Eocene epoch
Proper noun A major division of geological time within the Paleogene Period, lasting from approximately 56 to 33.9 million years ago. It is characterized by a warm global climate and the emergence and diversification of many modern mammalian orders following the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The term "Eocene Epoch" is used as a proper noun to refer to this specific geological time interval. It is typically used in scientific, academic, and educational contexts related to geology, paleontology, and evolutionary biology.
- The Eocene Epoch was a time of significant mammalian evolution.
- Fossils from the Eocene Epoch show the first appearances of modern groups like horses and whales.
- Researchers study climate proxies to understand the greenhouse conditions of the Eocene Epoch.
- In formal scientific dating: The term is used with precise numerical ages. (e.g., "The event occurred during the early Eocene Epoch, around 50 million years ago.")
- As an adjective ("Eocene"): The adjectival form is commonly used to describe things from that time. (e.g., "Eocene climate," "Eocene fossils").
- Eocene (adj/n): The adjectival form and a common shorthand for the epoch itself. (e.g., "Eocene rocks"; "during the Eocene").
- Paleogene Period: The broader geological period that contains the Eocene Epoch.
- Paleocene Epoch: The epoch immediately before the Eocene.
- Oligocene Epoch: The epoch immediately after the Eocene.
- Eocene (when used as a noun)
- Eocene Age (less common, but occasionally used in a similar sense)
The term "Eocene Epoch" has a single, specific meaning in geology and paleontology. It does not have idiomatic or colloquial meanings. The name derives from Greek (ēōs meaning "dawn" and kainos meaning "new"), referring to the "dawn of new" modern mammalian life.
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from 58 million to 40 million years ago; presence of modern mammals
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