Paleogene Period | Vibepedia

The Paleogene Period, spanning from 66 to 23.04 million years ago, marks the critical first chapter of the Cenozoic Era, immediately following the cataclysmic Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This 43-million-year epoch witnessed a dramatic reshaping of Earth's ecosystems, characterized by the explosive diversification of mammals, birds, and flowering plants. It is subdivided into three epochs: the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene. During this time, continents continued their drift towards their present positions, and global climates underwent significant fluctuations, from hothouse conditions in the early Eocene to a cooling trend by the Oligocene. The Paleogene laid the foundational biological and geological groundwork for the world we inhabit today, fundamentally altering the planet's biosphere and geomorphology.