Quaternary

From Palaeos.org

Panthera leo spelaea, the giant cave lion of Pleistocene Europe (Carnivora, Felidae, Pantherinae). This animal was the largest known member of the cat family (about a third larger than the modern lion)

The Quaternary is the most recent of geological eras, from 2.588 million years ago to the present day. It can be divided into 2 periods: The Pleistocene (2.588 to 0.012 mya) and the Holocene (0.012 mya to present).

The significant geological event was the glaciation of the Northern Hemisphere, which resulted in lowered sea levels, created drier climates worldwide, and left many glacial lakes, especially in North America. Due to the falling sea levels, many land bridges were opened up, as in the Bering Strait, Indonesia, and Gibraltar. This allowed for an influx of creatures between continents and allowed for the spread of humans globally.