Holocene
Holocene
Holocene (/ˈhɒl.əˌsiːn, ˈhoʊ-/; from Greek: ὅλος, holos, "whole" and καινός, kainos, "new") is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years before present, after the last major ice age (the Pleistocene), and continues to the present day.
Etymology
The term "Holocene" is derived from the Greek words holos (whole) and kainos (new), meaning "entirely recent". It was first used in 1833 by Sir Charles Lyell, a Scottish geologist and lawyer, who needed a term to describe the most recent periods of the Earth's history when there was no significant ice age.
Description
The Holocene is the second epoch of the Quaternary period, following the Pleistocene. It is characterized by the expansion of human civilizations, the development of agriculture, and the widespread alteration of the Earth's surface due to human activity. The Holocene also encompasses the growth and impacts of the human species worldwide, including all its written history, development of major civilizations, and overall significant transition toward urban living in the present.
Related Terms
- Anthropocene: Some scientists propose that the human impact on Earth's climate and ecosystems has been so significant that the Holocene should give way to the Anthropocene epoch.
- Pleistocene: The geological epoch which lasted from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the world's most recent period of repeated glaciations.
- Quaternary: The current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS).
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Holocene
- Wikipedia's article - Holocene
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