Ngaphakathi I-Cenozoic use Isikhathi seNeogene nokuthi ihlukaniswe ngezikhathi eziningi. Namuhla sizokhuluma ngenkathi yokugcina yalesi sikhathi eyaziwa ngokuthi I-Pliocene. IPliocene yaqala cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezi-5.5 edlule futhi yaphela eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-2.6 edlule. Lesi sikhathi singabaluleka impela kusukela ekubukeni kwe-anthropological ngoba ngalesi sikhathi izinsalela zokuqala ezitholakele ze- I-Australopithecus. Lolu hlobo luyi-hominid yokuqala ukuba khona ezwenikazi lase-Afrika. Ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana ne- Izilwane zepliocene, ungabheka isihloko sethu esiqondile.

Kulesi sihloko sizokutshela konke odinga ukukwazi ngePliocene.

Izici eziyinhloko

Le nkathi yaqedwa izinguquko eziphawuleka kakhulu maqondana nokuhlukahluka kwemvelo, ezingeni lezitshalo nezilwane, kanye nakumuntu. Lezi zinguquko zibangelwe ukuthi izilwane nezitshalo zizoqala ukutholakala ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene kakhulu ebezinqunyelwe izimo zezulu. Lezi zindawo ezinhlotsheni eziningi zihlala kuze kube namuhla.

Le nkathi idonse cishe iminyaka eyizigidi ezintathu. Kunezinguquko ezithile ezingeni lolwandle. Kuyo yonke iPliocene kube nezinguquko ezijulile neziphawulekayo emizimbeni yamanzi. Okunye okwaziwa kakhulu ngukuwohloka kokuxhumana okwakukhona phakathi koLwandle i-Atlantic nePacific Ocean. Lokhu kwaba umphumela wokuvela kwe-Isthmus yasePanama. Njengoba sekuvele izinguquko kulezi zilwandle, iMediterranean Sea Basin nayo igcwaliswe ngamanzi aqhamuka e-Atlantic Ocean. Lokhu kwaqeda inkinga ebizwa ngokuthi yi-Messinian salt crisis.

Esinye sezici ezigqame kakhulu zePliocene epoch ukuvela kwe-hominid yokuqala ye-bipedal. Lolu lwazi luyatholakala ngenxa yenani elikhulu lezinsalela eziqoqiwe kusukela kulesi sikhathi. I-hominid yokuqala ukuvela kule planethi yaqanjwa I-Australopithecus. Kwakudlulela ngaphesheya kwemvelaphi yezinhlobo zabantu njengoba sazi kanjalo kusukela ekuqaleni kwezinhlobo zohlobo lweHomo.

I-Pliocene Geology

Ngalesi sikhathi kwakungekho msebenzi omkhulu we-orogenic. I- Ukukhukhuleka kwezwekazi Iyaqhubeka nokunyakazisa nokuhambisa amazwekazi ezikhundleni zawo zamanje. Ngalesi sikhathi ukuhamba kwamazwekazi bekuhamba kancane kakhulu phakathi kwezilwandle nezilwandle. Cishe babenesikhundla esifanayo nanamuhla. Babeqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa nje.

Esinye sezici ezibaluleke kakhulu ePliocene geology ukwakheka kwesiqeshana sePanama. Lesi sakhiwo yiso esihlanganisa iNyakatho neNingizimu Melika ndawonye. Lesi simo sasingaphezu kwamandla ngoba sasinethonya nakwisimo sezulu seplanethi yonke. Ngalesi siqiwu, konke ukuxhumana okwakukhona phakathi kwezilwandle iPacific kanye ne-Atlantic kwavalwa.

Ezigxotsheni, amanzi ase-Antarctic nase-Arctic ehla kakhulu izinga lokushisa, afinyelela emazingeni okushisa abandayo kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Kunolwazi oluqoqwe ochwepheshe olubonisa ukuthi phakathi nalesi sikhathi kwaba khona ukwehla okukhulu kwezinga lolwandle ngenxa yokwanda kwenani lamaqhwa eqhwa namaqhwa. Lokhu kube nemiphumela edale ukuthi kuvele izingcezu zomhlaba ezicwilisiwe njengamanje. Isibonelo, kunecala lebhuloho lomhlaba elixhumanisa iRussia nezwekazi laseMelika. Njengamanje leli bhuloho licwilisiwe futhi lihlala ngendlela elaziwa ngayo ngegama leBering Strait.

Isimo sezulu sePliocene

Ngalesi sikhathi esadonsa cishe iminyaka eyizigidi ezi-3, isimo sezulu sasihluka kakhulu futhi sishintsha njalo. Ngokwamarekhodi aqoqwe ongoti besimo sezulu, bekunezikhathi lapho izinga lokushisa lenyuka kakhulu. Lokhu kwaqhathaniswa kwezinye izikhathi, ikakhulukazi ekupheleni kwePliocene, lapho amazinga okushisa ehla kakhulu.

Phakathi kwezici ezibaluleke kakhulu zesimo sezulu salesi sikhathi ukuthi bekuyisimo sezulu sonyaka. Lokho wukuthi, bethula izinkathi zonyaka, ezimbili zazo zimakwe kakhulu. Obunye ubusika lapho iqhwa lisakazeka khona engxenyeni enkulu yomhlaba. Enye kwakuyihlobo lapho iqhwa lincibilika futhi lishintsha indawo ewugwadule.

Ngokuvamile, kungashiwo ukuthi isimo sezulu ekupheleni kwePliocene sasiwugwadule ngenxa yokwanda kwamazinga okushisa esishiwo ngaphambili. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithole ukubukeka okomile futhi yabangela ukuthi izindawo ezizungezile zishintshe futhi ziguquke kusukela emahlathini kuya kuma-savanna.

I-Biodiversidad

Izilwane zahlukahluka kakhulu ngesikhathi sePliocene futhi zafika ukuzothatha izindawo ezimbalwa. Kodwa-ke, izimbali zahlupheka uhlobo lokuhlehla kanye nokuma ngenxa yokuthi izimo zezulu zazingezinhle kangako. Ngobusika lapho iqhwa limboza ingxenye enkulu yomhlaba kanye nehlobo elomile neliyomile, izimo ezidingekayo zokuthuthukiswa kwezitshalo nokuhlukahluka zazintula.

Flora

Izitshalo ezanda kakhulu ngesikhathi sePliocene kwakuyizindawo ezinotshani. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ziyizitshalo ezikwazi ukuzivumelanisa kalula nezinga lokushisa eliphansi elalikhona ngesikhathi sePliocene. Kukhona uhlaza oluthile lwasezindaweni ezishisayo, ikakhulukazi emahlathini nasemahlathini, kodwa lulinganiselwe kuphela endaweni esenkabazwe. Kukule ndawo lapho izimo zezulu bezikhona ukuze zichume futhi zisabalale. Ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana ne- Izilwane zeNeogene, ungabheka isihloko sethu.

Izinguquko zesimo sezulu ezenzeke ngalesi sikhathi zidale ukuthi izindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba zibonakale zinezindawo ezimbalwa kakhulu ezinezimpawu zogwadule. Ezinye zalezi zindawo zisadlangile nanamuhla. Ngokuqondene nezindawo eziseduze nezigxobo, kwasungulwa uhlobo olufanayo lwezimbali olwandile namuhla. Ziyi-conifers. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi banokumelana okukhulu namakhaza futhi bayakwazi ukukhula emazingeni okushisa aphansi.

Fauna

Njengoba sishilo ngaphambili, esinye sezinyathelo ezibalulekile maqondana nomuntu savela ngalesi sikhathi. Izilwane ezincelisayo nazo zathola imisebe emikhulu yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, okubangela ukuthi zisabalale ezindaweni eziningi ezahlukene. Izilwane zasePliocene zaphawulwa ukuhlukahluka nokujwayela izimo zezulu ezihlukahlukene ezazikhona, okwaba nesandla kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni kwezinhlobo ezintsha zezilwane.

Ngalolu lwazi ungazi kabanzi ngePliocene nazo zonke izici eziyinhloko.