Pliocene

The Pliocene epoch (a.k.a. formerly Pleiocene) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years before present.

Pliocene fauna

Both marine and continental faunas were essentially modern, although continental faunas were recognizably a bit more primitive than today. The first recognizable hominid ancestors (Australopithecines) appeared in the Pliocene.

Related Topics:
Hominid - Australopithecine

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The land mass collisions meant great migration and mixing of previously isolated species. Herbivores got bigger, as did specialized predators.

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Mammals

In North America, rodents, large mastodonts and gomphotheres, and opossums continued successfully, while hoofed animals (ungulates) declined, with camel, deer and horse all seeing populations recede. Rhinos, tapirs and chalicotheres went extinct. Carnivores including the weasel family diversifed, and dogs and fast-running hunting bears did well. Ground sloths, huge glyptodonts and armadillos came north with the formation of the Panamanian Isthmus.

Related Topics:
Rodents - Mastodont - Gomphothere - Ungulate - Camel - Deer - Horse - Rhinos - Tapirs - Chalicothere - Carnivores - Weasel - Dog - Bear - Sloth - Glyptodont - Armadillo - Panamanian Isthmus

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In Eurasia rodents did well, while primate coverage declined. Elephants, gomphotheres and stegodonts were successful in Asia, and hyraxes migrated north from Africa. Horse diversity declined, while tapirs and rhinos did fairly well. Cows and antelopes were successful, and some camel species crossed into Asia from North America. Hyaenas and early saber-toothed cats appeared, joining other predators including dogs, bears and weasels.

Related Topics:
Eurasia - Rodents - Primate - Elephant - Gomphothere - Stegodont - Hyraxes - Horse - Tapir - Cow - Antelope - Camel - Hyaenas - Saber-toothed cat

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Africa was dominated by hoofed animals, and primates continued their evolution, with australopithecines (some of the first hominids) appearing in the late Pliocene. Rodents were successful, and elephant populations increased. Cows and antelopes continued diversification and overtaking pigs in numbers of species. Early giraffes appeared, and camels migrated via Asia from North America. Horses and modern rhinos came onto the scene. Bears, dogs and weasels (originally from North America) joined cats, hyaenas and civets as the African predators, forcing hyaenas to adapt as specialized scavengers.

Related Topics:
Primate - Australopithecine - Hominid - Rodent - Pig - Giraffe - Civet

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South America was invaded by North American species for the first time since the Cretaceous, with North American rodents and primates mixing with Southern forms.

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Litopterns and the notoungulates, South American natives, did well. Small weasel-like mustelids and coatis, carnivores both, migrated from the north. Grazing glyptodonts, browsing giant ground sloths and smaller armadillos did well.

Related Topics:
Litoptern - Notoungulate - Mustelid - Coati - Glyptodont

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The marsupials remained the dominant Australian mammals, with herbivore forms including wombats and kangaroos, and the huge diprotodonts. Carnivorous marsupials continued hunting in the Pliocene, including dasyurids, the dog-like thylacine and cat-like Thylacoleo. The first rodents arrived, while bats did well, as did ocean-going whales. The modern duck-billed platypus, a monotreme, appeared.

Related Topics:
Marsupial - Australia - Wombat - Kangaroo - Diprotodont - Dasyurid - Thylacine - Thylacoleo - Bat - Whale - Platypus - Monotreme

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Birds