(Translate this site)
Could we eventually uncover a lost civilization on the sunken Kerguelen continent? And if so, what might have been its fate?
|
Site map
(Translate this site) |
|
Site map
|
BACK to timeline contents: History of the Antarctic and Kerguelen continents
Millions of years of fierce competition between the smart Antarctic reptile predators and their pseudo-primate prey boosted the intelligence and physical capacities of both. Subsequent migration to the Kerguelen island(s) continent as Antarctica iced over also accelerated evolution of the species, though perhaps the pseudo-primates more so than the reptiles, as the repeated intervening aquatic environment/stage(s) were more alien to the pseudo-primates, and required more adaptation on their part. Still, altogether the evolution of these pseudo-primates during this time proceeded considerably more slowly than it will for those apes which transform into human beings, millions of years later. Once commited to Kerguelen, both the reptiles and pseudo-primates found themselves pressed even harder in evolutionary terms, as Kerguelen was subject to relatively frequent wholesale cataclysms: vast land sweeping tsunamis stemming from underwater landslides, faraway volcanic eruptions, and cosmic impacts in the oceans, with the worst occuring on average every 3,000 to 320,000 years or so, and somewhat less damaging events happening every 100,000 years. Added to this was occasional disasterous volcanic activity in Kerguelen itself, as well as ongoing climate changes. All this would combine to drive all large animal life extinct on Kerguelen, or else mercilessly push its evolution to heights 20th century man will never suspect.
Close encounters with the Kerguelen:| Coming soon! |
|