Pliocene

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Pliocene
5.333 ± 0.08 – 2.58 ± 0.04 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
A map of Earth as it appeared 5 million years ago during the Pliocene Epoch, Zanclean Age
Chronology
−24 — – −22 — – −20 — – −18 — – −16 — – −14 — – −12 — – −10 — – −8 — – −6 — – −4 — – −2 — C e n o z o i c P g N e o g e n e Q Oligocene M i o c e n e P l i o. Pleistocene Aquitanian Burdigalian Langhian Serravallian Tortonian Messinian Zanclean Piacenzian         ← Messinian salinity crisis[1] ← North American prairie expands[2] Subdivision of the Neogene according to the ICS, as of 2023.[3] Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago
Etymology
Name formality	Formal
Usage information
Celestial body	Earth
Regional usage	Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used	ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit	Epoch
Stratigraphic unit	Series
Time span formality	Formal
Lower boundary definition	Base of the Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n), which is only 96 ka (5 precession cycles) younger than the GSSP
Lower boundary GSSP	Heraclea Minoa section, Heraclea Minoa, Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy 37°23′30″N 13°16′50″E / 37.3917°N 13.2806°E / 37.3917; 13.2806
Lower GSSP ratified	2000[4]
Upper boundary definition	Base of magnetic polarity chronozone C2r (Matuyama) Extinction of the Haptophytes Discoaster pentaradiatus and Discoaster surculus
Upper boundary GSSP	Monte San Nicola Section, Gela, Sicily, Italy 37°08′49″N 14°12′13″E / 37.1469°N 14.2035°E / 37.1469; 14.2035
Upper GSSP ratified	2009 (as base of Quaternary and Pleistocene)[5]

The Pliocene ( /ˈplaɪ.əsiːn, ˈplaɪ.oʊ-/ PLY-ə-seen, PLY-oh-;^[6][7] also Pleiocene)^[8] is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58^[9] million years ago (Ma). It is the second and most recent epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch. Prior to the 2009 revision of the geologic time scale, which placed the four most recent major glaciations entirely within the Pleistocene, the Pliocene also included the Gelasian Stage, which lasted from 2.59 to 1.81 Ma, and is now included in the Pleistocene.^[10]

As with other older geologic periods, the geological strata that define the start and end are well-identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the epoch are slightly uncertain. The boundaries defining the Pliocene are not set at an easily identified worldwide event but rather at regional boundaries between the warmer Miocene and the relatively cooler Pleistocene. The upper boundary was set at the start of the Pleistocene glaciations.