Oligocene
/ˈɒl.ɪ.ɡə.siːn/noun
The geological epoch approximately 33.9 to 23 million years ago, following the Eocene and preceding the Miocene.
Did you know?The name was coined in the nineteenth century because its fossil record appeared to contain relatively few new mammalian groups compared with the dramatic diversification of the Eocene.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
olígos
“Few; small in number”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kainós
“New; recent”
1854
German
Oligozän
“A geological period characterized by relatively few newly appearing mammalian forms”
Late 19th Century
Scientific Latin
Oligocenus
“Pertaining to the Oligocene geological division”
Modern English
English
Oligocene
“The epoch from about 33.9 to 23 million years ago, marked by major climatic and evolutionary changes”
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