An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The → mass extinction event that destroyed the dinosaurs and a majority of other species on Earth approximately 65 million years ago. This event is believed to have been the impact of a 10 km-size → asteroid or → comet nucleus and its aftereffects, including a severe → impact winter. The collision would have released the energy equivalent to 100 million megatonnes (teratonnes) of → TNT, i.e. more than 10⁹ times the energy of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Same as the → Cretaceous-Tertiary event.

→ Cretaceous; → Paleogene; → extinction; → event.

A period of → geologic time lasting about 42 million years, roughly from 65 to 23 million years ago. The Paleogene is most notable as being the time in which mammals evolved from relatively small, simple forms into a large group of diverse animals in the wake of the → Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that ended the preceding → Cretaceous period. Birds also evolved considerably during this period, changing into roughly modern forms.

Literally "ancient birth," from → paleo- + -gene, → gene.