Posttertiäre
Posttertiäre refers to a geological epoch that follows the Tertiary period. In the older geological timescale, the Tertiary and Quaternary periods were grouped together as the Neogene period. However, current geological classifications generally consider the Quaternary period to be distinct and following the Tertiary. Therefore, "posttertiäre" would encompass the Quaternary period and any subsequent, yet undefined, geological time. The Tertiary period itself is typically divided into the Paleogene and Neogene sub-periods. The posttertiäre, therefore, represents the most recent period of Earth's history following these divisions.
The most significant characteristic of the posttertiäre, as it is currently understood through the Quaternary period,