Editing Pliocene (section)

{{Short description|Second epoch of the Neogene Period}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox geologic timespan
| name                         = Pliocene
| color                        = Pliocene
| time_start                   = 5.333
| time_start_uncertainty       = 0.08
| time_end                     = 2.58
| time_end_uncertainty         = 0.04
| image_map                    = Mollweide Paleographic Map of Earth, 5 Ma (Zanclean Age).png
| caption_map                  = A map of Earth as it appeared 5 million years ago during the Pliocene Epoch, Zanclean Age
| image_outcrop                =
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<!--Chronology-->  
| timeline                     = Neogene
| former_subdivisions          =
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| partially_contains           =
<!--Etymology-->
| name_formality               = Formal
| name_accept_date             =
| alternate_spellings          =
| synonym1                     =
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| synonym2                     =
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| former_names                 =
| proposed_names               =
<!--Usage Information--> 
| celestial_body               = earth
| usage                        = Global ([[International Commission on Stratigraphy|ICS]])
| timescales_used              = ICS Time Scale
| formerly_used_by             =
| not_used_by                  =
<!--Definition-->
| chrono_unit                  = Epoch
| strat_unit                   = Series
| proposed_by                  =
| timespan_formality           = Formal
| lower_boundary_def           = Base of the Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n), which is only 96 ka (5 precession cycles) younger than the GSSP
| lower_gssp_location          = Heraclea Minoa section, [[Heraclea Minoa]], [[Cattolica Eraclea]], [[Sicily]], [[Italy]]
| lower_gssp_coords            = {{Coord|37.3917|N|13.2806|E|display=inline}}
| lower_gssp_accept_date       = 2000<ref name="vancouvering_etal_2000">{{cite journal |last1=Van Couvering |first1=John |last2=Castradori |first2=Davide |last3=Cita |first3=Maria |last4=Hilgen |first4=Frederik |last5=Rio |first5=Domenico |title=The base of the Zanclean Stage and of the Pliocene Series |journal=Episodes |date=September 2000 |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=179–187 |doi=10.18814/epiiugs/2000/v23i3/005 |url=https://stratigraphy.org/gssps/files/zanclean.pdf|doi-access=free }}</ref>
| upper_boundary_def           = 
* Base of magnetic polarity chronozone C2r (Matuyama)
* Extinction of the [[Haptophyte]]s ''[[Discoaster|Discoaster pentaradiatus]]'' and ''[[Discoaster|Discoaster surculus]]''
| upper_gssp_location          = Monte San Nicola Section, [[Gela]], Sicily, Italy
| upper_gssp_coords            = {{Coord|37.1469|N|14.2035|E|display=inline}}
| upper_gssp_accept_date       = 2009 (as base of Quaternary and Pleistocene)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gibbard |first1=Philip |last2=Head |first2=Martin |title=The newly-ratified definition of the Quaternary System/Period and redefinition of the Pleistocene Series/Epoch, and comparison of proposals advanced prior to formal ratification |journal=Episodes |date=September 2010 |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=152–158 |doi=10.18814/epiiugs/2010/v33i3/002 |url=https://stratigraphy.org/gssps/files/quaternary-pleistocene.pdf |access-date=8 December 2020|doi-access=free }}</ref>
<!--Atmospheric and Climatic Data-->
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}}
{{Human history and prehistory}}

The '''Pliocene''' ({{IPAc-en|pron|ˈ|p|l|aɪ|.|ə|s|iː|n|,_|ˈ|p|l|aɪ|.|oʊ|-}} {{respell|PLY|ə|seen|,_|PLY|oh|-}};{{refn|{{cite Merriam-Webster|Pliocene}}}}{{refn|{{cite Dictionary.com|Pliocene}}}} also '''Pleiocene'''){{refn|{{cite Dictionary.com|Pleiocene}}}} is the [[epoch (geology)|epoch]] in the [[geologic time scale]] that extends from 5.33 to 2.58<ref name="ICS2014">[http://www.stratigraphy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2014-02.jpg See the 2014 version of the ICS geologic time scale] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530003756/http://www.stratigraphy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2014-02.jpg |date=2014-05-30 }}</ref> million years ago (Ma). It is the second and most recent epoch of the [[Neogene]] Period in the [[Cenozoic|Cenozoic Era]]. The Pliocene follows the [[Miocene]] Epoch and is followed by the [[Pleistocene]] Epoch. Prior to the 2009 revision of the geologic time scale, which placed the four most recent major glaciations entirely within the Pleistocene, the Pliocene also included the [[Gelasian]] Stage, which lasted from 2.59 to 1.81 Ma, and is now included in the Pleistocene.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Ogg, James George |author2=Ogg, Gabi |author3=Gradstein F. M. |title=The Concise Geologic Time Scale |year=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521898492 |pages=150–1}}</ref>

As with other older geologic periods, the [[Stratum|geological strata]] that define the start and end are well-identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the epoch are slightly uncertain. The boundaries defining the Pliocene are not set at an easily identified worldwide event but rather at regional boundaries between the warmer Miocene and the relatively cooler Pleistocene. The upper boundary was set at the start of the Pleistocene glaciations.