Pleistocene

Pleistocene‏‎

Geologic time period The Pleistocene is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the world's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The end of the Pleistocene corresponds with the end of the last glacial period and also with the end of the Paleolithic age used in archaeology. Occurred: 2.58 million years ago - 0.012 million years ago Period: Quaternary

Ages: Gelasian, Calabrian , Middle Pleistocene , Late Pleistocene

The Pleistocene ( /ˈplaɪs.təˌsiːn, -toʊ-/ PLYSE-tə-seen, -⁠toh-, often colloquially referred to as the Ice Age) is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the world's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The end of the Pleistocene corresponds with the end of the last glacial period and also with the end of the Paleolithic age used in archaeology.

The Pleistocene is the first epoch of the Quaternary Period or sixth epoch of the Cenozoic Era. In the ICS timescale, the Pleistocene is divided into four stages or ages, the Gelasian, Calabrian, Middle Pleistocene (unofficially the "Chibanian"), and Upper Pleistocene (unofficially the "Tarantian"). In addition to this international subdivision, various regional subdivisions are often used.

Before a change finally confirmed in 2009 by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the time boundary between the Pleistocene and the preceding Pliocene was regarded as being at 1.806 million years Before Present (BP), as opposed to the currently accepted 2.58 million years BP. Publications from the preceding years may use either definition of the period.