FossilsExplore our collection of fossils by time period
Holocene (11,700 years ago to the present)
We are currently living in the Holocene epoch. In this section, you'll find fossils of familiar animals, many of which are still living on Earth today.
Pleistocene (2.58 million to 11,700 years ago)
The Pleistocene epoch was relatively recent in Earth’s history. Much of the natural world looked familiar to the one we know today, and many modern animals existed in some form or fashion during this time. However, the Pleistocene is associated with large, sometimes strange looking animals called megafauna. Among these are the giant ground sloth, wooly mammoth, and dire wolf. Other noteworthy animals from this time are saber tooth cats and even several species of early humans like Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) and Homo sapiens (modern humans).
Pliocene (5.33 to 2.58 million years ago)
The Pliocene epoch acted as a transition from the warm climate of the Miocene to the colder temperatures of the Pleistocene. During this time, grasslands and herding animals began to flourish. This time period also saw the development of early human ancestors like Australopithecus.
Miocene (23 million to 5.3 million years ago)
The Miocene was a time of geologic and climate change. Dense forest environments shrank while grasslands spread, the climate became cooler and drier, and tectonic movement caused the formation of new mountain ranges like the Himalayas and Andes ranges.
Oligocene (33.9 million to 23 million years ago)
During the Oligocene, sea levels lowered considerably as permafrost formed at the Earth’s North and South Poles. With more exposed land, there was room for early horse and rhinoceros relatives, oreodonts, and other mammals to roam.