Miocene

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/miocene

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the epoch boundaries?Defined by regional climatic transitions rather than singular global events
2. What is the paleoclimatic trend?Progressive global cooling, influencing ice sheet extent and sea levels
3. When did the Miocene epoch take place?The Miocene lasted from about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago.
4. Why did the Mediterranean Sea dry up during the Miocene?The connection between the Atlantic and Mediterranean closed because of tectonic uplift and falling sea levels, making the basin very salty and dry.

Hominoidea: The taxonomic superfamily that includes apes and humans, characterized by larger brains and no tails.
Evaporite: A sedimentary rock formed from minerals left behind after water evaporates.
Orogeny: A process of mountain formation, especially by folding and faulting of the Earth's crust.
C4 Grasses: A type of grass that uses a more efficient photosynthetic pathway, thriving in warmer, drier climates.