Lutetian Stage
Geologic Age
Geologic Age
47.8–41.2 million years ago
Eon / Era / Period / Epoch
Eon / Era / Period / Epoch
What happened during this time?
What happened during this time?
Separation of Antarctica and Australia created a deep water passage between those two continents, creating the circum-Antarctic Current
This changed oceanic circulation patterns and global heat transport, resulting in a global cooling event observed at the end of the Eocene.
Climate became cooler and drier, which continues for the rest of the Cenozoic Era
Above: Fossilized pollen grains found in the stomach of Pumiliornis tessellatus, a tiny bird that lived during Eocene, are earliest direct evidence of flower-visiting by birds.