Holocene Epoch

Holocene Epoch

Holocene Epoch

11,700 Years Ago - Today

The Holocene Epoch is currently the shortest epoch in geological time. That's partially because it's still continuing today. And as such, the overall climate, atmosphere, and landscape is very similar to that of today. Temperatures peaked at around 2 degrees Celsius higher than they are today, and the climate has remained relatively stable overall. Humans are the definining part of the Holocene Epoch, as it corresponds with the rapid growth and impact of the human species. The slight warming of the Earth caused larger mammals, like the wooly mammoth, to go extinct, however smaller mammals, like deer, still thrive to this day. An interesting thing to note about this epoch is that it may have already ended; the Anthropocene Epoch is being discussed as a way to note human involvement in the changing climate and landscape of life on Earth. If the Anthropocene becomes an official epoch, then the Holocene would have already ended in 1950, making it an extremely short epoch.

The Shortest Epoch

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