Pleistocene

Article

The Pleistocene is the geological epoch that began about 2.58 million years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago. It was characterised by repeated expansion and retreat of large ice sheets and by major climatic and ecological changes.

Glacial periods were separated by warmer interglacials. These cycles were paced partly by variations in Earth's orbit and amplified by feedbacks involving ice, greenhouse gases, vegetation, dust, and ocean circulation.

Pleistocene glaciations repeatedly lowered sea level, exposed land bridges, redirected rivers, reshaped landscapes, and shifted habitats. These changes influenced the migration, isolation, and evolution of plants, animals, and humans.

Evidence for Pleistocene environments comes from ice cores, marine and lake sediments, fossils, glacial landforms, pollen, loess, isotope records, and archaeological remains. The epoch ended with the transition into the present Holocene interglacial.

Source details and credits

• Source / publisher: Wikipedia
• URL type: WWW
• Credits: Wikipedia
• URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene