1. What is the Quaternary?

The Quaternary is the youngest geological period. It started 2.6 million of years ago and it last till now. It has two parts, the older - Pleistocene (from 2.6 mil. years till 11.5 thousands before present), and younger - Holocene (11.5 thousands before present till now). In the Quaternary evolution of the human was under way and the anthropogenic impact on the Earth started.

The period of the late Tertiary and the Quaternary are characterised by significant climate oscillation with the displays of the alternation of cold and dry glacial periods and warm and humid interglacial periods. The Pleistocene was characterised by the global distinct climate oscillations (more than 100 cold and warm events). On contrary, the Holocene is climatically more stable and generally a warm period. The glacials were longer than interglacials, the erosion events were shorter than the periods of accumulation.


Fig. 1. Global surface temperatures during the Cenozoic era (last 65 million of years. The global temperature was decreasing continuously from beginning of the Tertiary (50 mil. of years ago).

The earliest documented representative of the genus Homo (Homo habilis) evolved around 2.8 million years ago. The first of the hominin line to leave Africa, spreading throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe between 1.3 to 1.8 million years ago. A anatomical modern human emerged approximately 100 thousands years ago.