The Cenozoic is Earth’s current geological era, representing the last 66 million years of Earth’s history. It is characterized by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configuration of continents. The Quaternary is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era.
- Quaternary Period (2.6 million years ago to present)
- Neogene Period (23 million years ago to 2.6 million years ago)
- Paleogene Period (66 million years ago to 23 million years ago)
The Cenozoic is described in an article by The Economist (‘Snakes Alive!’, 16 October 2021, p.74) as the era in the Earth’s history since an asteroid ended the dinosaurs’ reign, often called the age of mammals, of which there are now 6,500 species.