The period of geologic time that began about 24 million years ago and ended approximately ten million years ago
A epoch of the upper Tertiary period, spanning the time between 23 8 and 5 3 million years ago It is named after the Greek words "meion" (less) and "ceno" (new)
8 to 5.3 million years ago. The extensive fossil record of terrestrial life during the Miocene provides a fairly complete picture of the development of vertebrates, especially mammals. Miocene mammals were essentially modern, and half of the known modern families are present in the Miocene record. The horse evolved, mainly in North America, and advanced primates, including apes, were present in southern Europe. Some interchange of faunas occurred in the Northern Hemisphere between the Old and New Worlds. Free communication was possible between Africa and Eurasia, but South America and Australia remained isolated