The Cenozoic Era

The Cenozoic Era began 66 million years ago and we are still living in it! Its name means "new life." After the dinosaurs went extinct, mammals got their chance to shine. They grew bigger and spread across the whole world.

Rise of the Mammals

When dinosaurs disappeared, mammals quickly filled the empty spaces. Some grew enormous. There were pig-sized horses and rhinos bigger than elephants. Whales evolved from small land animals into the biggest creatures in the ocean. Apes appeared and eventually evolved into humans.

A Changing World

During the Cenozoic, the continents moved to where they are today. India crashed into Asia and pushed up the Himalaya mountains. The climate slowly cooled, leading to the Ice Ages. Grasslands spread across the land. Humans appeared about 300,000 years ago, very recently in Earth's history.

Fun Facts

• The Cenozoic Era is sometimes called the "Age of Mammals."
• Early horses were only about the size of a small dog.
• The Himalaya mountains formed during this era when India crashed into Asia.

Did You Know?

If all of Earth's history were squeezed into one year, humans would not appear until the last few minutes of December 31st. We are very new compared to life on Earth!