La Isikhathi sePliocene kungukugcina kwe- Isikhathi seNeogene we Isikhathi seCenozoic. Iqale cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-5.5 edlule futhi yaphela eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-2.6 edlule. Lesi sikhathi sibe nokubaluleka okukhulu ekwakhiweni kwama-hominid okuqala kanye nezimbali nezilwane zomhlaba wonke. I- Izilwane zepliocene yaqala ukutholakala ezifundeni ezahlukahlukene ezinqunyelwe izimo zezulu zaleso sikhathi. Ezimweni eziningi le ndawo igcinwe kuze kube namuhla.
Kulesi sihloko sizokutshela ngazo zonke izici, ukuhlukahluka kwemvelo nokuvela kwezilwane zasePliocene.
Izinguquko enkathini yePliocene
Lesi yisikhathi lapho, ngenxa yezinsalela zokuqala, kwakungenzeka ukwazi ukuthi i-hominid yokuqala eyayihlala kule planethi, I-Australopithecus, kuhlala izwekazi lase-Afrika. Lesi sikhathi sisho izinguquko ezinkulu ezingeni lezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo, izimbali nezilwane. Izitshalo zaqala ukwehluka ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene ngemikhawulo yezulu. Isikhathi esiphelele sePliocene cishe iminyaka eyizigidi ezintathu.
Okuningi kwalolu shintsho kanye nokuhlukahluka ekusatshalalisweni kwezitshalo nezilwane kwaqhutshwa izinguquko ezijulile neziphawulekayo emanzini eplanethi enguMhlaba. Futhi izilwandle nezilwandle kwaguqulwa phakathi nalesi sikhathi. Kube nekhefu ekuxhumaneni okwakukhona phakathi kwe-Atlantic Ocean kanye nePacific Ocean. Ngenxa yalokhu kuqhuma, lokho esikwazi namuhla njenge-Isthmus yasePanama kwavela. ULwandle LwaseMedithera nalo lwaphinde lwagcwaliswa ngamanzi avela oLwandle i-Atlantic, lwaqeda lokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi inkinga kasawoti kaMesiya. Lesi simo esibucayi kubhekiselwa kuso usawoti omningi owawukhona oLwandle iMedithera ngenxa yokuvalwa kweStrait of Gibraltar.
Njengoba izinga lokuhwamuka kwamanzi landa futhi amanzi amancane etholakala, ukugxila kukasawoti kwanda kangangokuthi kwakungakwazi ukusekela impilo yezilwane nezitshalo. Ngokwethulwa kwamanzi amasha avela e-Atlantic, amazinga osawoti ehliselwa ezingeni elizinzile.
Ekugcineni, esinye sezehlakalo ezibaluleke kakhulu zokuvela kweNkathi yePliocene kwaba ukuvela kwama-hominids okuqala. I-Australopithecus yayiyi-hominid e-transcendental lapho kuvela khona izinhlobo zabantu, eyadlala indima ebalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwezilwane ze-Pliocene.
Izimbali nezilwane
Ngalesi sikhathi, izitshalo zanda ngenxa yokwanda kwamazinga okushisa embulunga yonke. Izitshalo ezanda kakhulu kwakuyizindawo ezinotshani. Amazinga okushisa ayekhona phakathi nalesi sikhathi ayephansi kakhulu kusukela ngaleso sikhathi izinguzunga zeqhwa zisakazekela ezindaweni ezibanzi. Nakuba amazinga okushisa aphansi ayesakazeke ezindaweni eziningi, uhlaza lwasezindaweni ezishisayo olumelelwa amahlathi namahlathi lwalukhona. Nokho, lezi zindawo ezinamahlathi zazilinganiselwe kuphela endaweni yenkabazwe lapho izimo zezulu ezingcono zazikhona.
Kuzo zonke ezinye izindawo ezinamazinga okushisa aphansi, kwakuyizindawo ezinotshani ezazikwazi ukwenza lezi zindawo zibe amakoloni. Ngenxa yezinguquko zesimo sezulu ezenzeka phakathi nalesi sikhathi, indawo enkulu eyomile yakwazi ukuvela, kamuva eyaphenduka izingwadule, ezinye zazo ezisekhona nanamuhla. Ezindaweni eziseduze nezigxobo, i-flora yasungulwa futhi isekhona nanamuhla. Lesi sitshalo sihlanganisa ama-conifers, okuyizitshalo ezikwazi ukumelana namazinga okushisa aphansi futhi ziphumelele ezindaweni eziyingozi kakhulu.
I-biome eyasakazeka kakhulu ngalesi sikhathi kwakuyi-tundra. I-tundra ihlale kanjena kuze kube namuhla selokhu kutholakala izindawo ezisemngceleni nesigxobo esisenyakatho.
Ngokuqondene nezilwane zasePliocene, sithola enye yezenzakalo ezinkulu kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni komuntu. I-hominid yokuqala eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Australopithecus yasungulwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, sibona intuthuko enkulu kanye nokuhlukahluka kwezilwane ezincelisayo ezabhekana nokuvela kwemvelo okumangalisayo. Izilwane ezincelisayo zikwazi ukunwebeka ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene futhi zizivumelanise nezimo ezihlukahlukene. Lokhu kungabonwa nasezilwaneni ze-Pleistocene, lapho izilwane ezincelisayo ziqhubeka nokuguquguquka.
Nakuba amanye amaqembu ezilwane nawo abhekana nezinguquko ezithile ezingeni lezakhi zofuzo nokuziphendukela kwemvelo, izilwane ezincelisayo kwakuyiqembu lezilwane ezavela kakhulu. Izilwane zePliocene ziyisibonelo esicacile sokuthi kwenzeka kanjani.
Izilwane ezincelisayo Zezilwane ZasePliocene
Izilwane ezincelisayo zaqala ukuhlala ezindaweni ezizinzile nanamuhla. Umndeni wasendulo wezilwane ezincelisayo isici sazo esiyinhloko ukuhamba ngezinzwane yizilwane ezincelisayo. Kwakukhona izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene ezazingaphansi kwaleli qembu lezilwane futhi zaqala ukulahlekelwa amalungu nomhlaba. Nokho, kwezinye izifunda bakwazi ukuzivumelanisa nezimo futhi bathuthuke kabanzi. Saxoxa ngamakamela namahhashi. Iminwe yalezi zilwane imbozwe izinselo.
Elinye iqembu lezilwane elakhula phakathi nalesi sikhathi kwakungama- proboscideans. Leli yiqembu lezilwane isici esiyinhloko ukunwetshwa kobuso bazo. Lesi sandiso sibizwa ngokuthi i-proboscis. Ezilwaneni ze-Pliocene kwakukhona izibonelo ezimbalwa zaleli qembu, njengezindlovu nama-stegodonts. Kula maqembu amabili ezilwane, yizindlovu kuphela ezisaphila kuze kube namuhla.
Phakathi kwezilwane ezincelisayo, sithola namagundane isici sawo esiyinhloko ama-incisors athuthuke kakhulu, alungele ukuququda izinkuni noma ezinye izinto futhi azidle. Zingama-quadruped futhi ziyahlukahluka ngosayizi. Kuthiwa babaleke ikakhulukazi ezindaweni zezwekazi lase-Europe.
I-Australopithecus Kwakuyi-hominid yokuqala eyayingahamba bipedally. Kubandakanya ukukwazi ukuhamba ngezitho zangemuva zombili. Usayizi wakhe wawumncane kakhulu njengoba wayemamitha angu-1.30 kuphela ubude futhi enomzimba omncane. Ukudla kwayo bekuyi-omnivorous futhi yakwazi ukuchuma ezwenikazi lase-Afrika, lapho iningi lamathambo asetholakele manje.
Ezinye izilwane
Amanye amaqembu ezilwane nawo athola intuthuko ebalulekile ngesikhathi se-Pliocene. Izilwane ezihuquzelayo zathuthuka kakhulu, ikakhulukazi izingwenya nezingwenya. Ngokuqondene nezinyoni, eziningi zazihlala ezwekazini laseMelika futhi zazizingela inqwaba yezilwane. Elinye iqembu lezinyoni, elaziwa kangcono ngokuthi i-anseriformes, yiyona eyathuthukiswa kabanzi. Kuleli qembu lezinyoni sithola amadada namadada, phakathi kwezinye.
Ngiyethemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi ngezilwane zasePliocene.
