Paleogene

[ pey-lee-uh-jeen; especially British pal-ee- ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to the earlier part of the Cenozoic Era, in the system adopted by some geologists, occurring from 65 to 25 million years ago and including the Oligocene, Eocene, and Paleocene epochs: corresponds to the earlier part of the Tertiary Period in the system generally used in the U.S. Compare Neogene.

noun

1. the Paleogene Period or System.

Paleogene

/ pā′lē-ə-jēn′ /

1. The oldest of two subdivisions of the Tertiary Period, including the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene Epochs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Paleogene¹

1880–85; < German Paläogen, equivalent to paläo- paleo- + -gen (< Greek genésthai to be born); -gen

Example Sentences

One of the most intriguing aspects of this crater is that it is the same age as the giant Chicxulub event, give or take one million years, at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods 66 million years ago.

From Singularity Hub 

Above the boundary lay rocks of the Paleogene, which contain none of these creatures, but mark the beginning of the Age of Mammals, in which furry animals emerged to become the largest animals on land and in the seas.

From Nautilus