Glacial Epoch (Noun)
Meaning 1
Any period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface; "the most recent ice age was during the Pleistocene".
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
From two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human evolution.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The Pleistocene glaciation, which spans the glacial epoch, had a profound impact on the Earth's climate and geography.
- During the glacial epoch, massive ice sheets covered much of North America, Europe, and Asia,-locking up vast amounts of water and causing sea levels to drop.
- The glacial epoch saw the evolution of modern humans, with early Homo sapiens emerging in Africa around 300,000 years ago.
- The climate fluctuations during the glacial epoch likely played a significant role in the dispersal of early human populations out of Africa and into other parts of the world.
- The glacial epoch came to an end about 11,700 years ago, marking the beginning of the current interglacial period, known as the Holocene.