Paleocene epoch

Paleocene Epoch

66-56 mya

What was the world like?

• The paleocene is most characterized by the age of mammals.
• Directly proceding the creatacous period, this epoch lacked dinosuars or any other dominant reptile group.
• This was a very warm epoch (if not the warmest) in earths history with barely any frost or true winters.
• This warm climate is due to the PETM.

• Split into 3 ages: the Danian, Selandian and Thanetian
• This time period is when placental mammals diverged from marsupials. (Placental Mammals = most mammals alive today)
• Large mammalian carnivores also emerged during this epoch. These are the ancestors of modern cats and dogs.
• Because of the lack of reptillian predators and competition, many giant mammal families formed as oppsed to the tiny rodent-like creatures of previous periods.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum occured in part during this epoch. This was caused by a massive amount of carbon being expelled into the atmosphere, although the sourch of that carbon is debated. This led to extreme warming and a hike in global temperature.

References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018217307836 https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/105.000000274