About 10 million years ago, during the late Miocene Epoch.

At that time, Earth looked quite different from what we know today.

1. The Shape of Continents and Oceans

• The continents were almost in the same positions as today.

• However, there were areas where sea levels were much lower or higher than now.

• India had already collided with the Asian continent, forming the Himalayas, which were still rising.

2. Climate

• Overall, it was a warm climate.

• The entire Earth was warmer than today, and most continents were covered in savanna or forests.

• There were no thick ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic, and temperate plants were much more widespread.

3. Animals

• This period was the "Age of Mammals".

• Ancestors of large animals like elephants and lions began to appear,

• and various types of horses, ancient cattle, and deer roamed the savanna.

• Whales also evolved significantly during this time. Ancestors of modern whales were actively swimming in the oceans.

4. What About Human Ancestors?

• Humans (Homo sapiens) did not exist yet.

• However, early ancestors of humans, early apes, had already appeared.

• In Africa, beings that were common ancestors of chimpanzees and humans lived in trees.

5. Plants

• As grasslands expanded, various types of grasses and herbs flourished.

• There were many trees, but the emergence of grasslands began to create large open spaces between forests.

• This later became the background for human ancestors to come down from trees and walk on the grasslands.