The Neogene

Neogene
24 to 1.8 million years ago

Progressively cooler
climates
Mountain building and
rifting in western North
America
Replacement of forests
by grasslands
Evolution of horses,
antelope, and other
grassland animals

The Neogene World

(1) Tethys sea closes in the Middle East; (2) South America
joins North America; (3) India completely joins Asia

Uplift of the Colorado Plateau and

Yellowstone Region and subsequent
erosion

Basin and Range Province

Early Miocene to present- beginning
of extension

The incredible expanding west

Columbia River Plateau Basalts

Middle Miocene, ~15 M.y.a
Eastern Washington, Oregon
300,000 km2, 4000 m thick

Messinian Salinity Crisis

End of the Miocene, 6 MYA

Tethys Ocean evaporates

out of the Mediterranean
Basin
Refills from west to form
modern Mediterranean and
Straits of Gibralter

Middle Miocene

Late Eocene

Mesic serrated leaf

Tropical drip leaf

Spread of grasslands
Begins around 9-10 MYA

Occurs at different times on different

continents

The rise of C4 plants

There are several ways for plants to
fix carbon via photosynthesis.
The original photosynthetic pathway
is called C3.
C4 is more efficient in drought
conditions, high temperatures, or
carbon dioxide shortages.
C4 photosynthesis evolved
independently in several groups of
angiosperm plants (flowering plants).
Common C4 plants include many
grasses, sugercane, and maize.

Switchgrass, a C4 plant

In the Miocene, C4 grasslands rapidly expanded

C3 dominated forests
photosynthesis results in depleted
matter.
Higher atmospheric CO2
Wetter, equable environments
Warmer temperatures.

C4 dominated grasslands
photosynthesis results in enriched 13C
plant matter.
Lower atmospheric CO2
H2O stress/seasonality
Cooler temperatures.

13C

plant

Carbon isotopes from fossil soils

The C3-C4 transition in North America

Browsers
low-crowned teeth
(Bunodont)
eat mixed vegetation

Grazers
high-crowned teeth
(Hypsodont)
eat grasses, which
contain abrasive
silica

In the Miocene

Grazers diversify and browsers decline

Jnais et al., 2002. PPP 177: 183-198.

Geographic increase in hypsodonty in Miocene mammal faunas

Fortelius et al., 2002, Evolutionary Ecology Research 4: 1005-1016

Digitigrade, cursorial species

also evolved in many mammal
groups during the Miocene

Middle Miocene large

mammals
Camelids (camels)
Equids (horses)
Antilocaprids
(pronghorn)

Peccaries (javelina)
Proboscidians
(elephants)

Rhinoceratids
(rhinos)

Felids (cats)
Canids (dogs)
Ursids (bears)

Elephants diversified in the more open habitats of the Miocene

Larger, digitigrade
carnivores also
diversified

Radiation of cats
Genetic studies indicate origin of modern cats ~ 11 MYA

Great diversity of horses

including both grazers and browsers

Modified from Simpson (1961)

A time of apes
Miocene of Europe and Africa

Dryopithecus

Proconsul africanus

Great American
Interchange
Pliocene