(Cainozoic, Caenozoic) The present era of geological time beginning about 65 million years ago. It has seen four periods of extensive land elevation separated by periods when the oceans expanded. The Andes, Rockies, Himalayas, and Alps were formed in the Cenozoic. Traditionally it has been divided into the * Tertiary and * Quaternary periods. Certain authorities now recognize the Palaeogene, equivalent to the earlier epochs (Palaeocene, Eocene, and Oligo-cene) of the Tertiary, and the Neogene for the later Tertiary epochs (Miocene and Pliocene) and the Quaternary. See geological time scale. |
