The Fossil History of Australia   Cainozoic Era (called Cenozoic in the USA) 66.4 million years ago to present

The Cainozoic Era consists of the following periods:

• Tertiary (66.4 to 1.8 million years ago).

  • The Tertiary Period includes the following Epochs:

    • Paleocene (66.4 to 58 million years ago)

    • Eocene (58 to 36.7 million years ago)

    • Oligocene (36.7 to 23.5 million years ago)

    • Miocene (23.5 to 5.3 million years ago)

    • Pliocene (5.3 to 1.8 million years ago)

• Quaternary (1.8 million years ago to present).

  • The Quaternary Period includes the following Epochs:

    • Pleistocene (1.8 million to 10,000 years ago)

    • Recent (the last 10,000 years)