Holocene

E15266
epoch of the Quaternary Period geological epoch

The Holocene is the current geological epoch, beginning around 11,700 years ago, characterized by relatively stable climate conditions and the development of human civilizations.

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Observed surface forms (8)

Surface form Occurrences
Holocene epoch 14
Late Holocene 4
Early Holocene 1

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf epoch of the Quaternary Period ⓘ
geological epoch ⓘ
biota modern flora and fauna distributions ⓘ
characterizedBy development of human civilizations ⓘ
expansion of agriculture ⓘ
interglacial conditions ⓘ
rapid human population growth ⓘ
relatively stable climate ⓘ
rise of urban societies ⓘ
significant anthropogenic environmental change ⓘ
climateType warm period relative to preceding Pleistocene glaciations ⓘ
containsEvent 4.2 kiloyear event ⓘ
8.2 kiloyear event ⓘ
Great Acceleration ⓘ
Holocene climatic optimum ⓘ
Industrial Revolution ⓘ
Neolithic Revolution ⓘ
development of writing systems ⓘ
duration on the order of 11,700 years so far ⓘ
etymology from Greek words meaning "entirely recent" ⓘ
follows Pleistocene ⓘ
hasBoundaryDefinition defined by changes in Greenland ice core records ⓘ
defined by end of Younger Dryas cold event ⓘ
hasChronostratigraphicUnit Holocene self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Holocene Series
hasFormalStatus formal chronostratigraphic unit ⓘ
hasStage Greenlandian ⓘ
Meghalayan ⓘ
Northgrippian ⓘ
includes development of complex states and empires ⓘ
entire history of recorded human civilization ⓘ
modern climate and sea-level conditions ⓘ
isPartOf Cenozoic ⓘ
surface form: Cenozoic Era

Phanerozoic Eon ⓘ
languageOfName Greek ⓘ
partOf Quaternary period ⓘ
surface form: Quaternary Period
precededBy Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
surface form: Pleistocene
recognizedBy International Commission on Stratigraphy ⓘ
International Union of Geological Sciences ⓘ
relatedConcept Anthropocene ⓘ
seaLevelChange postglacial sea-level rise ⓘ
relative stabilization of sea level in mid to late Holocene ⓘ
startTime approximately 11,700 years ago ⓘ
approximately 9700 BCE ⓘ
end of the last glacial period ⓘ
timeScaleUnit epoch on the geologic time scale ⓘ

Referenced by (52)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

this entity surface form: Holocene epoch
this entity surface form: Holocene epoch