Final answer:
The Holocene Epoch signifies the recent 12,000 years of Earth's history, a period marked by the end of the last major glaciation and the rise of human civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Holocene Epoch represents the most recent period in the Earth's history and encompasses about the last 12,000 years. This period follows the last major glaciation episode and corresponds with the rise of human civilization, moving from hunter-gatherer societies through the development of agriculture and to the rise of urbanization. The Quaternary is the larger period that includes the Holocene Epoch and began around 2.588 million years ago.