Pliocene
[ plahy-uh-seen ]
/ ˈplaɪ əˌsin /
adjective
noting or pertaining to an epoch of the Tertiary Period, occurring from 10 to 2 million years ago, and characterized by increased size and numbers of mammals, by the growth of mountains, and by global climatic cooling.
noun
the Pliocene Epoch or Series.
OTHER WORDS FROM Pliocene
post-Pli·o·cene, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for pliocene
British Dictionary definitions for pliocene
Pliocene
Pleiocene
/ (ˈplaɪəʊˌsiːn) /
adjective
of, denoting, or formed in the last epoch of the Tertiary period, which lasted for three million years, during which many modern mammals appeared
noun
the Pliocene
the Pliocene epoch or rock series
Word Origin for Pliocene
C19:
plio- +
-cene, from Greek
kainos recent
Scientific definitions for pliocene
Pliocene
[ plī′ə-sēn′ ]
The fifth and last epoch of the Tertiary Period, from about 5 to 2 million years ago. During this time the global climate became cooler and the number and expanse of grasslands and savannas increased greatly. This change in vegetation was accompanied by an increase in long-legged grazers. The land bridge between North America and South America also formed at this time, and massive ice sheets accumulated at the poles. In the later part of the epoch many of the species living in polar regions became extinct. See Chart at geologic time.