Cenozoic

The Cenozoic Era is the current segment of geological time, beginning 66 million years ago following the catastrophic mass extinction that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. Often dubbed the "Age of Mammals", this era saw small, surviving mammal species rapidly diversify and expand into the ecological niches vacated by giant reptiles. Birds, insects, and flowering plants also flourished across the planet. Geologically, continents drifted into their modern configurations; the collision of India with Asia thrust up the Himalayas, while the Alps formed in Europe. The climate transitioned from a warm, greenhouse world into a cooler period characterized by cyclical ice ages. Crucially, the Cenozoic includes the evolution of hominids and the eventual rise of modern humans. It is divided into three major periods: the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary.