The Analysis of the Pleistocene Period - Essay Example

It is also believed that it was more relaxed than today. The melting glaciers occasioned occasional flooding. Most of the mountains in Idaho still have evidence of these Pleistocene glaciers (Digital Geology of Idaho 1).

During this period, many animals roamed the plains and mountains of Idaho. Animals such as mammoths, giant sloths, and Smilodon roamed the earth. My favourite animal that roamed the world during this time was the mammoth. From the remains I saw at the Museum, the mammoth seemed such a huge animal. It is its mere sight that fascinates me more than scares me. These mammoths lived and died during the ice age (IMNH 1). As far as diet is concerned, the mammoth fed on grass, bushes, and sedges. Other foods the mammoth ate included blue spruce, cactus, and fruits. This implies that the Pleistocene period in Idaho was marked by rich vegetation since the mammoth also browsed. Another factor that makes me conclude that the Pleistocene period was marked by rich vegetation is that the mammoth was much bigger than the present elephant, yet it survived. In terms of physical appearance, the mammoth also had long tusks like the modern elephant. It must have been furry to adapt to frigid temperatures when the cold season and glaciers swept down the lowlands. However, it later became extinct due to reduced food availability and the ice age that significantly reduced its food sources.

Human activity during this age was beginning to take shape. The fact that warm temperatures also marked this period during certain seasons explains the origin of early man. Archaeological evidence point to the fact that man lived during this age and later migrated out of Africa. The early man during this period was the Neanderthal man, who is said to have evolved after the Home Erectus man. The early man had attained an upright posture during this time. He hunted wild animals, gathered food and learned how to make fire. Essentially, culture was developing at this time. The brain capacity of early man was still relatively less than that of Homo habilis. Various fossils found in China, Europe, and East Africa confirm constant migration during this period. The latter species of Homo sapiens all migrated during the Pleistocene period. As one may observe, the Pleistocene period was an era in which many geographical, physical, environmental and biological did take place. Idaho is probably lucky to have been part of that history.