Zanclean

What is the Zanclean?

The Zanclean is a very old time part of Earth’s story. It is the earliest part of something called the Pliocene. This time began about 5.332 million years ago and lasted until about 3.6 million years ago. It came after another time called the Messinian and before a time called the Piacenzian.

Where Did the Name Come From?

The name Zanclean comes from an old name for a beautiful city called Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy. A smart scientist named Giuseppe Seguenza gave this name to this time long ago in 1868.

Why Do We Study the Zanclean?

Scientists study the Zanclean to learn about Earth’s past. They look at tiny fossils and special patterns in rocks. This helps us understand how Earth’s weather and plants and animals changed over millions of years. One big event in this time was when water came back to fill up the Mediterranean Sea.