Pleistocene & Holocene Epochs | GEO GIRL

This video covers major events that occurred in the Holocene (the current epoch). Major glacial and interglacial cycles occurred in the Pleistocene and after the LGM, climate shifted back into a cooling regime called the Younger Dryas. The possible causes of the Younger Dryas include obstruction of ocean circulation and comet impacts. The impact hypothesis has also been proposed as a possible cause of the megafauna extinctions that occurred around this time. Large mammals, such as mammoths, mastodons, saber tooth cats, American elephants, giant armadillos, giant ground sloths, and short faced bears went extinct during this extinction event. Why? 2 hypotheses: the human-hunting hypothesis (humans hunted these animals to extinction) and the climate hypothesis (the rapid switch to cooling and possible comet impacts & wildfires caused the extinctions). After the Younger Dryas, things warmed back up and temperature remained relatively constant until ~1950 when the Anthropocene began. The Anthropocene and current climate change is discussed in the video: The Anthropocene Epoch.

References:
Chapter 20 in Earth System History: https://amzn.to/3v1Iy0G
Investigations in Historical Geology: Lab Manual by Deborah Caskey and Vicki Harder (2014)
https://redshelf.com/book/51724/inves...

GEO GIRL Website: https://www.geogirlscience.com/ (visit my website to see all my courses, shop merch, learn more about me, and donate to support the channel if you'd like!)

0:00 What is the Holocene & outline
1:45 Pleistocene Glaciation
2:57 Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
5:50 Younger Dryas
8:19 Comet impact hypothesis
11:00 Pleistocene Megafauna Extinctions
12:41 Causes for Extinctions
13:22 Human Evolution
16:20 Evidence for human hunting hypothesis
19:36 Evidence for climate change hypothesis
21:54 Climate from Pleistocene-Holocene
30:55 Sea level change from Pleistocene-Holocene
33:10 Bloopers

Image sources:
https://images.theconversation.com/fi...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9SzICrYpX_...
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXtAZgfRRaM...
https://opentextbc.ca/geology/wp-cont...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
http://www.researchmagazine.lu.se/wp-...
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...
https://3c1703fe8d.site.internapcdn.n...
https://www.universetoday.com/wp-cont...
https://www.nycentral.com/View/wp-con...
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/53/f6/73/53...
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/j...
http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-me...
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/0c/...
https://cdn0.wideopenspaces.com/wp-co...
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c4/fe/b6/c4...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
https://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk/high...
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1b/98/5e/1b...
https://images.fineartamerica.com/ima...
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2E3OUg9Nh2...
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/306...
http://ocp.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia...
http://media.virbcdn.com/cdn_images/r...
http://co2coalition.org/wp-content/up...
https://www.ice-age-ahead-iaa.ca/smal...
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth...

Disclaimer: Links in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product with the links I provide I may receive a small commission, but there is no additional charge to you!