The Neogene Period
The Neogene Period is defined as a geological time period in the International Commission on Stratigraphy geological timescale starting approximately 23 million years ago and ending approximately 2.5 million years ago. This period follows the Paleogene Period and is succeeded by the Quaternary Period. At the beginning of the Neogene Period, we would have found mostly grasslands and a wide variety of evolved mammals roaming all parts of the Earth. The most well known events that occurred during this period include the creation of the Isthmus of Panama, the significant decrease in global seal levels, and the extreme drying of the Mediterranean Sea, and you will soon see why as you navigate this website.
Neogene Geography
At a quick glance, the Earth during the Neogene period looks quite similar to today's Earth. But don't let that fool you to thinking they are anything alike. Mountains were on the rise, sea levels fell and rose, the global climate cooled and dried, and giant forms of our modern animals of today roamed the land.
During the beginning of the Neogene, the continents began to collide with each other. India began moving into the continent of Asia, creating the Himalayas which continue to grow to this day. Italy began moving into the continent of Europe, causing a rise to the great mountain range of the Alps. A series of faulting, lifting, and stretching under the ground of North America created what we see now as the Rockies and Sierra Nevada. Sea levels all over the globe dropped significantly, exposing land bridges between Africa and Eurasia and also between Eurasia and North America. And the most significant event of them all, the moving of South America north into North America merging and causing the Isthmus of Panama. This specific land bridge caused a cut off of warm ocean currents from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and led to a grand migration of a whole variety of animals to and from the North and South Americas.
During the beginning of the Neogene, the continents began to collide with each other. India began moving into the continent of Asia, creating the Himalayas which continue to grow to this day. Italy began moving into the continent of Europe, causing a rise to the great mountain range of the Alps. A series of faulting, lifting, and stretching under the ground of North America created what we see now as the Rockies and Sierra Nevada. Sea levels all over the globe dropped significantly, exposing land bridges between Africa and Eurasia and also between Eurasia and North America. And the most significant event of them all, the moving of South America north into North America merging and causing the Isthmus of Panama. This specific land bridge caused a cut off of warm ocean currents from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and led to a grand migration of a whole variety of animals to and from the North and South Americas.
Neogene Animals
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During the Neogene Period the dominant animals consisted of mammals, large and small. These creatures took many forms as they adapted to the many various habitats that they found themselves to be in after migrating across land bridges. We will see many animals that lived during this period that we can easily compare with animals that we see today. For example, the Neogene's saber-tooth cats and today's tigers are both a large cat species. Then there are the Neogene's mammoths and today's elephants whom are both very large mammals with long curved husks and trunks. Sharks also rose to their prime during the Neogene and predominantly stayed at the top as apex predators of the sea. Other animals that came into play during the Neogene include sheep, cattle, whales, bears, mice, rats, apes, monkeys, and much more.