The Lost World of Abu Dhabi

The Cenozoic Era began 66 million years ago. That’s right, we’re still living in the Cenozoic Era! The extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous saw the end of many species, but mammals survived and eventually evolved into species like Stegotetrabelodon, Deinotherium, Palaeotragus and Crocodylus.

Crocodiles and birds are some of the many living animals that allow us to glimpse the past through the present. After dinosaurs went extinct, the environments that they left behind provided ample room for mammals to evolve, including humans.

As you’re moving through the Cenozoic Era, pay close attention to the Miocene Period, where we take a close look at what was happening right here in Abu Dhabi 7 million years ago. This region was completely different then, covered by grasslands with rivers and freshwater lakes, which supported many different species, including the giant fourtusked elephant Stegotetrabelodon.


From 2.6 million years ago ice ages came and went, causing sea-levels to rise and fall, until we came to the end of the Last Glacial Period, around 11,700 years ago, and the Holocene epoch began. Bringing us to today. The Anthropocene - The Age of Man.