Within the Cenozoic is at Neogene period and that it is divided into several epochs. Today we are going to talk about the last period of this period known as Pliocene. The Pliocene began about 5.5 million years ago and ended 2.6 million years ago. This time can be quite important from the anthropological point of view since at this time the first fossils discovered of the australopithecus. This species is the first hominid to have existed on the African continent. To learn more about the Pliocene fauna, you can consult our specific article.

In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Pliocene.

Key features

This era was culminated by quite significant changes in terms of biodiversity, both in terms of flora and fauna, and of the human being. These changes were due to the fact that animals and plants will begin to be located in more diverse areas that were limited by climatic conditions. These locations in numerous species has remained to this day.

This epoch has lasted for almost 3 million years. There are some changes at the level of the oceans. Throughout the Pliocene there were deep and significant changes in bodies of water. One of the best known is the breakdown in communication that existed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This was a consequence of the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama. As changes have arisen in these oceans, the Mediterranean Sea Basin has also been refilled with water that came from the Atlantic Ocean. This ended the so-called Messinian salt crisis.

One of the most striking features of the Pliocene epoch is the appearance of the first bipedal hominid. This information is available thanks to a large number of fossils that have been collected from this time. The first hominid to appear on this planet was named australopithecus. It was transcendental in the origin of the human species as we know it since the first specimens of the genus Homo originated.

Pliocene Geology

During this time there was no great orogenic activity. The continental drift It continues to move and shift the continents to the positions they are currently in. During this time the movement of the continents was very slow both through the seas and the oceans. They practically had the same position as they do today. They were only a few miles apart.

One of the most important milestones in Pliocene geology was the formation of the isthmus of Panama. This formation is what holds North and South America together. This phenomenon was transcendental since it also had influences on the climate of the entire planet. With this isthmus, all communications that existed between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans were closed.

At the poles, both Antarctic and Arctic waters experienced a sudden drop in temperature, reaching the coldest temperatures on the planet. Information gathered by specialists indicates that during this period there was a significant drop in sea level due to an increase in the number of ice caps and ice sheets. This had consequences that caused pieces of land to emerge that are currently submerged. For example, there is the case of the land bridge that connects Russia with the American continent. This bridge is currently submerged and occupied by the way it is known by the name of the Bering Strait.

Pliocene climate

During this time that lasted almost 3 million years, the climate was quite diverse and fluctuating. According to the records that have been collected by climate specialists, there were times when the temperature increased considerably. This was contrasted in some periods, especially at the end of the Pliocene, when temperatures dropped significantly.

Among the most important climate characteristics of this time is that it was a seasonal climate. That is, they present seasons, two of them being very marked. One is the winter in which the ice spread over much of the entire planet. The other was the summer when the ice melted and gave way to rather arid landscapes.

In general, it can be said that the climate at the end of the Pliocene was quite arid due to the aforementioned temperature increase. Furthermore, it acquired a rather dry appearance, causing the environments to change from forests to savannas.

Biodiversity

Fauna diversified widely during the Pliocene, colonizing various environments. However, flora suffered a kind of regression and stagnation due to unfavorable climatic conditions. Winters with ice covering most of the planet and a rather dry and arid summer prevented the necessary conditions for plant development and diversification.

Flora

The plants that proliferated the most during the Pliocene epoch were grasslandsThis is because they are plants that can adapt quite easily to the low temperatures that prevailed during the Pliocene. There is some tropical vegetation, especially in jungles and forests, but it is limited only to the equatorial region. It is in this area where the climatic conditions existed for them to thrive and spread. To learn more about the Neogene fauna, you can consult our article.

The climatic changes that occurred at this time caused large areas of land to appear very sparsely populated with characteristics of a desert. Some of these zones are still prevalent today. As for the areas closest to the poles, the same type of flora that abounds today was established. They are conifers. This is because they have great resistance to cold and are capable of developing in low temperatures.

Fauna

As we have mentioned before, one of the milestones regarding the human being arose at this time. Mammals also experienced great evolutionary radiation, causing them to spread across a wide range of environments. The Pliocene fauna was marked by diversity and adaptation to the varied climates that existed, which greatly contributed to the development of new species.

With this information you can know more about the Pliocene and all the main features.