Quaternary

2,6 M.a.-act.

An old division of Earth’s history established four eras. The Quaternary was the closest to our current era.

Homo habilis.


Quaternary Glacier.


Rice crops.

Continental distribution is now the same as today’s and the Alpine ranges (Himalayas, Alps, Rockies, Pyrenees, Baetic range, etc.) continue to rise.

There are ice caps in Antarctica, the Arctic and the great mountain ranges. These undergo several periods of growth followed by catastrophic episodes of destruction. These changes are related to cyclical variations in the movements of the Earth around the sun. The last glacial maximum took place 35,000 years ago. 12,000 years ago an episode of melting ice led to an interglacial phase that we are still in today.

The accumulation of ice on the continents lowers the sea level and, with few exceptions, increases aridity. The cycles of growth and destruction of glaciers force constant changes in ecosystems. In the midst of this period of oscillations hominid evolution leads to the appearance of Homo sapiens: us. Our cultural evolution (agriculture, livestock and industry) is causing the most drastic and rapid changes a single species has ever caused throughout the history of the Earth.