Chapter 12
Cenozoic World
Chapter Outline:
I.
Cenozoic Overview
II.
Paleogene Period
a. Isolation of Antarctica and Climate Change
b. Tectonics of Western North America
c. Paleogene Marine Life
d. Paleogene Terrestrial Life
III. Neogene Period
a. Salinity Crisis in the Mediterranean Sea
b. Neogene Marine Life
c. Neogene Terrestrial Life
IV. Quaternary Period
a. Quaternary Life
b. Human Evolution
c. Neogene-Quarternary Ice Ages
Key Terms:
circum-antarctic current
oil shales
placental mammals
carnivores
ungulates
perissodactyls
artiodactyls
ruminants
primates
interglacial
pluvial lakes
In-Class Activities:
Instructor Notes for In-Class Activity 1
Title:
Time:
Mammal evolution after the extinction of the dinosaurs
5-10 minutes prep; 50 – 60 minutes in class (or can assign research
between class periods)
Materials:
Internet required. Print instruction sheets as handouts.
Handouts:
A list of questions for students to research and discuss using
recommended websites. The textbook sections called “Paleogene
Terrestrial Life”, “Neogene Terrestrial Life”, and Quaternary Life” are
useful references for answering the handout questions. In addition to the
textbook, have the students watch the following videos (in order as
below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRaNLAqjMVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqx3954mYRE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSjfJV2e3GQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvbXioXDbf8&feature=related
After watching the videos, the students should be able to answer the
following questions:
1) How did the extinction of the dinosaurs affect mammal
evolution? Why didn’t the mammals go extinct with the
dinosaurs?
2) Immediately after the demise of the dinosaurs, new large nonmammal predators (as large as a full grown man) dominated the
land? What were they like?
3) What advantages did carnivorous small mammals have in the cool
morning over small reptiles and amphibians?
4) What were the very earliest ancestors of whales like? How and
where did they hunt? How did they swim differently than fish?
5) How were ancient forms of horse different from their modern
counterparts?
6) What type of insect carnivores posed a great threat to mammals
and birds? Why were they so dangerous?
7) What were early primates like? What advantages did they have?
8) How did mammal body size change through the Cenozoic Era?
9) Where did sabertooth cats live geographically speaking, what
effect did these creatures have on the terror birds as they moved
South?
10) Describe two or three of the strange types of mammals that
thrived in South America before and during the arrival of the
sabertooth cats?
Procedures:
Divide class into groups of 3-4. Inform the students that they can use the
sections titled “Paleogene Terrestrial Life”, “Neogene Terrestrial Life”,
and Quaternary Life” as references to answer the above 10 questions.
Then, have the students watch the following videos (in order as below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRaNLAqjMVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqx3954mYRE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSjfJV2e3GQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvbXioXDbf8&feature=related
Have the students answer the 10 questions listed in the above handout
section. The students should neatly write their answers down and hand
them in to their instructor for grading. Knowledge of this information
will be useful in preparing for both a future quiz and test.
Student
Instructions: See above.
Specific
Suggestions:
Objectives:
Ask the students to read the questions that they will be expected to
answer before watching the video.
Students should become familiar why the extinction of the dinosaurs
provided opportunities for mammal evolution.
Students should be able to list some of the advantages that mammals
have over reptiles and amphibians.
Students should be able to describe the basics of how whales and horses
evolved during the Cenozoic Era.
Students should be able to describe how some birds and insects posed
threats to mammals.
Students should be able to explain why the mammals did not go extinct
along with the dinosaurs.
Students should become familiar with the effect of Sabertooth cats and
other invaders from the North on the ecosystems of South America.
Students should become familiar with the characteristics of early
primates.
In-Class Activity 1: Handout
Sixty five million years ago, a large meteorite dropped out of the sky and wiped out the
dinosaurs. However, small mammals survived the catastrophe and would evolve into a
myriad of different forms, including Homo sapiens. The descendents of the small
mammals that survived the catastrophe of 65 million years ago would colonize and
dominate every habit on the Earth. Today, we will study the reasons for their success,
and the challenges that they faced. In order to learn about this subject matter, work in
groups of 3-4 to answer the below 10 questions. The textbook sections called “Paleogene
Terrestrial Life”, “Neogene Terrestrial Life”, and Quaternary Life” are useful references
for answering the handout questions.
Watch the following videos (in order as below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRaNLAqjMVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqx3954mYRE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSjfJV2e3GQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvbXioXDbf8&feature=related
Answer the following questions:
1) How did the extinction of the dinosaurs affect mammal evolution? Why didn’t
the mammals go extinct with the dinosaurs?
2) Immediately after the demise of the dinosaurs, new large non-mammal predators
(as large as a full grown man) dominated the land? What were they like?
3) What advantages did carnivorous small mammals have in the cool morning over
small reptiles and amphibians?
4) What were the very earliest ancestors of whales like? How and where did they
hunt? How did they swim differently than fish?
5) How were ancient forms of horse different from their modern counterparts?
6) What type of insect carnivores posed a great threat to mammals and birds? Why
were they so dangerous?
7) What were early primates like? What advantages did they have?
8) How did mammal body size change through the Cenozoic Era?
9) Where did sabertooth cats live geographically speaking, what effect did these
creatures have on the terror birds as they moved South?
10) Describe two or three of the strange types of mammals that thrived in South
America before and during the arrival of the sabertooth cats?
Instructor Notes for In-Class Activity 2
Title:
Time:
Neanderthals: Ancient humans
5 – 10 Minutes prep; 50 – 70 minutes in class (or can assign research
between class periods)
Materials:
Internet required. Print instruction sheets as handouts.
Handouts:
A list of websites and questions to be answered. Students will find Ch. 12
“Human Evolution” to be useful in answering some of the questions.
Students will also watch the following four videos in sequential order to
answer the questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsSOcwY79ig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2txr_96Bjao&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNVe1M2Xnuo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mMhDeSNckU&feature=related
Procedures:
Hand out instruction sheets. Instruct the students to watch the above
videos in sequential order and Ch. 12 “Human Evolution” in their
textbook as references to answer the following questions:
1) Where did the Neanderthals live? What was the climate like?
How long ago did they live?
2) Describe how Neanderthals hunted.
3) What were the lives of children and older Neanderthals usually
like?
4) What kinds of tools did they use? What if any clothing did they
wear?
5) What did the Neanderthals eat?
6) How did the lives of male and female Neanderthals differ?
7) How did Neanderthals communicate? Did they have a language?
What evidence is there for this?
8) Did Neanderthals lead easy lives? What evidence is there for
this?
9) How did Neanderthal bodies differ from those of the average
modern human?
10) Why were Neanderthal noses larger than those of modern
humans?
Student
Instructions: See above
Specific
Suggestions:
Objectives:
The instructor should emphasize that a future lab quiz and lecture exam
will contain questions pertaining to the “Neanderthals”.
The student should describe, how, where and when the Neanderthals
lived.
The students should be able to describe the diet of Neanderthals, and
their hunting methods.
The student should be able to compare the physical characteristics of
Neanderthals when compared to modern humans.
The students should be able to describe the lives of ordinary Neanderthal
individuals and groups.
In-Class Activity 2: Handout
Neanderthals are a type of ancient human that we will learn about by completing this inclass exercise. Whether these ancient humans are the ancestors of some of today’s
humans is a matter of considerable debate. Today, we will learn about some of what
scientists have uncovered as it pertains to the daily lives of the ancient peoples.
Your group will find Ch. 12 “Human Evolution” to be useful in answering some of the
questions.
Watch the following video clips in sequential order, to answer the below 10 questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsSOcwY79ig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2txr_96Bjao&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNVe1M2Xnuo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mMhDeSNckU&feature=related
1) Where did the Neanderthals live? What was the climate like? How long ago did
they live?
2) Describe how Neanderthals hunted.
3) What were the lives of children and older Neanderthals usually like?
4) What kinds of tools did they use? What if any clothing did they wear?
5) What did the Neanderthals eat?
6) How did the lives of male and female Neanderthals differ?
7) How did Neanderthals communicate? Did they have a language? What evidence
is there for this?
8) Did Neanderthals lead easy lives? What evidence is there for this?
9) How did Neanderthal bodies differ from those of the average modern human?
10) Why were Neanderthal noses larger than those of modern humans?
By watching the above videos, and by answering the above 10 questions you will be
preparing for a future quiz and exam.