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Cenozoic Era - Tertiary Period
60 million years ago: The Tertiary Period marks the begining of the Cenozoic Era. -
Tertiary Period - Climate
During the beginning of this period, the climate was found to be very warm and moist, with most of the Earth being tropical/sub-tropical. -
Tertiary Period - Vegetation
The warm climate allowed dense forests to cover the region, with palm trees growing as far north as Greenland. -
Tertiary Period - Biodiversity
With the extinction of the dinosaurs and other large reptiles in the previous period (Cretaceous), more familiar biodiversity grew rapidly in size, numbers and diversity. -
Tertiary Period - Biodiversity
During the Paleocene Epoch, biodiversity such as the ancestors of hoofed herbivores, the first primates and rodents roamed the land. -
Tertiary Period - Biodiversity
During the Eocene Epoch, new species of biodiversity were introduced. Some include elephant ancestors, the first horse, bats and whales. -
Tertiary Period - Biodiversity
During the Oligocene Epoch, species such as dogs, cats, pigs and toothed whales were introduced into the regions. -
Tertiary Period - Bodiversity
During the Milocene Epoch, more familiar biodiversity such as horses, camels, rhinos, beaver-like animals and many apes and other types of primates appeared on Earth -
Tertiary Period - Climate
From the middle of the Tertiary Period, the climate began to cool and gradually continued getting cooler and cooler. -
Tertiary Period - Biodiversity
During the Pilocene Epoch, the first human anscestors set foot on Earth. -
Tertiary Period - Vegetation
As the climate cooled, open woodlands and grasslands began to spread the regions. -
Tertiary Period - Climate
The cooling climate led to huge glaciers at the poles to occur. It was also found, that huge amounts of water locked up in the ice lowered the sea levels and formed land brigdes across the Earth. Due to the decreasing temperatures, and ice age occured towards the end of the Tertiary Period. -
Cenozoic Era - Quaternary Period
1.5 million years ago: This marked the end of the Tertiary Period and the start of the Quaternary Period. -
Quaternary Period - Climate
Generally, temperatures were cooler all throughout Earth during this period. As a result of the changes in the Earth's orbit, (Milankovitch cycles), the polar ice advanced and retreated; meaning it the Earth warmed and cooled. Evidence for this is that scientists have cataloged over 60 cycles of glacial expansion and contraction during this time. -
Quaternary Period - Biodiversity
From the first primates in the Tertiary Period, the present men (hominids) were developed in the Quarternary Period. So far, the earliest hominid fossils known to scientists date back to the late Tertiary Period. -
Quaternary Period - Biodiversity
Most of the plants and animals of the Quarternary Period appear to be similar to those living today. However, there are some species that have adapted to the cold temperatures. To survive the current ice age, species such as the wooly mammoth, wooly rhinoceros, reindeer, and musk ox developed thick fur layers. Scientists have discovered that early humans have hunted them, proving evidence for the existence of these wooly creatures. -
Quaternary Period - Biodiversity
During the Pleistocene Epoch of the Quarternary Period, megafauna (giant mammals) are known to have roamed the land. As well as the wooly mammoth and wooly rhinoceros, other giants included saber tooth tigers, cave bears, sloths, dire wolves, etc.
The megafauna disapeared at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, leaving behind some resonable sized mammals, such as the elephant, hippopotamus and rhinoceros. -
Quaternary Period - Climate
Towards the middle of the Quarternary Period, polar ice advanced and huge amounts of water become locked up in the ice; causing sea levels to drop. The climate then gradually began to warm during this time (Holocene Epoch). -
Quarternary Period - Biodiversity
As the climate increased in temperature, most of the wooly creatures became extinct during the Holocene Epoch. Some of the many theories explaining why this occured are that these animals could not adapt to the warmer climate, and that humans hunt them to extinction.
