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). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ago to the present. As of 2023, the Quaternary Period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene and the Holocene ; a third epoch, the Anthropocene, has recently been proposed, but it is not officially recognised by the ICS.
Artist's impression of Earth during the Last Glacial Maximum
The Cenozoic is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66 million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds, and angiosperms. It is the latest of three geological eras, preceded by the Mesozoic and Paleozoic. The Cenozoic started with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, when many species, including the non-avian dinosaurs, became extinct in an event attributed by most experts to the impact of a large asteroid or other celestial body, the Chicxulub impactor.
Rock deposits from the Cenozoic Era (Torre Sant'Andrea, Salento, Italy)
Basilosaurus
Megafauna of Pleistocene Europe (mammoths, cave lions, woolly rhino, reindeer, horses)