GEOL 1003 Lecture Notes - Tibetan Plateau, Homo Sapiens, Homo Erectus
Document Summary
Biota- cattle, antelope, deer, giraffes, pigs, elephants, carnivorous cats & dogs, bear, hyena, new world primates. Apes- early apes from africa and asia (now extinct). 2nd from ethiopia (ardipithimus), 3rd from africa (australopithecus) which resembles skull of early apes & humans, but not very intelligent. Landforms- rise of himalayas (india collides with eurasia) and tibetan plateau. Lots of uplift (rocky mtns, colorado plateau, isthmus of panama). Mid miocene shift northern hemisphere plate creation. Landforms- erratic boulders, linear patterns of glacial moraines, release of lake missoula water, Columbia river flood basalts above ice, smooth rock surfaces, u shaped valleys formed, sea level drop, global distribution of vegetation. Climate- changes in ocean currents trigger n. hemisphere glaciation. Early pliocene is warm b/c open isthmus of panama allows for artic ice to expand south, allows for colder weather. Last glacial maximum (full glacial expansion) followed by rapid deglaciation. Orbital theory- frequency of glacial cycles is controlled by solar radiation.
