Information AboutTertiary |
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Tertiary period was previously one of the major divisions of the and Neogene periods are recommended as the primary subdivisions of the Cenozoic era. In common usage, the Tertiary has included five geologic epochs -- the Paleocene , Eocene , Oligocene , Miocene and Pliocene . The Tertiary covers roughly the time span between the demise of the Dinosaur s and beginning of the most recent Ice Age . At the beginning of the period Mammal replaced Reptile s as the dominant animals. Each epoch of the Tertiary was marked by striking developments in mammalian life. The earliest recognizable Hominoid relatives of Human s, '' Proconsul '' and '' Australopithecus '', appeared. Modern types of Bird s, reptiles, Amphibians , Fish , and Invertebrate s either were already numerous at the beginning of the period or appeared early in its history. Modern families of Flowering Plant s Evolved . Marine invertebrates and non-mammal marine Vertebrate s experienced only modest evolution. Continental Drift was modest. Gondwana finally split completely apart, and India collided with the Eurasian Plate . South America was connected to North America toward the end of the Tertiary. Antarctica -- which was already separate -- drifted to its current position over the South Pole . Widespread Volcanic activity was prevalent. Climate s during the Tertiary slowly cooled, starting off in the Paleocene with tropical-to-moderate worldwide temperatures and ending up with extensive Glaciation s at the end of the period. The term Tertiary was first used by and plains of Italy), when the same system was later extended to other parts of Europe and to America it proved to be inapplicable. Therefore, later the use of mollusks was abandoned from the definition and the epochs were renamed and redefined. |