The Miocene is a geologic epoch of the Neogene Period, spanning approximately 23.03 to 5.33 million years ago, characterized by significant tectonic, climatic, and biotic transitions. It saw continued fragmentation of continents and uplift of major mountain ranges, which altered atmospheric circulation and drove long-term global cooling and aridification trends. The Miocene witnessed expansion and diversification of grasslands and associated mammalian faunas, alongside important evolutionary radiations in marine and terrestrial lineages. It also encompasses major developments in ocean circulation patterns, including changes in thermohaline structure that influenced carbon cycling, contributing to the establishment of more modern-style climatic and ecological regimes.
South America was a frightening place during the Miocene. More than 10 million years ago, a vast lake covered much of the continent, home to giant turtles and crocodylians.
Ecology
Aug 16, 2026
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550
Until the Panamanian isthmus formed about 2.8 million years ago, North and South America were isolated continents with unique groups of animals. A riot of marsupials—mammals with brood pouches—and sloths in the south contrasted ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 30, 2026
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169
For decades, a 30 million-year-old fossil sat entombed in rock in an Oregon museum collection. When it was first found, paleontologists thought it might be an early relative of sheep, camels and pigs, whose fossilized skeletons ...
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
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92
When you think of carnivorous marsupials, you probably picture the Tasmanian devil or perhaps a spotted-tailed quoll. But these famous predators are only the largest members of a remarkable family of marsupials called dasyurids.
Evolution
Jul 17, 2026
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29
An associated set of gigantic vertebrae belonging to the iconic extinct megalodon, or megatooth shark, that had been missing in action since the 1980s was discovered, providing new information about the shark's lifestyle. ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jun 28, 2026
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143
Some periods in Earth's history are so different from our own that they may as well belong to another planet. Many people are interested in the age of dinosaurs or the Ice Ages, but it is an intermediate world, the Miocene ...
Ecology
Jun 28, 2026
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28
The eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is known for its large low-oxygen zones that are increasing in size, putting marine life at risk. New research shows that 15 million years ago, the opposite was true.
Earth Sciences
Jun 26, 2026
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71
Researchers have found evidence of a previously unknown branch of the marsupial family tree, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how Australia's unique mammals evolved. Published in the Journal of Paleontology, ...
Evolution
Jun 15, 2026
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67
A research team with the participation of the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) has described a new species of extinct carnivore from fossil remains recovered at the Els Casots site (Subirats, Alt Penedès). ...
Evolution
Jun 12, 2026
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34
Sometime between 5.5 and 5.6 million years ago, two shell crushers squared off in the languid currents of an ancient Florida river. The fossils they left behind, discovered by paleontologists at the Florida Museum of Natural ...
Ecology
Jun 2, 2026
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