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LITHOEN

Geological time unit

Holocene

The current epoch of the geological time scale, spanning roughly the last 11,700 years since the end of the last glacial period.

Classification

rank
epoch

How this record is known

2
Settled consensus
Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.

2 of 2 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.

What Lithoen records

Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.

Established11.7 ka before present

The base of the Holocene is placed at 11.7 thousand years before present on the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2024/12).

Not stated verbatim by the source — derived: 0.0117 Ma x 1000 ka/Ma = 11.7 ka

The chart states the base of the Holocene in Ma. This claim states the same boundary in ka, the unit conventional for the Holocene. The conversion is exact and introduces no precision the chart did not carry.

  • definition basis: International Chronostratigraphic Chart v2024/12, which lists the base of the Holocene at 0.0117 Ma.
  • precision note: The chart states that numerical ages are subject to ongoing revision and do not define units; GSSPs do.

Evidence support: Derived from the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Cohen 2024 Primary authority

Established0.0117–0 Ma before present

On the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2024/12), the Holocene spans 0.0117 to 0.0 million years before present.

  • definition basis: International Chronostratigraphic Chart v2024/12; the chronostratigraphic counterpart of the Holocene is the Holocene Series.
  • precision note: The chart states that numerical ages are subject to ongoing revision and do not define units; GSSPs do.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Cohen 2024 Primary authority

In the knowledge graph

Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.