A Brief Overview of the Paleocene Epoch for Middle School Science Classes

Dec 17, 2024

3 min read

Earth history is a fascinating topic! It is also a massive topic! The reading passage below will teach you all about the Paleocene epoch. If you want to learn more (and why wouldn't you?!), you can check out my Earth History page. I also have all of my passages available at Teachers Pay Teachers. They come with so many extras to get your students thinking about the content! I also recommend scrolling to the bottom of the page to check out my digital picture book on the Paleocene epoch!

Paleocene epoch reading passage for middle school science

The Paleocene epoch was the first epoch in the Paleogene period. Throughout the Paleocene epoch, life on Earth was recovering from the mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period. Birds, reptiles, and mammals survived the extinction event. Without predators, these animals took over the land.

Mammals

During the Cretaceous period, all mammals had been small herbivores and insectivores. During the Paleocene epoch, mammals evolved into four groups. Multituberculates were a group of small rodent-like mammals that first appeared during the Jurassic period and went extinct during the Eocene epoch. The other three groups are still around today.

The first group, montromenes are egg-laying mammals. Today, the platypus is an example of a montromene. The second group, marsupials give birth to live young but keep babies in a pouch for several weeks while they continue to grow and develop. Kangaroos, opossums, bandicoots, and wombats are examples of marsupials. The third group, placentals give birth to live babies that have been fed by a placenta in the mother’s womb. Most mammals are placentals.

One important group of placentals that evolved during the Paleocene epoch were the primates. These simple primates lived in trees and looked similar to squirrels. By the middle of the Paleocene epoch, the first ungulates appeared. Ungulates are mammals with hooves. Early horses ate the grasses that appeared during the Paleocene epoch. Carnivores evolved to eat these herbivores. During the Paleocene epoch, both carnivores and herbivores were fairly small. There were no mammals larger than a small bear.

Birds

Birds evolved both on land and in the skies. Gastornis was a large carnivorous bird that lived on land. It was similar to the dinosaurs that went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period. With the rise of mammals, Gastornis was extinct by the end of the Eocene epoch. In the skies, most modern birds appeared during the Paleocene epoch including hawks, pelicans, herons, owls, ducks, pigeons, and woodpeckers.

Continental Drift

The continents continued to drift toward their current positions during the Paleocene epoch. Greenland separated from North America. On the other side of the continent, a land bridge connected North America and Asia. The Rocky Mountains were also forming at this time.

Climate

The climate of the Paleocene epoch was warmer than today but cooler than the Cretaceous period. There was no ice at the poles and much of the land was covered with tropical rainforests.

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

The Paleocene epoch ended with a period of rapid global warming. Sea temperatures increased between five and eight degrees Celsius. This event is called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Many plants and animals, especially animals in the oceans, died during this warming event.

Paleocene Epoch Picture Book

Looking for another way to learn about the Paleocene epoch? Check out this picture book version. The pages are a part of my Earth History bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers.