Greenlandian

The Greenlandian is an important part of Earth's history. It is the earliest time period in what we call the Holocene Epoch. This time began around 11,650 years ago and lasted until about 8,200 years ago. Scientists decided on this time period in June 2018.

During the Greenlandian, Earth was warming up after a very cold time called the Late Pleistocene. The warming happened quickly at first and then more slowly. Near the end of this time, there was a short cool period called the 8.2-kiloyear event.

As the planet warmed, sea levels rose fast. This caused many lands to become covered by water. Places like the British Isles, the islands of Indonesia, New Guinea, and Tasmania became separate from the lands around them. The water also covered the land bridge that once connected Asia and the Americas, creating what we now call the Bering Strait.

Paleofauna

Many large animals disappeared during the Greenlandian time. This continued a pattern of animals going away that started at the end of a past time called the Late Pleistocene. These disappearances are known as the Late Pleistocene extinction event.

Prehistory

In Eurasia, the start of the Greenlandian age began the Mesolithic period, which lasted until the Northgrippian age began. In the Near East, people started farming and raising animals, beginning the Neolithic period.