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Miocene Epoch
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Miocene Epoch Article

Miocene Epoch summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Miocene Epoch.

Miocene Epoch, Major division of the Neogene Period, from 23 million 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 World and the New. Free communication was possible between Africa and Eurasia, but South America and Australia remained isolated.