Neogene

The Neogene is the geologic period from about 23 million years ago to the present, following the Paleogene. It includes the Miocene, Pliocene, and—under the current international timescale—the ongoing Pleistocene and Holocene epochs.

Miocene: The geologic epoch from about 23 million to 5.33 million years ago. It begins the Neogene and contains major ape diversification.
Neogene climate: The changing global climate patterns of the Neogene, including long-term cooling and regional aridification. It connects the period's environmental changes to shifting habitats and ecosystems.
Neogene mammal evolution: The diversification and ecological change of mammals during the Neogene. Changing habitats and climates drove major shifts in mammal communities.
East African Rift: A continental rift system extending through eastern Africa, formed by tectonic separation. Its Neogene landscapes preserve a rich record of hominin evolution.
Pliocene: The geologic epoch from about 5.33 million to 2.58 million years ago. It follows the Miocene and ends as northern ice sheets expand.
Messinian salinity crisis: The near-desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea between about 5.96 and 5.33 million years ago. It shows how changing ocean gateways transformed a major Neogene basin.
Grassland: An ecosystem dominated by grasses, with few trees or shrubs. Grasslands expanded across many regions during Neogene cooling and drying.
Hominin evolution: The evolutionary history of humans and their extinct relatives after divergence from other apes. Many key hominin fossils come from Neogene deposits in Africa.
Pleistocene: The geologic epoch from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, marked by repeated ice ages. It is the Neogene's long glacial epoch in the current timescale.
Isthmus of Panama: The land bridge joining North and South America, completed during the Neogene. Its formation altered ocean circulation and enabled faunal exchange between the continents.

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