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| This epoch is part of the Tertiary period and the Paleogene subperiod. |
| Pliocene |
| Miocene |
| Oligocene |
| Eocene |
| Paleocene |
The Paleocene epoch (64-58 mya) ("early dawn of the recent") is the first geologic epoch of the Tertiary period in the modern Cenozoic era. As with most other older geologic periods, the strata that define the epoch's beginning are well identified, but the exact date of the end is uncertain.
The Paleocene epoch immediately followed the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous, known as the K-T boundary, which marks the demise of the dinosaurs. The die-off of the dinosaurs left unfilled ecological niches worldwide, and the name "Paleocene" refers to the "old(er)-new" faunaFauna is a collective term for animal life. The corresponding term for plants is flora. Technically, the proper term for fauna plus flora is biota but fauna is often used instead. In zoology and paleontology the term is often used to refer to the typicals that arose during the epoch, prior to the emergence of modern mammalianSubclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorp ordersThe Linnaean taxonomy is a system of classification widely used in the biological sciences. It was first developed by Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century during the great expansion of natural history knowledge. Linnaean taxonomy classifies living things in the Eocene.
The K-T boundary (Cretaceous - Tertiary) which marks the separation between Cretaceous and Paleocene is visible in the geological record of much of the Earth by a discontinuity with high Iridium levels. There is also fossil evidence of abrupt changes in floraFlora is a collective term for plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna. In botany, the term refers to a listing of the species of plants found in a specified area, and in that respect differs from the term vegetation which is any descripti and fauna. There is some evidence that a substantial but very short-lived climatic change may have occurred in the very early decades of the Paleocene. There are a number of theories about the cause of the K-T event, with most evidence supporting the impact of a 10km diameter asteroid near Yucatan, Mexico.
The end of the Paleocene (55.5/54.8 Ma) was marked by one of the most significant periods of global change during the Cenozoic, a sudden global change, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, which upset oceanic and atmospheric circulation and led to the extinction of numerous deep-sea benthic foraminifera and on land, a major turnover in mammals.
The Paleocene is usually broken into lower and upper subdivisions. The Faunal stages from youngest to oldest are:
Temperatures rose during the Paleocene, and the climate was warm and humid world-wide, with subtropical vegetation growing in Greenland and Patagonia. The poles were cool and temperate, North America, Europe, Australia and southern South America were warm and temperate; tropical climates characterized equatorial areas, and North and South of the Equator climates were hota and arid.
see: PaleoMap Project: Paleocene Climate
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