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Pliocene Zanclean (5. Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern The Neogene is a geologic period and system starting 2303 ± 0 The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends In the Geologic time scale, the Zanclean (also known as Tabianian, Dacian) is the Age which makes up the Early Pliocene 3 - 3. 6 Ma) Piacenzian (3. Piacenzian (also known as Astian, Redonian, or Romanian) is a Age of the Pliocene Epoch. 6 - 2. 6 Ma) Gelasian (2. The Gelasian is a stage whose belonging to either the Pliocene or the Pleistocene Epochs is currently discussed 6 - 1. 8 Ma) Pleistocene Early Pleistocene (1. Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale 8 - 0.78 Ma) Middle Pleistocene (780 - 130 ka) Late Pleistocene (130 - 10 ka) Older Dryas (14 - 13. A geomagnetic reversal is a change in the orientation of Earth's magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south become interchanged So far the Pleistocene Series is not subdivided into formal units (i The Eemian interglacial era, now known as the Eemian Stage is temporally equivalent to the Sangamon Stage in North America, the Ipswichian Stage in The Late Pleistocene (also known as Upper Pleistocene or the Tarantian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The 9th millennium BC marks the beginning of the Neolithic period The Older Dryas was a somewhat variable cold dry Blytt-Sernander period of North Europe, roughly equivalent to Pollen zone 1c 6 ka) Allerød (13. The Allerød period is a part of a temperature oscillation toward the end of the last Glaciation, during which temperatures in the northern Atlantic region rose from 6 - 12. 9 ka) Younger Dryas (12. The Younger Dryas Stadial, named after the alpine / tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala, and also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a brief (approximately 9 - 11. 5 ka) Holocene (10 ka - present) Boreal Atlantic

The Pleistocene (IPA: /'plaɪstəsi:n/) is the epoch from 1. The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC In the 8th millennium BC, Agriculture becomes widely practiced in the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia. In Paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of North European climatic phases that were originally The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and most moist Blytt-Sernander period Pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene north Europe. The geologic time scale is a chronologic schema (or idealized Model) relating Stratigraphy to time that is used by Geologists and other 8 million to 10,000 years BP covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. Before Present (BP years are a time scale used in Archaeology, Geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek πλεῖστος (pleistos "most") and καινός (kainos "new").

The Pleistocene epoch follows the Pliocene epoch and is followed by the Holocene epoch. The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC The Pleistocene is the third epoch of the Neogene period or 6th epoch of the Cenozoic Era. The Neogene is a geologic period and system starting 2303 ± 0 The Cenozoic (also Caenozoic or Cainozoic) Era (ˌsiːnəˈzoʊɪk/ /ˌsɛn- (meaning "new life" ( Greek ( kainos) "new" ^[1] The end of the Pleistocene corresponds with the end of the Paleolithic age used in archaeology. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos

The Pleistocene is divided into the Early Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene, and numerous faunal stages. Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale So far the Pleistocene Series is not subdivided into formal units (i The Late Pleistocene (also known as Upper Pleistocene or the Tarantian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch.

Contents 1 Dating 2 Paleogeography and climate 2.1 Glacial features 2.2 Major events 2.3 Palaeocycles 2.3.1 Milankovitch cycles 2.3.2 Oxygen isotope ratio cycles 3 Fauna 4 Hominini during pleistocene 5 Deposits 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Dating

The Pleistocene has been dated from 1. 806 million (±5,000 years) to 11,550 years before present^[2], with the end date expressed in radiocarbon years as 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP. Radiocarbon dating is a Radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring Radioisotope Carbon-14 (14C to determine the age of It covers most of the latest period of repeated glaciation, up to and including the Younger Dryas cold spell. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The Younger Dryas Stadial, named after the alpine / tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala, and also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a brief (approximately The end of the Younger Dryas has been dated to about 9600 BC (11550 calendar years BP).

The International Commission on Stratigraphy (a body of the International Union of Geological Sciences) has confirmed the time period for the Pleistocene but has not yet confirmed a type section, Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), for the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS, sometimes referred to by the unofficial " International Stratigraphic Commission " is a daughter or major Subcommittee The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS is an international Non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of Geology A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, abbreviated GSSP, is an internationally agreed upon stratigraphic section which serves as the reference section for A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, abbreviated GSSP, is an internationally agreed upon stratigraphic section which serves as the reference section for The proposed section is the North Greenland Ice Core Project ice core 75° 06' N 42° 18' W. ^[3]

The type section GSSP for the start of the Pleistocene is in a reference section at Vrica, 4 km south of Crotone in Calabria, southern Italy, a location whose exact dating has recently been confirmed by analysis of strontium and oxygen isotopes as well as by planktonic foraminifera. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Croton may also refer to a plant genus See Croton (genus. Or to the NY village Croton-on-Hudson. Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel Strontium (ˈstrɒntiəm /ˈstrɒnʃiəm/) is a Chemical element with the symbol Sr and the Atomic number 38 Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Isotopes (Greek isos = "equal" tópos = "site place" are any of the different types of atoms ( Nuclides Plankton consist of any drifting Organisms ( Animals Plants Archaea, or Bacteria) that inhabit the Pelagic zone of The Foraminifera, ("Hole Bearers" or forams for short are a large group of Amoeboid Protists with reticulating Pseudopods fine

The name was intended to cover the recent period of repeated glaciations; however, the start was set too late and some early cooling and glaciation are now reckoned to be in the Gelasian (end of the Pliocene). The Gelasian is a stage whose belonging to either the Pliocene or the Pleistocene Epochs is currently discussed The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Some climatologists and geologists would therefore prefer a start date of around 2. 58 million years BP. ^[4] The name Plio-Pleistocene has in the past been used to mean the last ice age. But since only a part of the Pliocene is involved, the Quaternary was subsequently redefined to start 2. Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern 58 Ma. as more consistent with the data. ^[5][4]

The continuous climatic history from the Pliocene into the Pleistocene and Holocene was one reason for the International Commission on Stratigraphy to propose discontinuance of the use of the term "Quaternary", this proposal was strongly objected to by the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS, sometimes referred to by the unofficial " International Stratigraphic Commission " is a daughter or major Subcommittee The International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA was founded in 1928 The ICS proposed that the "Quaternary" be considered a sub-era (sub-erathem) with its base at the base of the Pilocene Gelasian Stage GSSP at circa 2. 6 Ma at Marine Isotope State 103. The boundary is not in dispute, but the sub-era status was rejected by INQUA. The matter remains under discussion with resolution expected to be reached by the ICS and INQUA in 2008. ^[6] Therefore, the Pleistocene is currently an epoch of both the longer Neogene and the shorter Quaternary.

The proposal of INQUA is to extend the beginning of the Pleistocene to the beginning of the Gelasian Stage, shortening the Pliocene, and ending the Neogene with the revised end of the Pliocene. ^[4]

Paleogeography and climate

The modern continents were essentially at their present positions during the Pleistocene, the plates upon which they sit probably having moved no more than 100 km relative to each other since the beginning of the period. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere

According to Mark Lynas (through collected data), the Pleistocene's overall climate could be characterized as a continuous El Niño with trade winds in the south Pacific weakening or heading east, warm air rising near Peru, warm water spreading from the west Pacific and the Indian Ocean to the east Pacific, and other El Niño markers. Mark Lynas (born 1973 is a British Author, Journalist and environmental Activist focussed on Climate change. El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO; commonly referred to as simply El Niño) is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon The trade winds (also called trades) are the prevailing pattern of easterly winds found in the Tropics near the Earth's Equator. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface ^[7]

Glacial features

Pleistocene climate was characterized by repeated glacial cycles where continental glaciers pushed to the 40th parallel in some places. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. A circle of latitude, on the Earth, is an imaginary East - West circle connecting all locations (not taking into account elevation that share a given It is estimated that, at maximum glacial extent, 30% of the Earth's surface was covered by ice. In addition, a zone of permafrost stretched southward from the edge of the glacial sheet, a few hundred kilometres in North America, and several hundred in Eurasia. This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. The mean annual temperature at the edge of the ice was −6 °C; at the edge of the permafrost, 0 °C. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale.

Each glacial advance tied up huge volumes of water in continental ice sheets 1500–3000 m thick, resulting in temporary sea level drops of 100 m or more over the entire surface of the Earth. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International During interglacial times, such as at present, drowned coastlines were common, mitigated by isostatic or other emergent motion of some regions.

The effects of glaciation were global. Antarctica was ice-bound throughout the Pleistocene as well as the preceding Pliocene. The Andes were covered in the south by the Patagonian ice cap. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina There were glaciers in New Zealand and Tasmania. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass The current decaying glaciers of Mount Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Ruwenzori Range in east and central Africa were larger. Mount Kenya is the highest Mountain in Kenya, and the second highest in Africa (after Mount Kilimanjaro) Glaciers existed in the mountains of Ethiopia and to the west in the Atlas mountains. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The Atlas Mountains ( Kabyle: Idurar n leṭles جبال الأطلس) is a Mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2400

In the northern hemisphere, many glaciers fused into one. The Cordilleran ice sheet covered the North American northwest; the east was covered by the Laurentide. The Cordilleran ice sheet was a major Ice sheet that covered during glacial periods of the Quaternary, a large area of North America. The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern The Fenno-Scandian ice sheet rested on north Europe, including Great Britain; the Alpine ice sheet on the Alps. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Scattered domes stretched across Siberia and the Arctic shelf. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The northern seas were frozen.

South of the ice sheets large lakes accumulated because outlets were blocked and the cooler air slowed evaporation. North central North America was totally covered by Lake Agassiz. Lake Agassiz was an immense Glacial lake located in the center of North America. Over 100 basins, now dry or nearly so, were overflowing in the American west. Lake Bonneville, for example, stood where Great Salt Lake now does. Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric Pluvial lake that covered much of North America 's Great Basin region Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the US state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere the fourth-largest terminal In Eurasia, large lakes developed as a result of the runoff from the glaciers. Rivers were larger, had a more copious flow, and were braided. African lakes were fuller, apparently from decreased evaporation.

Deserts on the other hand were drier and more extensive. Rainfall was lower because of the decrease in oceanic and other evaporation.

Major events

Further information: Timeline of glaciation

Four major glacial events have been identified, as well as many minor intervening events. There have been four major periods of glaciation in the Earth's past A major event is a general glacial excursion, termed a "glacial. " Glacials are separated by "interglacials. " During a glacial, the glacier experiences minor advances and retreats. The minor excursion is a "stadial"; times between stadials are "interstadials. "

These events are defined differently in different regions of the glacial range, which have their own glacial history depending on latitude, terrain and climate. There is a general correspondence between glacials in different regions. Investigators often interchange the names if the glacial geology of a region is in the process of being defined. However, it is generally incorrect to apply the name of a glacial in one region to another.

For most of the 20th century only a few regions had been studied and the names were relatively few. Today the geologists of different nations are taking more of an interest in Pleistocene glaciology. As a consequence, the number of names is expanding rapidly and will continue to expand.

The glacials in the following table are a simplification of a more complex cycle of variation in climate and terrain. Many of the advances and stadials remain unnamed. Also, the terrestrial evidence for some of them has been erased or obscured by larger ones, but evidence remains from the study of cyclical climate changes.

Four of the better known regions with the names of the glacials.

Region	Glacial 1	Glacial 2	Glacial 3	Glacial 4
Alps	Günz	Mindel	Riss	Würm
North Europe	Eburonian	Elsterian	Saalian	Weichselian
British Isles	Beestonian	Anglian	Wolstonian	Devensian
Midwest U. The Beestonian Stage is the name for an early Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles. The Kansan Glaciation (known in the UK as the Anglian glaciation, Elster glaciation in northern Europe and the Mindel glaciation in the "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period The Beestonian Stage is the name for an early Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles. The Kansan Glaciation (known in the UK as the Anglian glaciation, Elster glaciation in northern Europe and the Mindel glaciation in the "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period S.	Nebraskan	Kansan	Illinoian	Wisconsin

The interglacials corresponding to prior glacials.

Region	Interglacial 1	Interglacial 2	Interglacial 3
Alps	Günz-Mindel	Mindel-Riss	Riss-Würm
North Europe	Waalian	Holsteinian	Eemian
British Isles	Cromerian	Hoxnian	Ipswichian
Midwest U. The Eemian interglacial era, now known as the Eemian Stage is temporally equivalent to the Sangamon Stage in North America, the Ipswichian Stage in S.	Aftonian	Yarmouthian	Sangamonian

Corresponding to the terms glacial and interglacial, the terms pluvial and interpluvial are in use (Latin: pluvia, rain). A pluvial is a warmer period of increased rainfall; an interpluvial, of decreased rainfall. Formerly a pluvial was thought to correspond to a glacial in regions not iced, and in some cases it does. Rainfall is cyclical also. Pluvials and interpluvials are widespread.

There is no systematic correspondence of pluvials to glacials, however. Moreover, regional pluvials do not correspond to each other globally. For example, some have used the term "Riss pluvial" in Egyptian contexts. Any coincidence is an accident of regional factors. Names for some pluvials in some regions have been defined.

Palaeocycles

The sum of transient factors acting at the Earth's surface is cyclical: climate, ocean currents and other movements, wind currents, temperature, etc. The waveform response comes from the underlying cyclical motions of the planet, which eventually drag all the transients into harmony with them. The repeated glaciations of the Pleistocene were caused by the same factors.

Milankovitch cycles

Glaciation in the Pleistocene was a series of glacials and interglacials, stadials and interstadials, mirroring periodic changes in climate. The main factor at work in climate cycling is now believed to be Milankovitch cycles. Milankovitch cycles are the collective effect of changes in the Earth 's movements upon its climate named after Serbian civil engineer and Mathematician These are periodic variations in regional solar radiation caused by the sum of many repeating changes in the Earth's motion.

Milankovitch cycles cannot be the sole factor since they do not explain the start and end of the Pleistocene ice age, or of repeated ice ages. They seem to work best within the Pleistocene, predicting a glaciation once every 100,000 years.

Oxygen isotope ratio cycles

In oxygen isotope ratio analysis, variations in the ratio of O-18 to O-16 (two isotopes of oxygen) by mass (measured by a mass spectrometer) present in the calcite of oceanic core samples is used as a diagnostic of ancient ocean temperature change and therefore of climate change. Oxygen isotope ratio cycles are cyclical variations in the ratio of the mass of oxygen with an atomic weight of 18 to the mass of oxygen with an atomic weight of 16 present in Isotopes (Greek isos = "equal" tópos = "site place" are any of the different types of atoms ( Nuclides Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that identifies the chemical composition of a compound or sample based on the Mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate ( Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 A core sample is a cylindrical section of a naturally occurring medium consistent enough to hold a layered structure Cold oceans are richer in O-18, which is included in the shells of the microorganisms contributing the calcite.

A more recent version of the sampling process makes use of modern glacial ice cores. Although less rich in O-18 than sea water, the snow that fell on the glacier year by year nevertheless contained O-18 and O-16 in a ratio that depended on the mean annual temperature.

Temperature and climate change are cyclical when plotted on a graph of temperature versus time. Temperature coordinates are given in the form of a deviation from today's annual mean temperature, taken as zero. This sort of graph is based on another of isotope ratio versus time. Ratios are converted to a percentage difference (d) from the ratio found in standard mean ocean water (SMOW).

The graph in either form appears as a waveform with overtones. waveformogg|right|a sine square and sawtooth wave at 440 hz]] Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a Wave moving in a solid liquid or gaseous An overtone is a natural resonance or vibration frequency of a system One half of a period is a Marine isotopic stage (MIS). Marine isotopic stage s (MIS are alternating warm and cool periods in the Earth's paleoclimate, deduced from oxygen isotope data reflecting temperature curves derived It indicates a glacial (below zero) or an interglacial (above zero). Overtones are stadials or interstadials.

According to this evidence, Earth experienced 44 MIS stages beginning at about 2. 4 MYA in the Pliocene. The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Pliocene stages were shallow and frequent. The latest were the most intense and most widely spaced.

By convention, stages are numbered from the Holocene, which is MIS1. Glacials receive an even number; interglacials, odd. The first major glacial was MIS2-4 at about 850,000 YA. The largest glacials were 2, 6 and 12; the warmest interglacials, 1, 5, 9 and 11. For matching of MIS numbers to named stages, see under the articles for those names.

Fauna

See also: New World Pleistocene extinctions

Both marine and continental faunas were essentially modern.

The severe climatic changes during the ice age had major impacts on the fauna and flora. With each advance of the ice, large areas of the continents became totally depopulated, and plants and animals retreating southward in front of the advancing glacier faced tremendous stress. The most severe stress resulted from drastic climatic changes, reduced living space, and curtailed food supply. A major extinction event of large mammals (megafauna), which included mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, glyptodons, ground sloths, and short-faced bears, began late in the Pleistocene and continued into the Holocene. The Holocene extinction event is the widespread ongoing Mass extinction of Species during the modern Holocene epoch. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Megafauna are species of large Animals ( Greek μεγας large + modern Latin fauna animal A mammoth is any Species of the Extinct Genus Mammuthus. These Proboscideans are members of the elephant family and Mastodons or Mastodonts (from Greek μαστός and οδούς, meaning " Nipple tooth" are members of the extinct The Machairodontinae form a subfamily of the Felidae (true cats Glyptodon (Greek for "grooved or carved tooth" was a large armored Mammal, related to the Armadillo, that lived during the Pleistocene Ground sloths are a diverse group of Extinct Sloths Mammals in the edentate Superorder Xenarthra. Arctodus simus, also known as the giant short-faced bear is an extinct species of Bear. Neanderthals also became extinct during this period. The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from

The extinctions were especially severe in North America where native horses and camels were eliminated. Megatherium ("Great Beast" was a Genus of Elephant -sized Ground sloths that lived from two million to 8000 years ago Glyptodon (Greek for "grooved or carved tooth" was a large armored Mammal, related to the Armadillo, that lived during the Pleistocene The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Camels are Even-toed ungulates within the Genus Camelus. The Dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump and the

North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMA) are Blancan (4. The Blancan North American Stage on the Geologic timescale is the North American Faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology 5–1. 2), Irvingtonian (1. 2–0. 5) and Rancholabrean (0. 5–0. 01) in millions of years. The Blancan extends significantly back into the Pliocene.

South American Land Mammal Ages (SALMA) are Uquian (2. 5–1. 5), Ensenadan (1. 5–0. 3) and Lujanian (0. 3–0. 01) in millions of years. The Uquian extends significantly back into the Pliocene.

In Europe, the faunal stages are Calabrian (1. Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale 806–0. 781), Sicilian (0. The Sicilian European Stage is a European Faunal stage in the period of geological time between 0 781–0. 26) and Tyrrhenian (0. This is a Geological time scale article for archaeologiy see Etruscan civilization The Tyrrhenian Stage is the last Faunal 26–0. 005). ^[8]

Hominini during pleistocene

Main articles: Human evolution and Paleolithic

Scientific evidence^[9] indicates that humans evolved into their present form during the Pleistocene. Human evolution, or anthropogenesis, is the part of biological Evolution concerning the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct Species The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus ^[10] In the beginning of the Pleistocene Paranthropus species are still present, as well as early human ancestors, but during the lower Palaeolithic they disappeared, and the only hominin species found in fossilic records is Homo erectus for much of the Pleistocene. The robust australopithecines, members of the Extinct Hominin genus Paranthropus (Greek para "beside" Greek anthropos "human" Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin This species migrated through much of the old world, giving rise to many variations of humans. The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century The Middle and late Palaeolithic saw the appearance of new types of humans, as well as the development of more elaborate tools than found in previous eras. According to mitochondrial timing techniques, modern humans migrated from Africa after the Riss glaciation in the middle Palaeolithic during the Eemian interglacial, spreading all over the ice-free world during the late Pleistocene. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus The Eemian interglacial era, now known as the Eemian Stage is temporally equivalent to the Sangamon Stage in North America, the Ipswichian Stage in ^[11][12][13]

While the ultimate “African Origin” view of hominid evolution has not been challenged, some researchers have posited that the last great expansion did not eliminate pre-existing populations of hominids so much as assimilate them upon contact with Homo sapiens sapiens. While this would suggest that modifications in modern man may have been extensive and regionally based, the theory remains controversial. ^[14]

Deposits

Pleistocene continental deposits are found primarily in lakebeds, loess deposits and caves as well as in the large amounts of material moved about by glaciers. Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter Pleistocene marine deposits are found primarily in areas within a few tens of kilometres of the modern shoreline. In a few geologically active areas such as the Southern California coast, Pleistocene marine deposits may be found at elevations of several hundred meters. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U

See also

• Abbassia Pluvial
• Geologic time scale
• Glacial history of Minnesota
• Ice age
• List of fossil sites (with link directory)
• Mousterian Pluvial
• Pleistocene Park
• 1 E13 s

References

• Ogg, Jim; June, 2004, Overview of Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSP's) http://www.stratigraphy.org/gssp.htm Accessed April 30, 2006.

External links

• Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary at Vrica, Italy (Map)

Neogene period
Quaternary
Pliocene	Pleistocene	Holocene
← Neogene | Gelasian	Early | Middle | Late

Hominin species during pleistocene edit

The Neogene is a geologic period and system starting 2303 ± 0 Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC The Neogene is a geologic period and system starting 2303 ± 0 The Gelasian is a stage whose belonging to either the Pliocene or the Pleistocene Epochs is currently discussed Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale So far the Pleistocene Series is not subdivided into formal units (i The Late Pleistocene (also known as Upper Pleistocene or the Tarantian) is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises humans ( Homo) Chimpanzees ( Pan) and their Extinct ancestors

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