Pleistocene & Holocene Epochs | GEO GIRL

This video covers major events that occurred in the Holocene (the current epoch). Major glacial and interglacial cycles occurred in the Pleistocene and after the LGM, climate shifted back into a cooling regime called the Younger Dryas. The possible causes of the Younger Dryas include obstruction of ocean circulation and comet impacts. The impact hypothesis has also been proposed as a possible cause of the megafauna extinctions that occurred around this time. Large mammals, such as mammoths, mastodons, saber tooth cats, American elephants, giant armadillos, giant ground sloths, and short faced bears went extinct during this extinction event. Why? 2 hypotheses: the human-hunting hypothesis (humans hunted these animals to extinction) and the climate hypothesis (the rapid switch to cooling and possible comet impacts & wildfires caused the extinctions). After the Younger Dryas, things warmed back up and temperature remained relatively constant until ~1950 when the Anthropocene began. The Anthropocene and current climate change is discussed in the video: The Anthropocene Epoch.

References:
Investigations in Historical Geology: Lab Manual by Deborah Caskey and Vicki Harder (2014)

0:00 What is the Holocene & outline
1:45 Pleistocene Glaciation
2:57 Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
5:50 Younger Dryas
8:19 Comet impact hypothesis
11:00 Pleistocene Megafauna Extinctions
12:41 Causes for Extinctions
13:22 Human Evolution
16:20 Evidence for human hunting hypothesis
19:36 Evidence for climate change hypothesis
21:54 Climate from Pleistocene-Holocene
30:55 Sea level change from Pleistocene-Holocene
33:10 Bloopers

Image sources:

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[curtisblake]

The way Geo Girl tends to laugh about arcane topics such as the Holocene versus the Pleistocene is kind of endearing.

[JoesFirewoodVideos]

More amazing content from my favorite YouTube creator. I’m a hour drive from Lake Michigan, mind boggling that 14, 000 years ago where I live was under 300 feet of ice. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to watch and enjoy the rest of the video
I ❤️ GEO GIRL

[TheLighteningCandle-ushb]

My new favorite series of videos to enjoy. Thank you for the work involved to create all of the informative content.

[StereoSpace]

10:36 Antonio Zamora has a fascinating YouTube channel where he presents his hypothesis that there was indeed a meteorite or comet impact on the Laurentide Ice Sheet in Michigan at around 12.8 KYA, and the ejecta produced the long mysterious Carolina Bays. He also does some calculations of the energy released from the ejecta impacts, and they are in the multi-megaton range each. That would explain a lot of the impact and burning evidence we see. Fascinating stuff.

I'm skeptical (as usual) of the hunting/extinction hypothesis because that's not generally what we find today or recently. The Native Americans - also a neolithic culture - did not hunt the bison or other large game animals to extinction. In Africa, the neolithic natives did not hunt the large game animals to extinction. So I don't find the idea persuasive.

[ashnesbitt]

This video taught me more than an entire semester of Archaeology did. Thanks!

[KerriEverlasting]

Huh. I never knew why it's called the younger dryas. Learn something new every day. How bout that. Thanks chickadee, super interesting as per usual 💖

[easyrhino]

As a child, this has been my most loved subject. This is the best paleontology lecture I have watched. Very detailed and well explained. 👍🏻

[Smilo-the-Sabertooth]

Interesting and informative video, it’s teaching me a lot. I finally got visit a museum for the first time after over a year and a half. Great video, keep it up with the great work.

[dawsonl]

Great video. I especially liked the graphs showing the Treering and Greenland Icecore correlations. Overall, I thought you presented a lot of information in a format that is easy to grasp. I never thought about a favorite megafauna. But now I think the giant camel is my new favorite. Maybe because it is so mind-boggling big!

[darrenhay]

Awesome vid! So interesting and informative, love it!

[johncurvyroot]

Your explanations are so clear! Keep up great work!

[RamMohammadJosephKaur]

Your video pops up on the right side of the page on google search when searching Holocene Epoch. Thank you for the explanation! 😊

[toughenupfluffy]

Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal to ever live. That's my favorite Tertiary mammal.

[colbycrotzer]

I’m an elder that sees huge value in knowing that young voices, particularly female voices are explaining science to Americans.
Existential value.

[lps.warriors]

Mine is probably the saber tooth or the dire wolf!! Your video was interesting and well done, thank you for taking the time to make it! I am homeschooled so videos like these really help us out. Also you are really pretty! I will be interested to watch more from you in the future. <3

[chegeny]

Glyptodonts are also my favourite megafauna from that time. They had that certain ankylosaur vibe. I also find it charming that the little pink fairy armadillo is the closest surviving relative of the extinct glyptodont subfamily.

[louren]

Really liked your charts and how you put it all together. Favorite animal would say all of them, and so sad to not have known them.

[harveytheparaglidingchaser]

Great video, didn't know about the asteroid hypothesis for the younger dryas

[Get_to_the_Point]

Very interesting, and I understood all of this one. lol thx. Nice use of scales around 10 min. where u show the extinct animals.

[AWildWightAppeared]

Loved the video! Am looking to learn the intracacies of pliestocene and stone-age ecology and this certainly helps explain some of the more global events that were happening around that time. As for a favourite animal, definitely the Wooly Mammoth. Overdone yes, but you cannot deny the sheer awe and impact it inspires and inspired in Humanity.