As yet, only a minimum age can be assigned the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary in these cores. From rates of accumulation of late-Pleistocene sediment determined by radiocarbon dating, and from the known thickness of Pleistocene sediment above the boundary, we estimate the age of the boundary to be not less than 800,000 years. Since the Pleistocene section above the boundary is incomplete because of the removal of some part by slumping, the real age of the boundary must be somewhat greater. To our knowledge, these cores provide the first evidence of the nature of the climatic change which opened the Pleistocene epoch and which, by creating an environment of rigorous selection, started a group of primates upon the evolutionary road that led to the emergence of man (11). for able assistance in the laboratory investigation. We also thank Arnold Finck and other members of the staff of Lamont Geological Observatory who directly or indirectly contributed to this study. We are grateful to W. Broecker for the radiocarbon assay of core V12--5. The cores were obtained during expeditions which were sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.