Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How are the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary periods arranged within the Cenozoic Era?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cenozoic Era
Principal Cenozoic faunal migration routes and barriers.
The Cenozoic Era is currently divided into three distinct geologic time periods, arranged chronologically from oldest to youngest as follows:
- Paleogene Period (66 million to 23 million years ago): The oldest division, comprising the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene epochs.123
- Neogene Period (23 million to 2.6 million years ago): The middle division, encompassing the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.123
- Quaternary Period (2.6 million years ago to the present): The youngest division, which includes the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs.23
While the Cenozoic was traditionally divided into the Tertiary Period and the Quaternary, the International Commission on Stratigraphy now formally recognizes the Paleogene and Neogene as the standard periods that replace the former Tertiary designation.423