Paleocene

[ pey-lee-uh-seen or, esp. British, pal-ee- ]
/ ˈpeɪ li əˌsin or, esp. British, ˈpæl i- /
Geology

adjective

noting or pertaining to an epoch of the Tertiary Period, from 65 to 55 million years ago, and characterized by a proliferation of mammals.

noun

the Paleocene Epoch or Series.

Origin of Paleocene

First recorded in 1875–80; paleo- + -cene

Example sentences from the Web for paleocene

Scientific definitions for paleocene

Paleocene
[ pālē-ə-sēn′ ]

The earliest epoch of the Tertiary Period, from about 65 to 58 million years ago. During this time, the Rocky Mountains formed and sea levels dropped, exposing dry land in North America, Australia, and Africa. Many new types of small mammals evolved and filled the niches left empty after the extinctions that ended the Cretaceous Period. Soft-bodied squid replaced the ammonites as the dominant form of mollusk. See Chart at geologic time.