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Geologic time between
the "Great Ice Age" (Pleistocene Epoch) and the
"Age of the
Dinosaurs" (Mesozoic Era) is known to geoscientists as the Tertiary
Period. This Period has been divided into five Epochs as
follows:
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GEOLOGIC TIME
UNITS |
MILLION YEARS BEFORE PRESENT* |
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- Pliocene epoch 1.8 to 5.3
- Miocene epoch
5.3 to 23
- Oligocene epoch
23 to 34
- Eocene epoch
34 to 56
- Paleocene epoch
56 to 65
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*From
Wikipedia, the free
online encyclopedia. |
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During the
Tertiary Period many life forms that existed and flourished duri ng
the Mesozoic Era vanished. Dinosaurs were replaced by
mammals as the dominant large land animals.
The evolutionary history of the primates, including the early
ancestors of man, has been traced deep into the Tertiary Period.
For example, the Stone Age began in the Tertiary Period and ended
during the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age). Some evidence of life during The Tertiary Period is presented below:
Early Eocene Tapir (Heptodon posticus) some 50 million years ago.
Heptodon was an ancient relative of the modern tapirs and described
as a primitive perissodactyl (odd-toed ungulate).
The fossil skeleton is as exhibited at the Harvard Museum of Natural
History, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Photo by Flo Bruehl,
July 19, 2008.
Middle Eocene Camel (Stenomylus hitchcocki). This species
was described as "gazelle-like", graceful and built for speed.
Although they were North American, they may have behaved more like a modern
African gazelle. They were adapted for life on open grassland.
Fossil evidence indicates that camels originated in North America during the
middle Eocene. The fossil skeleton is as exhibited at the
Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Photo by Flo Bruehl,
July 19, 2008.
Oligocene Horse (Mesohippus barbouri). This specimen
lived in South Dakota some 30 million years ago. The fossil
evidence indicates that it was adapted for browsing and had feet with three
toes. The middle toe was much larger than the other two.
The species is believed to have browsed on leaves and fruit. The
fossil skeleton is as exhibited at the Harvard Museum of Natural History,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Photo by Flo Bruehl,
July 19, 2008.
Pliocene Horse (Equus simplicidens). Described as a
"grazing horse", superbly adapted for life on the open plains, this species
emerged 5 million years ago during the beginning of the Pliocene epoch.
It was adapted for speed with long, streamlined legs that ended in a single
toe. It closely resembles a modern Zebra in structure.
The fossil skeleton is as exhibited at the
Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Photo by Flo Bruehl,
July 19, 2008.
For more about
prehistoric life go to our pages:
If you're looking for resources
for geoprofessionals try our Resources Page. Or if you're looking for books,
computers, software and electronics try our
Amazon Affiliate
Store. Much of the background information about
prehistoric animals was obtained at the websites
Enchanted
Learning and
Wikipedia.
Welcome to Dinosaur State Park is a website for Dinosaur State Park,
Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
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