Ice Age, Explained
Posted on June 25, 2008
Filed Under Museums & tours |
Posted by Sierra
Long ago, before and during the last great ice age, a land bridge connected Siberia with North America. This was how woolly mammoths, as well as other animals, came to North America. You may be wondering several things, such as,”Where did Beringia go?” The answer is: Nowhere. Beringia is still there, except it’s submerged.
It all dates back to the time of Pangaea, the supercontinent. When dinosaurs ruled the earth, Pangaea was just beginning to break apart and drift. By the time the dinosaurs died, Antarctica had split off and drifted farther from the equator. It cooled and froze over. Parts of it broke and drifted. This started to cool the earth.
I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, “How can a little ice cause an entire ice age?” Well, the ice wasn’t the only thing that caused it. In fact, scientists still haven’t discovered everything that did. They do have several theories, however. One of these theories relates to the meteor that many people think killed the dinosaurs. When the meteor hit the earth, it caused the young Rocky Mountains to sprout up in size. This blocked off winds from certain areas, pushing them into other areas.
As the earth got cooler, water started to freeze. This left the Beringia Bridge high and dry. You may be wondering, “How did this bridge sudddenly rise out of the ocean?” It didn’t. Instead, the water sank beneath it. Beringia was submerged for millions of years. When water froze and it was left dry, animals came across it and into North America. These animals included the following:
1. Giant Beavers
2. Giant Ground Sloths
3. Huge Short-faced Bears
4. Scimitar Cats (A.K.A. Saber-tooth Tigers)
5. Giant Rats (cow-sized!)
6. Prehistoric Giant Camels
7. Steppe Bison
8. Woolly Mammoths
9. Woolly Rhinoceroses
10. Mastodons
All of these animals died mysteriously after the ice age, though their ancestors live on.
Back to the bridge. You may be asking, “Why can’t we use it anymore?” We can’t use the bridge anymore because as the ice age warmed, it became submerged once more.
Nowadays, you can visit the Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon. It features materials in English, French, and German. There are skeletons of stone-age animals, such as the mammoth, steppe bison, and scimitar cat. There is a short film about Beringia. They also have a room with a camel floor puzzle and a variety of small computer games.
Most people think of the ice age as a cold, desolate time. But certain areas were plenty warm. Many animals did just fine. Grass grew all over. In these ways, the ice age seems almost successful. And, who knows? Maybe it was.
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This was very interesting Sierra, you are a very good writer. I think your getting better than you r parents, but don’t tell them that it may hurt their feeling.