Quaternary period

E33564
geologic period

The Quaternary period is the most recent division of geologic time, characterized by repeated ice ages, the evolution and global spread of modern humans, and significant climatic fluctuations over the last 2.6 million years.

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Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
Quaternary 14
Quaternary Period 4
Pleistocene to Holocene 2

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf geologic period ⓘ
associatedWith Antarctic ice sheet expansion ⓘ
Northern Hemisphere ice sheets ⓘ
formation of modern river systems ⓘ
human-induced environmental change in late Holocene ⓘ
loess deposition ⓘ
permafrost development ⓘ
baseDefinedBy Gauss–Matuyama geomagnetic reversal ⓘ
marine isotope stage 103 ⓘ
characterizedBy development of modern ecosystems ⓘ
evolution of Homo sapiens ⓘ
global climatic fluctuations ⓘ
global spread of modern humans ⓘ
major ice ages ⓘ
megafaunal extinctions ⓘ
orbital forcing of climate ⓘ
repeated glacial–interglacial cycles ⓘ
sea level fluctuations ⓘ
climateDriver Milankovitch cycles ⓘ
greenhouse gas concentration changes ⓘ
ice sheet dynamics ⓘ
contains Holocene climatic optimum ⓘ
Last Glacial Maximum ⓘ
Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
surface form: Last Interglacial (Eemian)

Little Ice Age ⓘ
Younger Dryas cold event ⓘ
current interglacial ⓘ
definedBy International Commission on Stratigraphy ⓘ
duration about 2.58 million years ⓘ
endTime present ⓘ
follows Neogene ⓘ
surface form: Neogene period
hasEpoch Holocene ⓘ
surface form: Holocene epoch

Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
includesTaxonEvent Denisovan extinction ⓘ
Late Quaternary megafaunal extinction ⓘ
Neanderthal extinction ⓘ
domestication of plants and animals ⓘ
emergence of genus Homo ⓘ
evolution of anatomically modern humans ⓘ
rise of human civilizations ⓘ
partOf Cenozoic ⓘ
surface form: Cenozoic Era
precedes Holocene ⓘ
surface form: Holocene epoch
startTime Pleistocene epoch onset ⓘ
approximately 2.58 million years ago ⓘ
stratotypeSection Vrica section, Calabria, Italy ⓘ
subdividedInto Holocene ⓘ
surface form: Early Holocene

Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
surface form: Early Pleistocene

Holocene ⓘ
surface form: Late Holocene

Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
surface form: Late Pleistocene

Holocene climatic optimum ⓘ
surface form: Middle Holocene

Pleistocene epoch ⓘ
surface form: Middle Pleistocene

Referenced by (29)

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

Phanerozoic Eon → contains → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary Period
Lake Bolsena → formationPeriod → Quaternary period ⓘ
Pleistocene epoch → geochronologicUnitOf → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary glaciation
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Barú → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Ceboruco → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Chimborazo → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Pleistocene to Holocene
Diamond Head → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
El Misti volcano → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
subject surface form: El Misti
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Mount Shasta → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Poás → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Puy de Sancy → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
South Sister → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Pleistocene to Holocene
Three Sisters → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Tupungatito volcano → geologicalAge → Quaternary period ⓘ
subject surface form: Tupungatito
this entity surface form: Quaternary
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Glyptostrobus → geologicalTimeRange → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
this entity surface form: Quaternary Period
Puy de Sancy → lastEruption → Quaternary period ⓘ
Holocene → partOf → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary Period
Pleistocene epoch → partOf → Quaternary period ⓘ
Greenlandian → period → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Pliocene epoch → precedes → Quaternary period ⓘ
Cenozoic → subdividedInto → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary Period
Meghalayan → subdivisionOf → Quaternary period ⓘ
Northgrippian → subdivisionOf → Quaternary period ⓘ
subject surface form: Great American Biotic Interchange
this entity surface form: Quaternary
Greenlandian → usedIn → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary stratigraphy
Northgrippian → usedIn → Quaternary period ⓘ
this entity surface form: Quaternary stratigraphy