Cainozoic
/ˌkaɪ.nəˈzoʊ.ɪk/noun
The current geological era, beginning about 66 million years ago and continuing to the present.
Did you know?The term was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots meaning “new” and “life,” so the name of our modern era is basically a scientific declaration that Earth had rebooted after mass extinction.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kainós
“new, fresh”
Ancient Greek
Greek
zōḗ
“life”
19th Century
English
Cainozoic
“a proposed geological era characterized by modern life”
Modern English
English
Cenozoic
“the geological era from the end of the dinosaurs to the present”