Miocene
Grazing mammals arose
The Miocene is a geological epoch spanning roughly 23 to 5 million years ago, part of the Neogene period.
During the Miocene, grasslands expanded, apes diversified, and many modern mammal families emerged.
The term appears in scientific and paleontological contexts: Miocene fossils reveal the ancestors of modern horses.
Scientists use it as an adjective for rocks, climates, or species from this era.
Sustained decrease in temperature
- sea level changesOcean height variations
- paleoclimatologyStudy of prehistoric climates
- oxygen isotopesNuclear variants of element eight
- Milankovitch cyclesOrbital shifts affecting climate
Open grassy terrain
- kelp forestsDense underwater seaweed ecosystems
- deciduous forestsWoods with seasonal leaf loss
- paleobotanyStudy of ancient flora
- oakQuercus genus member
Present geological era
- TertiaryOutdated Cenozoic subdivision
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- sedimentsParticles that settle below
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
geochronology · continental drift · tectonic activity · type section · radiometric dating
Extinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
- proconsulRoman provincial ruler
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- megalodonExtinct colossal prehistoric shark
- saber-toothed catsExtinct big cats, oversized fangs
cooling trend
Sustained decrease in temperature
- sea level changesOcean height variations
- paleoclimatologyStudy of prehistoric climates
- oxygen isotopesNuclear variants of element eight
Milankovitch cycles · carbon dioxide levels · global cooling
grasslands
Open grassy terrain
- kelp forestsDense underwater seaweed ecosystems
- deciduous forestsWoods with seasonal leaf loss
- paleobotanyStudy of ancient flora
Cenozoic
Present geological era
- TertiaryOutdated Cenozoic subdivision
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- sedimentsParticles that settle below
paleontology · geochronology · continental drift · tectonic activity · type section · radiometric dating
mastodon
Extinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
- proconsulRoman provincial ruler
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- megalodonExtinct colossal prehistoric shark
Arabian Peninsula
Southwest Asian landmass
- land bridgesTerrain connecting separated continents
MioceneAnthropocene
Proposed human-impact epoch
now · the present · Pleistocene · Holocene · Precambrian