User:Cocoa2021/Pliocene

Lead
During the Pliocene period, our ancient hominids' ancestors lived a different lifestyle than we humans are accustomed to today. From fossils and other artifacts from this period, we are able to see the differences between our ancestors and us, varying from how we looked, the weather on Earth, plants, species, and more. Comparing and contrasting information from this period, to today, we are able to see how we, as humans, have evolved and as we evolved, how we affected the environment around us.

Pliocene's Environment
The Pliocene period is an important period in human evolution. Changes in both the environment and those who lived there during this period have been found, as well as information on how these two aspects affect one another. In fact, during this period, it can be seen how the humans who lived there stopped migrating, from one location to the next. These humans used to move from one place to the next, in order to continue gaining crucially needed materials and supplies from that specific area, and over time, humans started to stay in one area and created a community there. As the environment around them changed, they also learned to change in order to better fit in their location. Due to people residing in one specific area, it is possible to determine which genes have persisted and have become dominant, and which genes have become recessive and unneeded.

In fact, this trend can be seen happening not only to humans but also to the plants in the area. Some changes that could occur within the area are the weather shifting between cooling periods and heating periods as well as how humans affect the ecosystem and environment by becoming permanent residents.

This change of weather would make it necessary for humans, animals, and plants to adapt. With this come the births of new species causing a ripple effect, as new species begin to better fit in with the environment and become more dominant within the ecosystem.

One hypothesis regarding the Pliocene period takes place in Africa, which states how humans would have an effect on their environment due to their new physical traits, such as changes in the brain. This development subsequently leads to humans cultivating new ways to live, one of which is the invention of tool use.

Scientists are able to see the changes that result from human settlement during this time period, by studying the lineages of these settlers. Plants play an important role, as, their mutation and variations over time provide researchers with information regarding the events of the time, given that they were consumed by most extant species.