The Pliocene EPOCH is a geological EPOCH that lasted from 5.333 million to 2.58 million years ago. It is part of the Neogene Period and is preceded by the Miocene EPOCH and followed by the Pleistocene EPOCH. During this time, the global climate cooled somewhat, and the modern continents were largely in their present positions. The Pliocene EPOCH is known for its abundance of fossil remains, which have been used to study the evolution of many species.