Other forms: Pliocenes
The Pliocene is the second epoch of the Neogene period, lasting from about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago. It was the last interval of time that Earth was significantly warmer than it is today.
During the Pliocene, global temperatures averaged about 4–5°F warmer than today. Polar ice caps were much smaller, and sea levels were about 65 feet higher, so many of today's coastal cities would have been underwater. The Isthmus of Panama formed during the Pliocene, connecting North and South America. This created a land bridge for animals to migrate between the two continents. Early hominins, such as Australopithecus — like the famous "Lucy" fossil found in Ethiopia — lived during the Pliocene.