The Pliocene: big bears, big cats, and a really big flood

I managed to talk Phil into co-hosting again, even though he’s far away. Thanks to the internet, we talked about the Pliocene. At the beginning of this time, a nearly dry Mediterranean basin was flooded by the sea, causing a global drop in sea levels. Later, north and south America were connected, allowing plants and animals to travel to new places. This included the largest cat and largest bear ever to roam the Earth.

Here’s an article about the evidence for the giant flood.

Evidence of the Zanclean megaflood in the eastern Mediterranean Basin

Here’s a video that attempts to recreate the giant flood.

Zanclean Flood Animation

Here’s an article about ground sloths.

You Just Missed the Last Ground Sloths

Here’s a short one-minute video about the Great American Interchange, when north and south America were joined.

GREAT AMERICAN INTERCHANGE: MARSUPIALS & TERROR BIRDS

Here’s an article about the largest cat to slink across the landscape.

A first record of the Pleistocene saber-toothed cat Smilodon populator Lund, 1842 (Carnivora: Felidae: Machairodontinae) from Venezuela

And here’s an article about the largest bear to lumber about.

Standing at 11 Feet: World's Largest Known Bear Unearthed