The Paleocene is a geological epoch within the Paleogene Period, spanning approximately 66 to 56 million years ago, immediately following the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary. It is defined stratigraphically by the recovery and radiation of biota after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction and is subdivided into the Danian, Selandian, and Thanetian ages. The Paleocene is characterized by globally warm greenhouse climates, the progressive diversification of mammals, birds, and angiosperms, and distinct marine microfossil assemblages used for biostratigraphic correlation. Its upper boundary is marked by significant carbon-cycle perturbations leading into the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum.
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