The Cenozoic Era The Age of Mammals 6

The Cenozoic Era “The Age of Mammals” 6 th Grade Science Ms. Stottlemyer

What type of animals and plant life do you think come after dinosaurs (Mesozoic era)? Do you think the environment is the same or different in the Cenozoic era compared to the Mesozoic and Paleozoic eras?

Cenozoic Era Cenozoic is a Greek phrase meaning “recent life. ” Called the “Age of Mammals” because several large mammals existed, but the plant and animal life was much more diverse than mammals (insects, birds, etc. )

Three Periods of the Cenozoic Era Paleogene 65 -24 million years ago Neogene 24 -1. 8 million years ago Quarternary 1. 8 million years ago – today

What is a mammal? a warm-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that is distinguished by the possession of hair or fur, the secretion of milk by females for the nourishment of the young, and (typically) the birth of live young.

Quick Think #1 What is a mammal? 1) Do snakes meet the definition of a mammal? Why or why not? 2) Are whales considered mammals? Why or why not? 3) Are humans considered mammals?

Paleogene Period Animal Life & Environment

Paleogene Period Plants & Animals Animal Life q Pigs q Deer q Cats q Rhinos q Rodents q Primitive primates q Primitive whales Plant Life q Grasses

Climate & Environment Tropical (most of Earth) Continents drifted apart during the Paleogene Period, creating vast stretches of oceans.

Neogene Period Animal Life

Neogene Period Animal Life Modern forms of whales More mammals: -horses -dogs -bears Modern birds South American monkeys Apes in southern Europe

Quaternary Period Animal Life

Quaternary Period “The Age of Man” The first humans (Homo sapiens) evolve. Mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, and other Pleistocene megafauna. A mass extinction of large mammals and many birds happened about 10, 000 years ago, probably caused by the end of the last ice age.

Summary of the Cenozoic Era: Animal Life, Plant Life & Environment

Summary of Animal Life for the Cenozoic Era Quarternary 1. 8 mya-today First humans, mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats. Neogene 24 -1. 8 mya Australopithecus appears. First sheep, cattle, modern whales, bears, mice, rats, apes, monkeys, dogs, modern birds appear. Paleogene 65 -24 mya First deer, cats, pigs, tapirs, and rhinos, elephants, horses, owls, shrews, hedgehogs, and rabbits evolve. Source: http: //www. enchantedlearning. com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/Period. shtml

Environment During the Cenozoic Era Tectonic plate movement greatly changed the environment Had glaciers covering the land during the “Last Ice Age” Many mountains formed during this time (Alps, Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains) The Great Lakes formed during this time due to glaciers moving Many oceans expanded

Environmental Changes of the Cenozoic Era Start: warm and tropical Middle: Cold, “Last Ice Age” with many dense forests Now: Forests, grasslands, diverse

IMPORTANT Plant Life of the Cenozoic Era As the forests thinned, grasses began to spread out over the plains of North America and savannas covered the land in the middle of the continent. Among the common plant life were pines, mosses, oaks and grasses. Flowering plants and edible crops dominate the landscape in the later part of this era as humans cultivate the land. Example of a grassland: North Dakota Prairie Grassland

Different Environments of the United States Today

Quick Think #2 What did you learn today? Describe what the characteristics of a mammal are. What are some examples of a mammals? Can you name some of the animals that evolved in the Cenozoic era? What is the environment like in the Cenozoic era? Did it change or remain the same? True or false: The Great Lakes, Alps, Himalaya and Rocky Mountains formed during the Cenozoic Era.

References Enchanted Learning. (2016). Geologic eons, eras and periods - paleontology and geology glossary. Retrieved from http: //www. enchantedlearning. com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/Period. shtml [Image/Animation ]. Retrieved from http: //www. clipartbest. com/cliparts/9 Tz/66 n/9 Tz 66 n 9 ac. gif Mammal. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com Unabridged. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from Dictionary. com website http: //www. dictionary. com/browse/mammal [Map]. Retrieved from http: //www. learner. org/interactives/historymap/images/sea_big. jpg [Photograph]. Retrieved from http: //il 5. picdn. net/shutterstock/videos/13447514/thumb/1. jpg University of Bristol. [Image]. Retrieved from http: //www. bris. ac. uk/medialibrary/sites/news/2008/6008 -1. jpg University of California Museum of Paleontology. (n. d. ). The Cenozoic era. Retrieved from http: //www. ucmp. berkeley. edu/cenozoic. php U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. [Photograph ]. Retrieved from https: //www. fws. gov/midwest/news/images/PPP_CRP_Jim. Ringelman. DU. jpg Zimmermann, K. A. (2016, June 8). Cenozoic era: facts about climate, animals & plants. Retrieved from https: //www. livescience. com/40352 -cenozoic-era. html