The story
From neo- + -gene. From Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + γενεά (geneá, “generation”). Compare Ancient Greek νεογενής (neogenḗs).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Neogene
Today it means: Of a geologic period within the Cenozoic era, comprising the Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene epochs from about 26 million years ago to the present. Full definition →