Eocene to Miocene Pronunciation
56-5 million years ago
The Eocene to Miocene span is part of the Cenozoic Era, the age of mammals that followed the extinction of non-bird dinosaurs. During this time, mammals diversified explosively into the ecological roles vacated by dinosaurs, and the world began to look more like it does today.
Fun Facts
- ✓Early horses the size of dogs appeared in the Eocene and gradually evolved into modern horses by the Miocene.
- ✓Whales evolved from land mammals during the Eocene, returning to the sea.
- ✓Giant predatory birds called terror birds filled the apex predator role in South America during this interval.
- ✓The first grasslands spread during the Miocene, driving the evolution of grazing mammals.
