The Neogene is the geologic period that preceded the current Quaternary period. Lasting from about 23 to 2.6 million years ago, it concluded with the emergence of the first hominids in eastern Africa.
As the second period of the Cenozoic era, the Neogene was characterized by the emergence of the earliest species of the modern horse, Equus, and megafauna such as giant crocodilians. The period's name was coined in 1853 by Moritz Hörnes, derived from the Greek neo, meaning "new," and genos, meaning "kind" or "lineage." During the Neogene, the Isthmus of Panama formed, linking North and South America and redirecting ocean currents in ways that helped initiate a long-term global cooling trend.