Holocene

The Holocene is the current geological epoch. It began about 11,700 years ago. It came after the Last Glacial Period ended.

The Holocene is also called the Age of Humans. During this time, humans spread around the world. People created written history, developed new technologies, built large societies, and started living in cities.

The natural world changed a lot during the Holocene. Many large animals disappeared, mostly because of human actions. In 2018, scientists divided the Holocene into three smaller ages: the Greenlandian, Northgrippian, and Meghalayan. Each of these ages had different weather patterns that affected the Earth and the people living there.

Etymology

The word "Holocene" comes from Ancient Greek. "Holo" means "whole," and "cene" is a suffix used for naming time periods. Together, it means "entirely new."

Overview

The International Commission on Stratigraphy says the Holocene is the current time period in Earth's history. It began about 11,700 years ago. It came after the Pleistocene and the last glacial period.

The Holocene has five parts based on changes in climate: the Preboreal, Boreal, Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic.

Some scientists think we may now be in a new time period called the Anthropocene. This would show how humans have changed the Earth. But this idea is not yet part of the official geological time scale.

Geology

The Holocene is a time period that came after the Pleistocene. During this time, melting ice made sea levels to rise by about 35 meters at first and then by another 30 meters. This rise in water covered places that are now far from the ocean. It left behind sea fossils in areas like Vermont and Michigan.

In places where heavy glaciers once sat, the ground slowly rose back up. This uplift is still happening and can cause small earthquakes in areas like Northern Europe. Also, Hudson Bay in North America got smaller from an ancient sea called the Tyrrell Sea to its size today.

Climate

The climate during the Holocene epoch, which began about 11,700 years ago, has changed in many ways. Temperatures were mostly more stable than during the ice age, but there were still big shifts. For example, oceans and glaciers helped create patterns of warmer and cooler times, like the Little Ice Age from the 14th to the mid-19th century.

People also had a big effect on the climate. As humans started farming and cutting down forests, they changed the land. Later, during the Industrial Revolution, factories added gases that made the Earth warmer. These changes continued to shape our climate through the years.

Ecological developments

The Holocene epoch saw many large animal species disappear, especially outside of Africa. These changes happened during a time called the Late Pleistocene and continued into the early Holocene. Animals like the giant deer and woolly mammoths were among those that did not survive.

One important climate event during the Holocene was the 8.2-ka event. This was a sudden cold period that lasted about 400 years. It may have been caused by a huge lake called Lake Agassiz melting and sending cold water into the North Atlantic ocean. This changed ocean currents and affected climates around the world.

Human developments

Further information: Timeline of prehistory and Human history

The Holocene epoch brought big changes to how humans lived. During this time, people began to stay in one place instead of moving around. This happened because they started to grow plants and raise animals. Farming allowed people to live in villages and towns, helping them build a more stable life.

Many important cultures began during the Holocene. In places like Europe, the Middle East, and Anatolia, people developed new ways of living. They created tools like the bow and arrow and built some of the oldest towns we know of, such as Tell es-Sultan (Jericho). These changes laid the foundation for the world we live in today.

Extinction event

The Holocene extinction is a loss of many plant and animal species. This loss is caused by human activity. It affects many types of life, such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Because humans have changed many habitats, most of these extinctions may have gone unnoticed. Scientists think this extinction is happening much faster than natural extinction rates.