The Pleistocene period is typically defined as the period of time that began about 2.6 million years ago and lasted until 11,700 years ago. The most recent Ice Age took place there, when glaciers covered large parts of planet Earth.
There have been at least five great eras documented during the 4.6 billion years since the Earth was formed. The Pleistocene Epoch is the first in which Homo sapiens evolved, and by the end of the epoch, humans could be found in almost every part of the planet.
The Pleistocene was the first epoch of the Quaternary period and the sixth of the Cenozoic era. It was followed by the current stage, called the Holocene epoch.
Ice Blocks
By the time of the Pleistocene, the continents were left in their current positions. At one point during the Ice Age, ice floes covered all of Antarctica, large parts of Europe, North and South America, and small areas in Asia.
In North America, they extended over Greenland, Canada and parts of the northern United States. The remains of Ice Age glaciers can still be seen in parts of the world, such as Greenland and Antarctica.
But the glaciers didn't just sit there. There was a lot of tectonic movement in this period. Scientists have identified the four key stages of the Pleistocene.
The name Pleistocene is a combination of two Greek words: pleistos (which means “most”) and kainos (which means “new” or “recent”). It was first used in 1839 by Sir Charles Lyell, a British geologist and lawyer.
As a result of Lyell's work, glacial theory gained acceptance between 1839 and 1846. Scientists have come to recognize the existence of ice ages.
During this period, British geologist Edward Forbes aligned the period with other known ice ages. In 2009, the International Union of Geological Sciences established the beginning of the Pleistocene Epoch at 2,588 million years before the present.
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setting an era
Although scientists have not been able to determine the exact causes of the period, it is believed that changes in the ocean current, composition of the atmosphere, changes in the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun are contributions important.
Overall, the climate was much cooler and drier than it is today. Since most of the water on the Earth's surface was ice, there was little precipitation. During periods with most water frozen, global average temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees below current temperatures.
There were winters and summers during this period. The variation in temperatures produced glacial advances, because the cooler summers did not completely melt the snow.
Life During the Ice Age
As Homo sapiens evolved, many vertebrates, especially large mammals, succumbed to the harsh climatic conditions of this period.
One of the richest sources of information about life in the Pleistocene epoch can be found at La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, where remains of everything from insects to animals have been preserved, including a partial skeleton of a human female and an almost woolly mammoth. complete.
In addition to the woolly mammoth, mammals such as esmilodonts, giant sloths and mastodons roamed the Earth during this period. Although many vertebrates became extinct during this period, the mammals that are familiar to us today – including monkeys, cattle, deer, rabbits, kangaroos, bears and members of the canine and feline families - were found during this time course.
Birds flourished during this period, including members of the duck, geese, hawk and eagle families. There were also some flightless birds, such as ostriches, rheas and moas. The flightless birds did not fare as well as they had to compete with mammals and other creatures for limited supplies of food and water as much of the water was frozen.
Crocodiles, lizards, turtles, pythons and other reptiles also thrived during this period.
As for vegetation, it was quite limited in many areas. There were a few scattered conifers, including pines, cypresses and yews, along with some broad-leaved trees such as beech and oak. On the ground, there were prairies, as well as family members of lilies, orchids and roses.
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