Quaternary

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Encyclopædia Britannica Article

The continents and oceans of the Earth in the present-day Quaternary
Adapted from C.R. Scotese, The University of Texas at Arlington

in the geologic history of Earth, a unit of time within the Cenozoic Era, beginning approximately 2.6 million years ago and continuing to the present day. The Quaternary has been characterized by several periods of glaciation (the “ice ages” of common lore), when ice sheets many kilometres thick have covered vast areas of the continents in temperate areas. During and between…

Quaternary... (75 of 7127 words)

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"Quaternary." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 14 July 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117454>.
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Quaternary. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 14, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117454


	More from Britannica on "Quaternary"...


144 Encyclopædia Britannica articles, from the full 32 volume encyclopedia
>	Quaternary in the geologic history of Earth, a unit of time within the Cenozoic Era, beginning approximately 2.6 million years ago and continuing to the present day. The Quaternary has been characterized by several periods of glaciation (the “ice ages” of common lore), when ice sheets many kilometres thick have covered vast areas of the continents in temperate areas. During and ...
>	Quaternary geology from the Quaternary article Quaternary sediments are widespread on the ocean floor and on the continents. There are few places where sands and mud have piled up in thick enough accumulations to become lithified, but on reefs and lagoons, tropical shelves, and other areas where cementation is rapid, true Quaternary-age rock occurs. A striking aspect of Quaternary sediments is that many occur in ...
>	Quaternary life from the Quaternary article The length of the Quaternary is short relative to geologic and evolutionary time scales, but the rate of evolutionary change during this period is high. It is a basic tenet of ecology that disturbance increases diversity and ultimately leads to evolutionary pressures. The Quaternary is replete with forces of disturbance and evidence for evolution in many living systems. ...
>	Quaternary structure from the protein article The nature of the quaternary structure is demonstrated by the structure of hemoglobin. Each molecule of human hemoglobin consists of four peptide chains, two -chains and two -chains; i.e., it is a tetramer. The four subunits are linked to each other by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction. Because the four subunits are so closely linked, the hemoglobin tetramer is ...
>	The Quaternary Period from the Australia article The Pleistocene Epoch occupies the Quaternary Period, with the exception of the last 10,000 years (i.e., the Holocene Epoch). The northern leading edges of the continental plate in New Guinea and Timor rise to peaks of two miles (three kilometres) or more and are separated from mainland Australia by the flooded continental area of the Arafura and Timor seas. On the ...
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3 Student Encyclopedia Britannica articles, specially written for elementary and high school students
	The Cenozoic era from the Earth article The Cenozoic era, which followed the Mesozoic, has continued into the present. It comprises the Tertiary and Quaternary periods, which began about 65 million and 1.8 million years ago, respectively. The Tertiary is further divided into the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene epochs; and the Quaternary into the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. The names of ...
	Structure from the protein article Each type of protein has its own unique sequence of amino acids. This sequence, known as its primary structure, determines the shape and function of the protein. The chemical properties of the amino acids determine how the polypeptide chain bends, twists, and folds. If both ends of an outstretched polypeptide chain were held and then released, the chain would ...
	Physical Characteristics from the Altai, or Altay, Mountains article The Altai proper lie in the Gorno-Altay sector of Russian Asia and in extreme eastern Kazakhstan. A belt of northern foothills separates them from the West Siberian Plain, while in the northeast the Altai border the Western (Zapadny) Sayan Mountains. The Mongolian Altai (in Mongolian, Altayn Nuruu), thrust away to the southeast and then to the east. The Gobi Altai begin ...

6 number of Magazine and Journal Articles

	San Francisco Ballet Discovers There's No Place Like Home. Pointe, Jun/Jul2006, Vol. 7 Issue 3, p70-71 The article reviews the performance "Spring Rounds," by the San Francisco Ballet in California in February 2006. Reading Level (Lexile): 1240;


	A Really LONG Time Ago. By: Murphy, Patricia J.. Appleseeds, Jan2005, Vol. 7 Issue 5, p6-7 This article focuses on various eras of the planet Earth. The history of the Earth is divided into three time periods, called eras. They are the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. Eras are divided into smaller units of time, called periods. The dinosaurs came and went during the Mesozoic era. Different dinosaurs (and other animals) lived during different periods of this era. At the end of the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs "checked out" forever except for their descendants, the birds. Humans are a tiny dot at one end, and dinosaurs take up about 3 inches. Reading Level (Lexile): 570;


	AUSTRALIAN BACKYARD GARDENS AND THE JOURNEY OF MIGRATION. By: Head, Lesley; Muir, Pat; Hampel, Eva. Geographical Review, Jul2004, Vol. 94 Issue 3, p326-347


	PREMIČRES. By: Gendler, Lizzie. Pointe, Feb/Mar2006, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p17-17 The article presents information on ballet performances in several ballet companies in the U.S. in 2006. The world premieres of "Quarternary," "Cage and Arvo Pärt; Blue Rose" and "Spring Rounds" will be presented by San Francisco Ballet in February. The Valentine program of Pacific Northwest Ballet will feature the "1992 Ancient Airs and Dances." Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will present premieres in celebration of the late musicians Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter. Ballet Florida will present two premieres in commemoration of its 20th anniversary. Reading Level (Lexile): 1180;


	UTAH'S GREAT SALT LAKE: A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL-SOCIETAL SYSTEM. By: Bedford, Daniel. Geographical Review, Jan2005, Vol. 95 Issue 1, p73-96


	SAVVY SKINS. By: Cunningham, Aimee. Science News, 2/3/2007, Vol. 171 Issue 5, p75-76 The article reports on the growth in the coatings industry, where the latest innovations incorporate multiple functions, offering chemical reactivity or acting in response to stimuli in the environment. The article focuses on the development and workings of antibacterial coatings that might be used in hospitals, coatings that could be used in bodies to bind biomedicals, and those that prevent corrosion in metals. Reading Level (Lexile): 1230;