When was the last glacial age

The most recent Ice Age occurred then, as glaciers covered huge parts of the planet Earth. There have been at least five documented major ice ages during the 4.

The Pleistocene Epoch is the first in which Homo sapiens evolved, and by the end of the epoch humans could be found in nearly every part of the planet. It was followed by the current stage, called the Holocene Epoch. At the time of the Pleistocene, the continents had moved to their current positions. The remains of glaciers of the Ice Age can still be seen in parts of the world, including Greenland and Antarctica. But the glaciers did not just sit there. There was a lot of movement over time, and there were about 20 cycles when the glaciers would advance and retreat as they thawed and refroze.

As the temperature rose, the ice melted and the land strip disappeared. The reasons behind the beginnings and ends of ice ages are not fully understood for both large-scale ice ages and small interglacial epochs during ice ages.

I agree to receive email updates and promotions. Some of these factors interact. Although the last ice age ended more than 10, years ago, its effects can still be felt today. For example, the movement of ice has carved the landscape of Canada, Greenland, Northern Eurasia, and Antarctica.

During the last glacial period, ocean water took the form of ice at high latitudes, with the world sea level falling by about — meters, exposing the continental shelves and forming bridges between land masses through which animals and people migrated.

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