The term Cenozoic, originally spelled Kainozoic, was introduced by English geologist John Phillips in an 1840 Penny Cyclopaedia article to designate the most recent of the three major subdivisions of the Phanerozoic Eon.
Cenozoic Era - Mammals, Plants, Climate: Cenozoic life was strikingly different from that of the Mesozoic. The great diversity that characterizes modern-day flora is attributed to the explosive expansion and adaptive radiation of the angiosperms (flowering plants) that began during the Late Cretaceous.