The Eocene is a geological epoch that began about 56 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The end point of the Eocene is the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT), between 33.9 and 33.4 Ma. Precise boundaries between the epochs are sometimes given at 33.9 or 33.7 Ma.