Eocene fauna

La Eocene epoch was one of those that formed the Paleogene period of the Cenozoic era. During this time there were great changes from the geological and biological point of view, since great mountain ranges were formed due to continental collisions. These movements of the continents caused the Eocene fauna it could be developed and diversified in wide ranges.

In this article we are going to tell you about all the characteristics and development of the Eocene fauna.

Key features

The Eocene epoch it lasted approximately 23 million years. It was distributed in 4 ages marked by some climatic, geological and faunal changes. It is considered a time of changes in which the planet underwent some modifications at a geological level since the super continent Pangea was caused to break. This is how the continents were formed as we know them today.

There were numerous significant climate changes, as some events opposed to the Paleogene occurred. For example, the Azolla event caused a global increase in ambient temperature, creating new conditions to which living beings had to adapt. There was also another change in temperature fluctuations that triggered a decrease in temperature. Both climatic events brought consequences for the living beings that populated the planet during this time.

Birds were one of the groups that experienced the greatest diversification during this time. Many of those that inhabited the planet were fearsome predators of considerable size. The total fragmentation of the supercontinent Pangaea was what led to the diversification of many animal and plant species. This diversification can also be observed in the Paleogene fauna.

We are going to analyze how both the flora and fauna of the Eocene have evolved.

Flora

During this period of time the environmental conditions of this planet allowed the development of numerous species of plants and animals. It was a time when biodiversity abounded thanks to the humid and warm climate.

Analyzing the flora, we find it was a rather noticeable change. When temperatures were warm and humid at the beginning of the Eocene, the planet had an abundance of jungles and forests. There is evidence that says that the poles also had forests during this time.The only thing that maintained little shortage of plants were the desert ecosystems in the interior of the continents.

The plants that developed most during this period were the metasequoia and the Cupressaceae family. The latter belong to the gymnosperm group, which is basically coniferous. It's a fairly versatile group of plants, as they can be both small and large. Their leaves are scale-like and closely spaced. Some of them release more pleasant aromas.

Paleogene period

Eocene fauna

This is where we focus on the fauna of the Eocene. We can say that the fauna during this period was highly diversified. The mammal and bird groups were the most prominent. Let's analyze all the groups.

invertebrates

It kept diversifying quite especially in the marine environment. There are a large number of mollusks, among which the gastropods, bivalves, echinoderms and cnidarians stand out. Arthropods also evolved during this time, with ants being the most representative.

Birds

Birds were the species that developed the most thanks to favorable environmental conditions. Some species were fierce predators between two groups of living beings and were greatly feared at that time. Among the bird species that developed the most and were most abundant are: Phorusrhacidae, Gastornis and the penguins. We are going to describe the characteristics of each of them:

Phorusrhacidae: It is a group of birds whose main characteristic is their large size. Some specimens reached up to 3 meters in height. This can be confirmed thanks to the numerous fossil records from this period. Recently, some skulls of these animals were found to allow for better identification. Another characteristic of the wing is its ability to fly. However, it compensated for this with its great speed. It is thought that they reached speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. They were agile predators of small animals, including some mammals.
Gastornis: It is known as the bird of terror. This is because it had a rather intimidating appearance. Among its most notable characteristics is its large size, with some specimens reaching up to 2 meters and weighing more than 100 kilos. Its large head and short, robust body made it quite fearsome. Its beak was similar to that of today's parrots. The strength of its beak was impressive and served to capture its prey. Although it could not fly, it was extremely fast.
Penguins: It is a group of flightless birds. This group has survived to the present day and is located in Antarctica at the South Pole. At this time, it is believed that they inhabited the South American continent. This is known thanks to some fossils that have been recovered from that site. There were some specimens that measured up to 1.5 meters, as well as smaller ones. This type of bird is related to other birds that lived in the Cretaceous fauna.

Eocene fauna

Eocene Fauna: Reptiles and Mammals

Reptiles existed and developed apace. The ones that existed the most were large snakes, reaching more than 10 meters in length in some specimens.

As for mammals, this group became increasingly diverse, especially ungulates, cetaceans, and some large carnivores. Let's analyze each of them:

Ungulates: Their main characteristic is the ability to move while leaning on the tips of their toes. These include pigs, camels, cows, sheep, and goats. In this group, we can also find other mammals that were evolutionarily important and can be studied in relation to the Oligocene fauna.
Cetaceans: They developed in the marine environment, and species such as archaeocetes existed. These were the first to develop characteristics that allowed them to adapt to aquatic life.
Ambulocetids: They are the first whales to exist on this planet. They are over 3 meters long and could weigh around 120 kg. They look similar to crocodiles, but with longer limbs. These limbs served as flippers for movement. Their diet was carnivorous.