Neogene fauna

Neogene fauna

At Lóleo Eventos, Cenozoic era there were several periods. He Neogene period it was the second of this era and began about 23 million years ago and ended approximately 2.6 million years ago. During this period of time, our planet underwent a series of changes and transformations both at the geological level and at the level of biodiversity. The Neogene fauna It was characterized by having one of the most momentous events in the history of the earth, such as the appearance of the first hominids.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics and evolution of the Neogene fauna.

Neogene Period

This Neogene period lasted approximately 20 million years and had great changes at the geological level and the level of biodiversity. It is known to be the time period where the first hominids known as Australopithecus appeared. This species of hominids they represent the oldest ancestors of man.

During the Neogene period there was a great change at the planetary level in terms of geological activity. The continents continued their slower displacement from the locations we have today. This movement of the continents caused the marine currents to be modified and some physical barriers arose, such as the isthmus of Panama. These geological movements were important events that influenced the decrease in temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

All these changes at the geological and temperature level influenced the appearance and development of certain biodiversity. Throughout this period a great animal biodiversity was observed. The groups of animals that underwent the greatest transformation they were terrestrial and marine mammals, birds and reptiles.

Development of life in the Neogene

Throughout this period there was an expansion of existing life forms. Because of the climate, the terrestrial temperatures had great influence on the development and new establishment of living beings. Both flora and fauna underwent various changes, with fauna experiencing the greatest diversification. The flora remained somewhat more stagnant.

The Neogene flora stands out for being more stagnant due to the climate. Since the climate in this period was somewhat colder, it limited the development of large jungles and forests. In addition, this drop in temperatures also caused the disappearance of large areas of them. Because of these environmental conditions, some types of plants had to thrive that could adapt to a lower temperature environment.

Plants that can thrive under more adverse conditions are those that belong to the herbaceous family. Some specialists refer to the Neogene period as the age of herbs. Not everything was negative for the plants. Some species of angiosperms were also established and developed successfully.

Neogene fauna

We are going to see how the climate and geological development affected the Neogene fauna. During this period, various groups of animals diversified, among which we recognize as more evolved such as mammals, reptiles, and birds. Marine ecosystems had extensive development, especially the group of cetaceans.

We are going to analyze one by one the groups of animals that developed the most during the Neogene fauna.

Birds

Within the group of birds the most developed were those that they belonged to the group of passerines. Some of the birds of the Neogene period are also known as birds of terror. This large group of animals settled on the American continent. Today the birds of the passerine group are the most diverse and widest group. It has been maintained with a high level of survival over time.

Among their main characteristics we have that they are animals that are characterized by having legs on which to perch on the tree branch. In addition, it has the ability to sing. These abilities are used to establish complex mating rituals. The group of passerines is also known as the group of songbirds. During the Neogene period the group of birds began to acquire more and more strength and to massify. Since the continents kept moving towards the current situation, these animals diversified.

Mainly in South America is where the greatest amount of fossil records have been found. These records bear witness to the existence of large birds. Many of these birds were large but not capable of flight. However, they became great predators of this time. This group of birds was also known by the name of terror birds.

Neogene fauna: mammals

fauna of neogene development

Mammals were a group of animals that underwent great changes. One of the groups that evolved the most were animals belonging to the family Bovidae and Cervidae. In these two groups of animals we find goats, sheep, antelope, deer and deer. All these animals expanded their area of ​​distribution remarkably.

Likewise, there are other large mammals such as elephants, mammoths and rhinos that experienced great development. Some of these species such as mammoths have not been able to survive until today due to certain changes that came later.

It should also be taken into account that in the Neogene fauna some primates, specifically monkeys, stood out. Each group of primates had a respective habitat and underwent some transformations in their evolutionary process. Most of the primates were found in the African and American continent.

In the Neogene fauna we also find the development of other main mammals such as felines and canines. Some various types of bears and hyenas also diversified around this time. Within the group of mammals, one of the extremely important events took place in the evolutionary process of the human being. And is that the first hominid emerged and developed.

The first hominid developed was baptized by the name of Australopithecus. It was characterized mainly by having a small size and a bipedal movement.

reptiles

Finally, reptiles also developed in the Neogene fauna. Among them we find the frogs, toads and snakes that were able to expand their dominions. This was due to the large amount of food available. Their food is mainly based on insects, which were very abundant.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Neogene fauna.


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