El Cenozoic It is an era that is divided into two epochs known as Pleistocene y Holocene. The Holocene is the last time that is known since it is in which our planet is currently. It began approximately 12.000 years ago, exactly 10.000 BC and we are still in the Holocene today. In this period most of the development of humanity is covered even since the appearance of the Homo sapiens to the technologies we have today.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Holocene epoch.
General characteristics
During this period the planet has changed very little. Most of the changes that have been observed are in biodiversity Since modern human activity on thousands of plant and animal species is causing their extinction, humans have become the dominant species on the planet despite causing significant harm.
The Holocene extends for approximately 12.000 years and encompasses all human development, including the establishment of the first social groups and the first human civilizations. It also marks great cultural, intellectual, and technological advances, which have allowed for the development of diverse cultures, as mentioned in the article on the Indus Valley culture. Furthermore, the extinction of many species, which is related to human incidence, is one of the issues that deserves attention, as detailed in humans causing extinctions.
During this era, there has been a mass extinction of species, observed throughout a continuous and ongoing process. These species, both animal and plant, have been greatly reduced due to human action. This entire process has been classified by specialists as one of the most serious extinctions ever to occur on our planet. This is because the cause of extinction was not due to environmental factors but to one of the species inhabiting the planet, which has become the dominant one.
During the Holocene it is considered that there is an interglacial epoch. That is, a period in which intense cooling ends and less surface area is covered in ice. Another ice age is expected to occur in the not-too-distant future, since based on current studies and knowledge from fossil records, another ice age is about to begin. Therefore, it is important to study climate changes throughout history, as the next ice age in Spain y Climate change in Cape Horn.
Holocene Geology
As for geology, it is a time when there has been little significance since There have been no major changes in orogenic movements or in the configuration of the continentsSome fragments that once belonged to the great continent known as Pangaea have continued to move, but at a slower rate than in ancient times. The distance the continents have traveled from the beginning of this era to the present has been only about a kilometer. However, it's worth noting that the continental masses will never stop moving, and it's expected that within a few million years they will collide again and form another supercontinent.
During this period, sea levels also rose due to the melting of glaciers. Many of the lands now submerged under water were originally bridges between regions. In this sense, it can be said that the thawing was not caused by a gradual process, but rather that there were periods in which The melting of ice reached certain peaks, causing a more abrupt rise in sea level.. This aspect is fundamental to understand how the glacialism has influenced the planet and how the fauna of the Holocene may be affected.
Considering these data, we can conclude that sea level has risen a total of 35 meters since the beginning of the Holocene. A worrying fact is that over the last 25 years, sea level has risen again at a rate of approximately 3 mm per year, which is somewhat accelerated compared to the normal rate. This is due to an increase in the greenhouse effect, which is causing a rise in global temperatures and is caused by the action of some of the gases that are capable of retaining heat.
Holocene climate
Temperatures during this period are considerably milder than in previous periods. This is because it is an interglacial period. Average temperatures increased by approximately 4 to 9 degrees Celsius. Global warming was uneven, with some regions experiencing greater increases and others experiencing a decrease. The lands that experienced the greatest cooling were those located further south.
In other regions that have always had a desert climate, precipitation rates began to increase, which shows how the climate has been changing throughout the Holocene. This climate change is reflected in the adaptation of fauna and flora to new conditions, as detailed in the fauna of the Holocene.
Flora and fauna
The development of life during the Holocene epoch it has not given too many modifications from the evolutionary point of view. The most striking trend that can be seen in recent years is that species have begun to disappear at a faster rate than ever before. Many link this decline in species to the emergence of humans, as reflected in mass extinctions. Extinction continues to the present day, where a large number of species are in danger.
The plants with the greatest distribution on a planetary level are angiosperms. The tropical regions closest to the equator contain the greatest number of rainforests, rich in plants and highly biodiverse. In the areas closer to the poles, the vegetation changes radically. The leafy, humid plants of the rainforest give way to other types of trees that are adapted to lower temperatures.
As for the fauna, the animals have not varied much during the Holocene. The species that have managed to survive this long have barely experienced any changes or evolution. What has become more pronounced and prolonged over time is the extinction of both terrestrial and marine animals. All of this is caused by human action and its desire to conquer the planet, as can be seen in the impact it has on the ecological balance.
