The Pliocene in Utah
5.3 - 2.6 Ma
During the Pliocene Epoch, the earth’s climate became cooler, drier, and seasonally similar to modern climate. The global temperature, on average, was 2-3 °C higher than it is today. As a consequence, the sea level was 25 meters higher.
Mammals such as the Mastodon underwent a great evolutionary diversification during the Pliocene Epoch, and many different forms developed such as the Mammoth, the predecessor to the Elephant, and the Straight Horned Bison roamed the landscape. The Sabre-Toothed Tiger, a large feline predator, preyed on mammals up to twice its size. There was also the Giant Short-Faced Bear, which has changed very little from the Pliocene to modern day.
Mastodons underwent a great evolutionary diversification during the Pliocene Epoch, and many different forms developed, and adapted to varying environments.
Primates continued to evolve in the Pliocene, with Quastralopithecus, the first of the primates to be termed “human”
During the Pliocene Epoch in Utah, large amounts of volcanism were occurring in the southwestern regions, for example, the Thousand Lakes area of Utah. Also uplift and faulting continued as Utah began to rise out of the ocean and came closer to the position where it is today. During the mid-Pliocene, the Sierra Nevada begins to rise. The Sierra Nevada is a large mountain range that covers a large part of the western United States. Also in the late Pliocene The Pacific Plate changed its direction 11° east of where is was previously headed. The Utah landscape changed rapidly at this time as lakes drained through the Colorado River.
Mammals such as the Mastodon underwent a great evolutionary diversification during the Pliocene Epoch, and many different forms developed such as the Mammoth, the predecessor to the Elephant, and the Straight Horned Bison roamed the landscape. The Sabre-Toothed Tiger, a large feline predator, preyed on mammals up to twice its size. There was also the Giant Short-Faced Bear, which has changed very little from the Pliocene to modern day.
Mastodons underwent a great evolutionary diversification during the Pliocene Epoch, and many different forms developed, and adapted to varying environments.
Primates continued to evolve in the Pliocene, with Quastralopithecus, the first of the primates to be termed “human”
During the Pliocene Epoch in Utah, large amounts of volcanism were occurring in the southwestern regions, for example, the Thousand Lakes area of Utah. Also uplift and faulting continued as Utah began to rise out of the ocean and came closer to the position where it is today. During the mid-Pliocene, the Sierra Nevada begins to rise. The Sierra Nevada is a large mountain range that covers a large part of the western United States. Also in the late Pliocene The Pacific Plate changed its direction 11° east of where is was previously headed. The Utah landscape changed rapidly at this time as lakes drained through the Colorado River.