when did the current geologic epoch begin and what event marked its beginning
Holocene The Holocene ( /ˈhɒləˌsiːn, ˈhoʊ-/)[2][3] is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 years before present, after the last glacial period.[4] The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene[5] together form the Quaternary period. The Holocene has been identified with the current warm period, known as MIS 1, and is considered by some to be an interglacial period.
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( /ˈplaɪstəˌsiːn, -toʊ-/,[4] often colloquially referred to as the Ice Age) is the geological epoch which lasted from about 2,588,000 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.