Quaternary
Sign in to saveThe Quaternary ( , ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the Phanerozoic eon. It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.6 million years ago to the present. The Quaternary Period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene (2.6 million years ago to 12 thousand years ago) and the Holocene (12 thousand years ago to today); a proposed third epoch, the Anthropocene, was rejected in 2024 by International Union of Ge
AI overview
The Quaternary is the current geological period that began 2.6 million years ago and continues today, making it the most recent of the major divisions of Earth's history. It is important because it encompasses the Pleistocene epoch (which saw the rise of humans and ice ages) and the Holocene epoch (our current warm period), providing the geological context for understanding human evolution and modern climate.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Geologic timespan.name
- Quaternary
- Geologic timespan.color
- Quaternary
- Geologic timespan.time_start
- 2.58
- Geologic timespan.time_end
- 0
- Geologic timespan.image_map
- Mollweide.jpg
- Geologic timespan.caption_map
- A map of Earth as it appears during the current Quaternary period, Holocene epoch
- Geologic timespan.timeline
- Quaternary
- Geologic timespan.name_formality
- Formal
- Geologic timespan.celestial_body
- Earth
- Geologic timespan.usage
- Global (ICS)
- Geologic timespan.timescales_used
- ICS Time Scale
- Geologic timespan.chrono_unit
- Period
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Research history
- Geology
- Climate
- Flora and fauna
- See also
- References
- External links
The Quaternary ( , ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the Phanerozoic eon. It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.6 million years ago to the present. The Quaternary Period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene (2.6 million years ago to 12 thousand years ago) and the Holocene (12 thousand years ago to today); a proposed third epoch, the Anthropocene, was rejected in 2024 by International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the governing body of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS).
The Quaternary is typically defined by the Quaternary glaciation, the cyclic growth and decay of continental ice sheets related to the Milankovitch cycles and the associated climate and environmental changes that they caused.