The Science of Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

The Science of Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

What IS continental drift??

And what about the Ice Age??

The last ice age!!

20,000 years ago…

PASTPRESENT

What about the animals??

MANNY

..is a mammoth

They lived from 5 million years ago

But were still alive 3,000 years ago in Russia: 7,000 years after the last ice age!!

Cool fact: although some were very big (4m tall) most were the size of an Asian elephant, their closest living relative…

They are extinct partly because of climate change and partly because of hunting by man. They are often very well preserved….

Diego

..is a Smilodon (or sabre-toothed cat)

They lived from 2.5 million years ago in the Americas

They died out 10,000 years ago

Cool fact: Smilodons were massive (S populator exceeded half a tonne – much bigger than a tiger) and genetically very different from living cats: more like half way to a hyaena!

Sid

..is a Magalonyx or ground sloth

They lived from 10 million years ago in the Americas

They died out 10,000 years ago

Cool fact: Sid’s closest living relative is the two-toed sloth…

Sid is small in the film – but some Megalonyx were massive – 3m tall and lived on the ground, not in trees…

We can still find their fossilised poo (coprolytes) in caves in South America!!

Today you will meet – Gutt!!

He is a giant ape - Gigantopithecus

They lived from 9 million years ago in Asia: we know very little about them!

They died out 100,000 years ago

Cool fact: Gutt could never have met Sid or Diego on land – they lived on different continents!

And finally, what on EARTH am I??

Scrat

.. Was described as a sabre-toothed squirrel in 2002 when the film Ice Age 1 was released….

BUT no such animal was known to exist….

Sabre teeth!!

However….In 2011, scientists discovered the fossilised remains of a sabre-toothed squirrel in Patagonia, South America !! The film-makers guessed right…

The catch???

He’s too old to have met any of the other characters!!!

93 million years ago…

ENJOY THE FILM!!