Miocene
[ mahy-uh-seen ]
/ ˈmaɪ əˌsin /
adjective
noting or pertaining to an epoch of the Tertiary Period, occurring from 25 to 10 million years ago, when grazing mammals became widespread.
noun
the Miocene Epoch or Series.
Origin of Miocene
OTHER WORDS FROM Miocene
post-Mi·o·cene, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for miocene
British Dictionary definitions for miocene
Miocene
/ (ˈmaɪəˌsiːn) /
adjective
of, denoting, or formed in the fourth epoch of the Tertiary period, between the Oligocene and Pliocene epochs, which lasted for 19 million years
noun
the Miocene
this epoch or rock series
Word Origin for Miocene
C19: from Greek
meiōn less +
-cene
Scientific definitions for miocene
Miocene
[ mī′ə-sēn′ ]
The fourth epoch of the Tertiary Period, from about 24 to 5 million years ago. During this time the climate was warmer than it had been in the Oligocene, and kelp forests and grasslands first developed. With the isolation of Antarctica, a circumpolar ocean current was established in the southern Hemisphere, reducing the amount of mixing of cold polar water and warm equatorial water and causing a buildup of ice sheets in Antarctica. The African-Arabian plate became connected to Asia, closing the seaway which had previously separated Africa from Asia. Mammalian diversity was at its peak. See Chart at geologic time.