Passage: Quaternary (/ kwtrnri /) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.588 0.005 million years ago to the present. The Quaternary Period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene (2.588 million years ago to 11.7 thousand years ago) and the Holocene (11.7 thousand years ago to today). The informal term "Late Quaternary" refers to the past 0.5 -- 1.0 million years.

Question: Based on this passage, when did the quaternary period begin and end?
Steam of consciousness below:
The relevant information is: It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.588 0.005 million years ago to the present.
So, the answer is 2.588 0.005 million years ago to the present.