The
Pliocene (; also
Pleiocene)
Epoch (symbol P
O) is the epoch in the
geologic timescale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 million years
BP. It is the second and youngest epoch of the
Neogene Period in the
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 2.588 to 1.806 million years ago, and is now included in the Pleistocene.