Cenozoic Era

65 million years ago to the present

THE CENOZOIC ERA

Plate Tectonics

The Cenozoic Era (aka " Recent Life") is the last of three geologic eras that covers 10% of the earth's geologic history. This era started about 65 million years ago (mya). It's divided into two time periods: the Tertiary and the Quaternary. During the last 65 million years Pangea broke out into the continents that we have today. The Atlantic Ocean opened up from a valley to an ocean. India moved across the Indian Ocean and hit Asia to form the Himalayan Mountains. North America and South America have traveled over part of the Pacific Ocean. The power of plate tectonics has crinkled the western coasts of both continents to form the Rocky Mountians and the Andes Mountains. Part of the Pacific sea floor has been pushed under the American continents creating the Cascade and Andes volcanoes. The Global climate has turned a little colder over the last few million years.

ZZoology

The era we live in today is called the Cenozoic. It is also called the "age of mammals". The Cenozoic era began 65 million ago and continues today. Before the humans evolved, the main animals in this era were whales, saber-tooth tigers, elephants and giant sloths. After 60 million year humans appeared. Since the dinosaurs disappearance there were many places for animals to live. In the Cenozoic era small mammals grew rapidly and pretty soon animals you see today occupied a lot of the earth.

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