

Mass extinctions of mammals as a result of ice and anthropological activities

HOLOCENE PERIOD

ACTIVITIES IN THE HOLOCENE PERIOD

Drastic habitat changes

Human civilization was sporadic

Agricultural activities increased with crude implements

Paleolithic lifestyle starts (This is subdivided into Lower, Middle, and Upper periods), Mesolithic, and Neolithic

PLEASE NOTE THESE

Copper Age           (about 3500 BC)

Bronze Age           (about 2500 BC)

Iron Age                (about 1200 BC)