Biology Evolution question?

Question

Hey can anyone please explain how these things

* changing sea levels especially in the Tertiary period

* volcanism

* mountain uplift

* climatic changes especially those associated with the ice ages.

Are involved with the evolution of species ie endemic plants and animals for example thanks

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with the Tertiary period as well as I'd like to be, however, changes in sea levels can be caused by massive ice ages, when much of the fresh water is locked up in massive glaciers, or at the end of the ice age, when the water rushes back to the oceans.  Nor am I familiar with how the change in sea levels effects evolution, so hopefully someone else will cover that.

As for the rest, I can cover. :)

Volcanism definately can influence evolution.  For example, as underwater formations, hydrothermal vents is what is hypothesized for abiogenesis before evolution started happening.  See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6QYDdgP9...

Also, huge (mega) volcanic eruptions above sea level can cause smoke cover to block out the sun across the entire planet, will devestate thousands of miles of land, killing all in the area, wiping them out from the gene pool.

Volcanos also are the cause of many islands, and creature that manage to settle there often show extraordinary examples of evolution, like the famous finches Darwin discovered.

Uplifting mountains tends to seperate different populations of one species, making it so they cannot interbreed.  As such, they tend to evolve in different directions.  Since mountains also influence climate patterns on either side of it (rainfall one one side = lush forests, lack of rainfall on the other = dessert), then the climate change will cause populations to evolve differently, thus forming new species.

Ice age climate changes dramatically alters evolution.  Entire species get wiped out, like the Irish Elk, which died off about 15,000 - 10,000 years ago, right about the time of the last great ice age.

Hope this helps! :)