Effects on biology Messinian salinity crisis
artistic interpretation of mediterranean geography during evaporative drawdown, after complete disconnection atlantic. rivers carved deep gorges in exposed continental margins; concentration of salt in remaining water bodies led rapid precipitation. inset evokes transit of mammals (e.g., camels , mice) africa iberia across exposed gibraltar strait.
messinian salinity crisis animation
the messinian event provided opportunity many african species, including antelopes, elephants , hippopotamuses, migrate empty basin, close descending great rivers, reach interior wetter cooler highlands such malta: sea level dropping, such species not have been able cross wide hot empty sink @ maximum dryness. after return of sea water, remained on islands, underwent insular dwarfism during pleistocene on crete (hippopotamus creutzburgi), on cyprus (h. minor), on malta (h. melitensis) , sicily (h. pentlandi). of these, cyprus dwarf hippopotamus survived until end of pleistocene or holocene. of these species may have crossed sea when flooded, washed out sea on rafts of floating vegetation, or species (e.g. elephants) swimming.
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