How to interpret the use of late and early Tertiary from older literature?

Question

When reading older papers how should I interpret the use of "Late Tertiary" and "Early Tertiary"? Would these periods equate to Paleogene and Neogene, or was there a different accepted boundary age between the Late and Early Tertiary?

Answer 1

Hello!

Simply put-

"Early Tertiary" ≈ Paleogene Period (66–23 million years ago)

"Late Tertiary" ≈ Neogene Period (23–2.6 million years ago)

However, older usage may vary, so interpretation should always consider the context and publication date of the paper!