1469000012P02-M05-QuaternaryPeriod-ClimateandEnvironmentofIndianSubcontinent-ET

Component-I (A) – Personal Details

  • Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy

    • Affiliation: Sri Venkateswra University, Tirupati.

  • Prof. Ravi Korisettar

    • Affiliation: VS Wakankar Archaeological Research Institute, Bhopal.

  • Prof. Madhavi Kunneriath

  • Prof. P. Ajithprasad

    • Affiliation: The M.S. University of Baroda

Component-I (B) – Description of Module

  • Subject Name: Indian Culture

  • Paper Name: Pre and Protohistoric Cultures of India

  • Module Title: Quaternary Period: Climate and Environment of the Indian Subcontinent

  • Module ID: IC/PPHCI/05

  • Prerequisites: Not specified

  • Objectives:

    • Learn the importance of geological ages

    • Understand time period subdivisions and their reflection in geological and archaeological records

    • Explore changes in each division and their causes

    • Identify major periods significant for human evolution and history

    • Study tools for analyzing geological and archaeological data

    • Analyze how past changes affected human-land relationships

  • Keywords: Prehistory, Geological Age, Stratigraphy, Quaternary

Introduction

  • Geological studies are crucial for understanding humanity's past.

  • Earth’s age is approximately 4.6 billion years, with humans appearing around 3 million years ago.

  • Changes across geological time are observable in climatic and environmental records, including faunal and floral changes.

  • Geological records also show activities like erosion, deposition, and continental shifts.

Objectives

  • Focus on the importance and divisions of geological ages

  • Understand changes within geological divisions and their implications for human history and evolution

Geological Ages

  • Geological age is characterized by the introduction of specific new life forms.

  • Divisions:

    • Eon: Largest unit, lasting millions of years

    • Era: Contains multiple geological periods

    • Period: Basic unit where specific rock systems form

    • Epoch: Smallest division lasting several million years

Divisions of Geological History

  • Divided into four major eras:

    • Precambrian: Start of single and multi-cell organisms (~4.6 billion years ago)

    • Palaeozoic Era: Emergence of invertebrates, vertebrates, and trees (600-270 Mya)

    • Mesozoic Era: First dinosaurs, mammals, and flowering plants (225-135 Mya)

    • Cenozoic Era: Divided into Tertiary and Quaternary periods

      • Tertiary: Evolution of mammals; spans 65 Mya to 5.1 Mya with five epochs

      • Quaternary: Most critical for human evolution; consists of Pleistocene and Holocene epochs

The Quaternary Period

  • Defined in the 18th century; subdivision of Cenozoic starting 2 million years ago.

  • Pleistocene: 2 Mya to 10,000 years ago; significant for early human evolution

  • Holocene: 10,000 years ago to present; emergence of civilizations

  • The Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets' formation and climate scenarios mark this chapter.

Climate and Ice Ages

  • Fluctuations between glacial and interglacial periods over the Pleistocene.

  • Climate change is driven by variables like solar radiation and Earth’s orbital patterns (Milankovitch cycles).

Glacial-Interglacial Cycles

  • Cycles of glaciation and interglacial periods documented and stratified over time using isotopic studies.

  • The Pleistocene exhibits a sawtooth pattern in ice volume fluctuations and projections of future climatic conditions.

Palynological Studies

  • Analyzing pollen preserved in sediments helps reconstruct past climate conditions.

Importance of Quaternary Studies

  • Enhances understanding of human evolution during extreme climatic changes.

  • Studies reveal insights into extinction, migration, and changing human-land relationships.