Middle School
Worksheets
Life During the Cenozoic Era
What life forms roamed the Earth during the Cenozoic Era? Look around you. Almost every type of flora (plant life) and fauna (animal life) on Earth has been around since the dawn of the Cenozoic Era.
During the early Cenozoic Era, scientists believe that the Earth was warm from pole to pole and there were no seasons. The warm climate allowed plants to flourish, and forests covered most of North America. However, as the climate cooled the seasons returned. Forests died away, creating open land. These grassy lands fed many mammals. They included members of the dog and cat families. Rodents and rabbits also fed on the grasses. Larger animals such as horses, antelope, and mastodons also lived on this land.
As time went on, an ice age began. The grasses died out, and the land became arid (desert-like.) Many of the mammals that lived in the savanna died out also. Some adapted to life in this cold climate. Some examples are the saber-toothed tiger and the dire wolf. The woolly mammoth, with his thick coat of fur, also was able to survive the cold.
