The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age informally, denotes the geological epoch spanning approximately 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, characterized by recurring glaciations on Earth. Before 2009, the Pleistocene-Pliocene boundary was considered to be 1.806 million years Before Present (BP), and publications before this may use either definition. This epoch concluded with the last glacial period and the end of the Paleolithic age in archaeology. Its name originates from Ancient Greek, combining "pleîstos," meaning "most," and "kainós," meaning "new." At the end of the Pliocene epoch, the North and South American continents connected via the Isthmus of Panama, leading to a faunal interchange and shifts in ocean circulation, initiating Northern Hemisphere glaciation around 2.7 million years ago. In the Early Pleistocene (2.58–0.8 Ma), early humans of the Homo genus emerged in Africa and dispersed across Afro-Eurasia. The Mid-Pleistocene Transition marked a shift from 41,000-year to 100,000-year glacial cycles, intensifying climate variability. During the Late Pleistocene, modern humans migrated beyond Africa, coinciding with the extinction of other human species. Humans also reached Australia and the Americas, coinciding with the extinction of numerous large animals in these regions. Continuing the Neogene trends, the Pleistocene experienced aridification and cooling. The climate fluctuated markedly across glacial cycles, with sea levels dropping up to 120 meters below current levels during peak glaciation, facilitating connections like Beringia between Asia and North America and covering much of northern North America with the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

Pleistocene - Wikipedia