Pleistocenas Courses

The Pleistocene Epoch is the geological epoch which lasted from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago. During this time, global temperatures and sea levels fluctuated drastically as the world went through cycles of glacial and interglacial periods. The Pleistocene is most notable for being the epoch during which genus Homo evolved, modern humans (Homo sapiens) appeared, and many familiar large animals of today, such as mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and woolly rhinoceroses first evolved. This epoch is also sometimes referred to as the Ice Age. Climate change during the Pleistocene was caused by multiple factors. The primary reason for these changes was an increase in glacial activity as glaciations expanded and contracted. Large changes in temperatures and sea levels occurred as different glaciation events took place, ranging from the Last Glacial Maximum (26,500 - 19,000 years ago) being the most severe to the Temperate Interglacial which lasted from about 128,000 to 88,000 years ago. Major changes in the biosphere and ecosystems also occurred as a result of this climate change. The Pleistocene Epoch left a lasting legacy in its geological imprint on the planet. It was responsible for the formation of many landforms, such as drumlins, eskers, cirques, moraines, and glacial valleys, to name a few. This epoch is also responsible for the extinction of many large animals that populated the planet at that time, such as mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses, as well as the spread of modern humans around the world.