How did the Neogene period began?

The Neogene Period: When the World Started Looking a Bit More Familiar

Ever wonder when the Earth started to resemble the planet we know today? A good place to start is the Neogene Period. Kicking off around 23 million years ago, it was a time of massive change, setting the stage for, well, us! It wrapped up about 2.58 million years ago, handing the baton to the Quaternary Period – that’s the one we’re currently living in. Think of the Neogene as the second act in the Cenozoic Era, a long, ongoing play that started after the dinosaurs bowed out.

The name “Neogene” itself is pretty telling. Back in 1853, some smart Austrian paleontologist, Moritz Hörnes, came up with it. It basically means “new born,” because the fossils from this time looked way more like each other than the older fossils from the Paleogene Period. It’s like comparing your great-grandparents’ photos to pictures of your cousins – you can see the family resemblance much more clearly.

So, How Did This Whole Thing Get Started?

Well, there wasn’t a single “boom” moment, no giant asteroid strike to mark the beginning. Instead, it was more of a gradual shift, a collection of changes that, when you step back and look at the big picture, signaled a brand-new chapter for our planet. The official starting point, according to the International Commission on Stratigraphy (basically the timekeepers of geological history), is the transition from the Oligocene Epoch to the Miocene Epoch.

What Changed, Exactly?

Okay, picture this: the Earth’s going through a bit of an identity crisis, trying out new looks and personalities. Here are some of the highlights:

• Climate Change (Again!): The preceding Oligocene Epoch was a bit chilly. The Neogene started off warmer, relatively speaking, but then things started to cool down again. This cooling trend had a huge impact. Tropical forests shrunk, and grasslands started popping up everywhere.
• Earth on the Move: Geologically, things were pretty active. The Himalayas kept growing taller as India continued its slow-motion collision with Asia. In North America, the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains were getting a serious upgrade. And perhaps the biggest game-changer? The Isthmus of Panama finally connected North and South America. This might sound like a minor detail, but it completely rerouted ocean currents and messed with global climate patterns.
• Creature Feature: The Neogene was a boom time for mammals and birds. With all those new grasslands, grazing mammals thrived. Whales were experimenting with all sorts of shapes and sizes. Sharks? Let’s just say they got HUGE. Oh, and a small detail: our earliest hominid ancestors showed up in Africa. No biggie.
• Ocean’s Eleven (or Maybe Just One Big Change): Antarctica decided to go all-in on isolation, which led to the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This current basically cut off the continent from the rest of the world’s oceans, leading to the buildup of that massive ice cap and further global cooling. Also, remember the Mediterranean Sea? At one point, it had dried up almost completely! But at the beginning of the Pliocene Epoch, it dramatically refilled. Talk about a plot twist!

A Closer Look at the Miocene Epoch

The Miocene, the first chunk of the Neogene, is really where you see the grasslands taking over and mammals going wild. It’s also when kelp forests first appeared, and ocean currents started doing their own thing. The Miocene is further divided into six ages, each with its own quirky name like Aquitanian, Burdigalian, and Messinian. Try saying those three times fast!

The Takeaway?

The Neogene Period wasn’t just another chapter in Earth’s history book. It was a turning point. It was the bridge between the ancient world of the Paleogene and the more familiar ecosystems of the Quaternary. The changes that happened during this period – the geological shifts, the climate swings, the evolution of new species – shaped the world we live in today. And, of course, it set the stage for the arrival of humans. So, next time you’re out for a walk, take a moment to appreciate the Neogene. Without it, things might look very different!