how many periods are in the ceonozoic era?

Question

i have a report to do and some pages say its 3: quaternary, Neogene, and Paleogene. While others say 2:quaternary and tertiary. i dont know which is correct or which page is the most recent. can u guys plz help me? and if u have ne useful sites for the Geologic timescale or the geologic history of new york state, that would b a huge help. thnx

Answer 1

The Cenozoic era (65.5 MYA - present) is divided into two periods, the Paleogene and the Neogene. These are also divided into epochs. The Paleogene period is divided into the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene epochs. The Neogene consists of the Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. We live in the Holocene epoch. The Cenozoic was formerly divided into the Tertiary and Quaternary periods, although most geologists no longer recognize them.

By the way, I am a HUGE nerd, and although I'm confident that my answer is correct, I cannot guarantee its accuracy.

Answer 2

There are two periods in the Cenozoic. The older, outdated classification was: The Tertiary (65 Ma to 1.6 Ma, where Ma stands for Mega Annum or million years) and the Quaternary (1.6 Ma to present). The newer, accepted classification is: The Paleogene (65 Ma to 24 Ma) and the Neogene (24 Ma to present).

Answer 3

It's being debated in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, and most of what it proposes on the issue gets a counter-proposal out of the International Union for Quaternary Research. In the mean time, most workers are just using whatever works best for them/whatever they are accustomed to.

As you get closer to the present time, more information is available in the geologic column so finer divisions can be made. The problem comes in when geologists working with marine deposits don't get the same event markers as geologists working with terrestrial deposits. Add to that the prestige of having your name officially attached to defining a division of time, and it turns into the scientific version of a professional wrestling promotional ad.

Here's one sample of the battle: http://www.inqua.tcd.ie/documents/QP%2016-1.pdf

Yep, that was the equivalent of a flying toe-hold I think.

Answer 4

The Cenozoic is divided into just two time periods: the Tertiary, and the Quaternary.

Answer 5

quarternary and tertiary I'm pretty sure, unless my science book was wrong -_-. maybe the neogene and paleogene are eras of the tertiary???