Last Interglacial

The Last Interglacial was the interglacial period that began about 130,000 years ago at the end of the Penultimate Glacial Period, and ended about 115,000 years ago at the beginning of the Last Glacial Period. It was a warm time, with temperatures sometimes warmer than today. During this time, sea levels were higher than they are now.

The Last Interglacial is known by different names in various regions. It is called the Eemian in northern Europe, the Ipswichian in Britain, the Mikulino in Russia, and the Valdivia interglacial in Chile. This period is important for understanding climate change because Earth’s climate was similar to today.

This period also matters for human history. It was during the Middle Paleolithic when early humans lived in West Asia and Southern Africa. These humans were some of the earliest ancestors of people living today. Studying the Last Interglacial helps scientists learn how nature and humans might respond to climate changes in the future.

Definition

The Last Interglacial period was first studied from deep holes drilled near the city of Amersfoort in the Netherlands. A scientist named Pieter Harting found layers of soil and rocks from this ancient time in 1875. He named them after the river Eem. He noticed that sea creatures in these layers were different from those in the modern North Sea. Many were similar to creatures found farther south, like in Portugal and the Mediterranean.

Since then, scientists have used different ways to learn more about this time. They study tiny sea creatures and pollen. This helps us understand how Earth’s climate changed during the Last Interglacial.

Climate

The Last Interglacial was a warm time about 130,000 to 115,000 years ago. During this time, Earth was warmer than it is today, especially around 125,000 years ago. The Arctic was much warmer, with forests growing farther north. For example, trees like hazel and oak grew in places that are now tundra, such as northern Norway and Finland.

Scientists think changes in Earth’s orbit, called Milankovitch cycles, caused these warmer temperatures. The climate was not always the same, with some cooler times happening. By the end of this warm time, temperatures began to drop, and ice started to grow again, leading to a new glacial period.

Sea level

During the Last Interglacial, sea levels were about 6 to 9 meters higher than today. This happened because ice from Greenland, mountain glaciers, and maybe Antarctica melted. Warmer ocean temperatures also helped, but melting ice was the main reason for the rise in sea level.

After this time, sea levels dropped. Because of this, we can see old coral reefs in places like the Caribbean and the Red Sea. In some areas, like along the coast of Spain, sea levels looked similar to today. The high sea levels made parts of Fennoscandia into islands. Large areas of northern Europe and the West Siberian Plain were covered by water.

Fauna

The warm climate during the Last Interglacial let many animals move farther north than they do today. For example, hippopotamuses lived as far north as Stockton-on-Tees in England. Large animals such as the straight-tusked elephant and Irish elk roamed Europe. Predators like lions and cave hyenas were also common.

In North America, large animals like mastodons and the giant beaver moved into areas that had been covered in ice. The warmer seas around Europe and Africa saw new species arrive. Colder-adapted animals like the woolly mammoth moved to smaller areas.

Paleoanthropology

During the Last Interglacial period, Neanderthals lived in many parts of Europe. They had moved away during colder times but returned when the climate became warmer. They did not live in Britain because it was an island then. Neanderthals hunted large animals like straight-tusked elephants and also fished for food. Around the same time, early modern humans could be found in places like Arabia and as far east as the Persian Gulf.