Overview of the Oligocene Epoch

Overview of the Oligocene Epoch The Oligocene epoch wasnt an especially innovative period of time with regard to its prehistoric animals, which continued along the evolutionary paths that had been pretty much locked in during the preceding Eocene (and continued on in turn during the ensuing Miocene). The Oligocene was the last major geologic subdivision of the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago), following the Paleocene (85-56 million years ago) and Eocene (56-34 million years ago) epochs; all of these periods and epochs were themselves part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). Climate and geography While the Oligocene epoch was still fairly temperate by modern standards, this 10-million-year stretch of geologic time saw a decrease in both average global temperatures and sea levels. All of the worlds continents were well on their way toward moving into their present positions; the most striking change occurred in Antarctica, which drifted slowly south, became more isolated from South America and Australia, and developed the polar ice cap that it retains today. Giant mountain ranges continued to form, most prominently in western North America and southern Europe. Terrestrial Life During the Oligocene Epoch Mammals. There were two major trends in mammalian evolution during the Oligocene epoch. First, the spread of newly evolved grasses across the plains of the northern and southern hemispheres opened a new ecological niche for grazing mammals. Early horses (such as Miohippus), distant rhinoceros ancestors (such as Hyracodon), and proto-camels (such as Poebrotherium) were all common sights on grasslands, often in locations you might not expect (camels, for instance, were especially thick on the ground in Oligocene North America, where they first evolved). The other trend was mostly confined to South America, which was isolated from North America during the Oligocene epoch (the Central American land bridge would not form for another 20 million years) and hosted a bizarre array of megafauna mammals, including the elephant-like Pyrotherium and the meat-eating marsupial Borhyaena (the marsupials of Oligocene South America were every match for the contemporary Australian variety). Asia, meanwhile, was home to the largest terrestrial mammal that ever lived, the 20-ton Indricotherium, which bore an uncanny resemblance to a sauropod dinosaur! Birds As with the preceding Eocene epoch, the most common fossil birds of the Oligocene epoch were predatory South American terror birds (such as the unusually pint-sized Psilopterus), which mimicked the behavior of their two-legged dinosaur ancestors,  and giant penguins that lived in temperate, rather than polar, climatesKairuku of New Zealand is a good example. Other types of birds also undoubtedly lived during the Oligocene epoch; we just havent identified many of their fossils yet! Reptiles To judge by the limited fossil remains, the Oligocene epoch wasnt an especially notable time for lizards, snakes, turtles or crocodiles. However, the plenitude of these reptiles both before and after the Oligocene provides at least circumstantial evidence that they must have prospered during this epoch as well; a lack of fossils doesnt always correspond to a lack of wildlife. Marine Life During the Oligocene Epoch The Oligocene epoch was a golden age for whales, rich in transitional species like Aetiocetus, Janjucetus, and Mammalodon (which possessed both teeth and plankton-filtering baleen plates). Prehistoric sharks continued to be the apex predators of the high seas; it was toward the end of the Oligocene, 25 million years ago, that the gigantic Megalodon, ten times bigger than the Great White Shark, first appeared on the scene. The latter part of the Oligocene epoch also witnessed the evolution of the first pinnipeds (the family of mammals that includes seals and walruses), the basal Puijila being a good example. Plant Life During the Oligocene Epoch As remarked above, the major innovation in plant life during the Oligocene epoch was the worldwide spread of newly evolved grasses, which carpeted the plains of North and South America, Eurasia and Africaand spurred the evolution of horses, deer, and various ruminants, as well as the meat-eating mammals that preyed on them. The process that had begun during the preceding Eocene epoch, the gradual appearance of deciduous forests in place of jungles over the earths spreading non-tropical regions, also continued unabated.

Where to Find Free Accounting Courses Online

Where to Find Free Accounting Courses Online Free accounting courses provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about accounting  and related topics, like finance, auditing, and taxation, without any out-of-pocket expense. These courses typically go beyond the types of tutorials you might find on YouTube or a general accounting website; they delve into the advanced topics you might find at an undergraduate-level, or even a graduate-level, course at a college, university, or business school. For example, rather than just a short tutorial on how to prepare a balance sheet, a free accounting course will explain how to accurately prepare all of the required financial statements for a business. Earning a Credit for Free Accounting Courses There are some free accounting courses that grant a certificate of completion when you finish the course, but most free courses will not result in an  accounting degree  or college credit of any kind just because you complete the course. Why You Take Free Accounting Courses Online So, you may be asking yourself, why bother taking a course if you cant get earn credit toward  a degree? There are actually a few reasons why you might want to consider taking one or more free accounting courses online: Knowledge: The main reason why people take any type, of course, is to gain new knowledge. You can  acquire education  and skills in a free course, just like you could in a course that you paid money for.  Preparation: Free accounting courses can help you prepare for exams, such as the CLEP Financial Accounting examination. If you pass these exams, you could earn college credit toward a degree.  Practice: A free accounting course is a good way to practice for postsecondary-level studies. If you plan on attending a formal undergraduate or graduate degree program, taking a few free courses online will help you understand the types of lectures, reading and case studies you might encounter in future courses. Schools With Free Accounting Courses Online There are quite a few different colleges and universities that offer free courses or  OpenCourseWare (OCW). OCW varies by school but typically consists of class material like suggested reading, online textbooks, lectures, course notes, case studies and other study aids.   Here are a few respected colleges and universities that offer free accounting courses online: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania:  The Small Business Development Center at the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania offers more than 70 free business courses, including courses related to accounting, finance, and small business tax.  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):  MITs Sloan School of Management has an extensive OpenCourseWare program that provides course materials like video lectures, lecture notes, exams (with solutions), etc. for undergraduate and graduate-level students. Courses cover a wide range of topics, including finance theory, financial accounting, and managerial accounting.  Open University: The UKs Open University provides free educational resources through their OpenLearn website. Courses are categorized by topic and education level (introductory, intermediate, and advanced). Free accounting courses, videos, and reference materials can be found in the Money and Management category.  UC Berkeley: The University of California Berkeley offers fr ee video and audio lectures on topics like accounting, economics, mathematics, and statistics, among others. These lectures were posted in the spring of 2015 or before. For more recent UC Berkeley courses, you could visit edX, which offers free online courses from top universities around the world.