The It was Cenozoic It is the third stage of the constitution of Planet Earth as we know it today, which spans from the early Paleocene (approximately 66.5 million years ago) to the present. During that period, the Earth underwent a long-term cooling period - this was largely due to the blocking of solar radiation.
Many geological events they occur in this era, fundamental to the current structure of the Earth. India collided with Asia and Arabia collided with Eurasia, leading to the closure of the Sea of Tethys. On the other hand, there are many animals that evolved with the passing of the Cenozoic, developing until they reach the present in the condition that they are known for.
See also:Animals of the Paleozoic Era
There are five stages of the Cenozoic period, and in each of them there were events of a geological nature but also related to the formation of animal species:
- The term paleocene It is the one that has the definitive separation between Australia and Antarctica, and also that of the formation of the Norwegian Sea. Asia joins North America, via the Bering Strait. In a period of abundant rain, some continental areas are flooded by rising waters, such as the Mediterranean Sea. The following animals were developed at that time:
- Marsupial mammals (small head, narrow snout, and reduced cranial cavity)
- Insectivores
- Lemurs
- Primates
- Rodents
- Creodonts
- Primitive ungulate animals.
- The term eocene I include the breakup of the supercontinent of Laurasia, where the mountain systems of the Alps and the Himalayas continued to rise: this was due to a movement of plates in which continuous and abundant eruptions of basalt of northeast India and Siberia also took place. The weather was practically unchanged from the previous period. The following species developed there:
- Horse
- Camel
- Rhino
- Squirrels
- Sea mammals
- Eagles
- Pelicans
- Quail
- Vultures
- The stage of oligocene it continues with the uplift of the mountain ranges, and the remnants of the former supercontinent of Gondwana collided with Eurasia to the north, closing the Tethys Sea and leaving the Mediterranean. The separation of Australia from Antarctica was very strong, and the Iberian and Cantabrian Mountains rose.
- Disappearance of archaic mammals of the early Cenozoic times.
- Extinction of the Creodonts.
- The first true carnivores emerged.
- The first anthropoid primate, which disappeared at the end of the age.
- Oreodonts, herbivores small in size.
- Elephants
- Apes
- Evolution of rhinos.
- Evolution of horses.
- The term Miocene It is the one that concluded with the formation of the mountain ranges of the Alps and the Himalayas. The Strait of Gibraltar does not yet exist, and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula sees the formation of raised reliefs. The union of North America with South America begins, and sedimentary erosion forms deposits and marine basins, later converted into oil reserves. The level of the Mediterranean Sea drops, almost becoming a great desert, which causes communication with the Atlantic Ocean to be lost. The following species developed in this subperiod.
- Apes
- Orangutans
- Marsupials in Europe and North America
- Cats
- Megatherium, a giant placental sloth.
- Amphicyon, the well-known bear-dogs.
- Hominids (Sahelanthropus, Ardipithecus, Proconsul africanus)
- The last subperiod of the Cenozoic is that of the Pliocene, where the continents and oceans began to shape the current shape they have. The Panama Canal was produced, and the Alps continued to rise. The Strait of Gibraltar opens, filling the trench that was formed by the collapse of the axis of the Atlas-Betic chain, and the Mediterranean Sea rose a few meters. The temperature dropped a lot, reaching the formation of woods conifers and tundras. Some species developed:
- Mastodon, equivalent to the mammoth but with a large number of teeth.
- Elephants
- Hippos
- Lions
- Armadillo
- Lazy
- Foxes
- Pumas
- Lynxes
- Different species of hominids (Paranthropus, Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus)
