Paleogene

The Paleogene is the lowest chronostratigraphic system and the oldest geochronological period of the Cenozoic era and lasted about 66 million years to the early Neogene, in approximately 23.03 million years.

At the beginning of the Paleogene occurred after the extinction of large dinosaurs to the development of birds and a considerable differentiation of mammals, formerly of small forms in the last Cretaceous to the dominant land animals. Towards the end of the Paleogene, the mammoths were the largest land mammals. The individual continents were initially isolated, over a land bridge between Africa and Eurasia that formed 27 million years ago, the animals, however, could spread widely again. Only Australia and Antarctica took a different development.

Subdivision

The Paleogene is further divided into:

  • System: Paleogene ( 66 to 23.03 mya ) Series: Oligocene ( 33.9 to 23.03 mya ) Level: Chattian ( 28.1 to 23.03 mya )
  • Level: Rupelium ( 33.9 to 28.1 mya )
  • Level: Priabonium ( 38 to 33.9 mya )
  • Level: Bartonium ( 41.3 to 38 mya )
  • Level: Lutetium ( 47.8 to 41.3 mya )
  • Level: Ypresium ( 56 to 47.8 mya )
  • Level: Thanetium ( 59.2 to 56 mya )
  • Level: Seelandium ( 61.6 to 59.2 mya )
  • Level: Danian ( 66 to 61.6 mya )

Paleogene and Neogene were previously combined to the system of the Tertiary. The term " tertiary " is, however, now used by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS ) is no longer used and Paleogene and Neogene are now being used in the hierarchical ranking of systems.

Paleogeography

In the Paleogene the continents participated in about a their present positions. North and South America were still connected through Central America, and Africa and Eurasia were still separated by the continuously narrowing Tethys. Australia and Antarctica had been solved, but were still close together. The Indian plate collided with the Eurasian and formed the Himalayas. Large areas in North America, Eurasia and Africa silted up, from the islands of Europe a contiguous land area slowly began to form.

Mya (unit) Aquitanian (stage) Bartonian Maastrichtian Australia (continent)
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