Priabonian

Priabonian is the final age of the Eocene epoch, part of the Paleogene period. It spans from approximately 37.8 to 33.9 million years ago. The name Priabonian comes from the town of Priabona in Italy, where fossils from this age were first discovered. This period is characterized by significant changes in marine and terrestrial environments globally.

During the Priabonian, global temperatures began a noticeable decline, foreshadowing the onset of the Oligocene glaciation. This cooling trend had a profound impact on ecosystems, leading to shifts in species distribution and the extinction of some groups. In the oceans, marine mammals, including early whales and sirenians, diversified further. The benthic foraminifera, small marine organisms with shells, also show distinct faunal changes during this age.

On land, the Priabonian saw the continued evolution of mammals. Large herbivorous mammals, such as uintatheres and brontotheres, were common in some regions. In North America, early horses and rhinoceroses were developing. The flora also adapted to the cooling climate, with temperate forests becoming more widespread in many areas. The end of the Priabonian is marked by a significant extinction event known as the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event, which dramatically reshaped life on Earth. This event is often linked to the rapid global cooling and the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet.