The geologic time scale is a record of the major events and diversity of life forms present in Earth's history. The geologic time scale began when Earth was formed and goes on until the present. It divides Earth's long history into units of time.
Cenozoic Era
"Recent Life"
Age of Mammals
Approximately 65 Million Years Ago - Present Day
The Cenozoic Era began approximately 65 million years ago with the extinction of the dinosaurs and continues today. The extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Mesozoic Era opened up vast new habitats and environments for early mammals and birds to adapt to occupy.
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Beware that geologic time scales do not represent time is size. Meaning, the Cenozoic Era is typically shown larger than other era's or eons, but is actually significantly shorter than the Mesozoic and Paleozoic Era's. The reason for this is because the Cenozoic Era includes more fossil evidence and a greater amount of biodiversity compared to other two eras of Earth's history.
The final time period on the Geologic Time Scale is the Cenozoic Era. With large dinosaurs now extinct, smaller mammals that had survived were able to grow and become dominant.
The climate changed drastically over a relatively short period of time, becoming much cooler and drier than during the Mesozoic Era. An ice age covered most temperate parts of the Earth with glaciers, causing life to adapt relatively rapidly and the rate of evolution to increase.
All species of life—including humans--evolved into their present-day forms over the course of this era, which hasn't yet ended and most likely won't end until another mass extinction occurs.
The climate changed drastically over a relatively short period of time, becoming much cooler and drier than during the Mesozoic Era. An ice age covered most temperate parts of the Earth with glaciers, causing life to adapt relatively rapidly and the rate of evolution to increase.
All species of life—including humans--evolved into their present-day forms over the course of this era, which hasn't yet ended and most likely won't end until another mass extinction occurs.
Common Animals of the Cenozoic Era
Common Plants of the Cenozoic Era
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Catastrophic Events of the Cenozoic Era
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Topic Tips
- The Cenozoic Era is the current era of Earth's history and is still ongoing.
- The Cenozoic Era is typically associated with cooler climates and the dominance of mammals.