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

Similarly, a 2021 study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment found that past extinction rates for freshwater animals and plants today is three orders of magnitude higher than it was during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event which killed all of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

From Salon

A 2021 study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment found that the average predicted extinction rate for freshwater animals and plants today is three orders of magnitude higher than it was 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

From Salon

Similarly, a 2021 study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment reported that the average predicted extinction rate for freshwater animals and plants today is three orders of magnitude higher than it was 66 million years ago, when the dinosaurs famously went extinct during the so-called Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

From Salon

The Paleogene saw the rise of mammals.

From Seattle Times

Similarly, a 2021 study published in the peer reviewed journal Communications Earth & Environment found that in many cases, human-caused factors are driving extinction at a rate that surpasses that of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event — that is, the mass extinction 66 million years caused when an asteroid collided with Earth, killing most of the dinosaurs.

From Salon