Cenozoic ENG

The Cenozoic period started 66 million years ago, spanning until present. It is divided into three units: Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary.

Paleogene and Neogene

During Paleogene and Neogene (formerly called Tertiary), the ongoing collision of lithospheric plates caused continuing Alpine orogeny, forming many famous mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, the Alps, the Carpathians, the Pamir Mountains, etc. Paleogene is typical for very hot and humid climate continued from Cretaceous. In contrast, Neogene was a period of big temperature decrease. Some Angiosperms (flowering plants) reached the milestone, especially grasses, pines, etc. Subtropical forests covered most of Europe. Dinosaur extinct at the end of Mesozoic and mammals became the dominant part of fauna, as well as giant birds. At the end of Neogene, the first ancestors of humans appeared. Tertiary deposits are rare in our territory, there are only poor relicts. However, thanks to tectonic movements caused by the Alpine orogeny, magma frequently reached the surface, forming various types of volcanoes. These continue to be dominant features of the landscape in the Bohemian Paradise until present.