Overview
The Eocene Epoch is a major division of the geologic timescale that spanned from 56–34 million years ago. It is marked as the end of the Paleocene Epoch and the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. During the Eocene, global temperatures were warmer than they are today and many organisms flourished, including early primates and proto-horses. It saw the evolution of modern birds and the emergence of modern whales. This period also witnessed the split between the Old World and New World monkeys and the diversification of early mammalian lineages. Many fossils and evidence of ancient vegetation have been found from this time, enabling researchers to reconstruct the environment of the Eocene Epoch. It has become an invaluable source of information for understanding the effects of climate change and evolution.