Were there dinosaurs in the Late Miocene?

No, not in the non-bird sense. Non-bird dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago. However, birds, which are avian dinosaurs, were abundant and diverse.

Home/Prehistoric Periods/Late Miocene

Late Miocene

11-5 million years ago

The Late Miocene saw grasslands spread across much of the world, driving the evolution of grazing animals. In Africa, early hominids, the ancestors of humans, were beginning their evolutionary journey. The world was getting cooler and drier, setting the stage for the ice ages to come.

Fun Facts

✓The first bipedal hominids appeared in Africa during the Late Miocene, around 6-7 million years ago.
✓Grass-eating horses evolved longer teeth during the Miocene to handle the tough silica in grass.
✓Megalodon, the largest shark ever, reached its peak diversity during the Late Miocene.

Questions About the Late Miocene

Other Prehistoric Periods

Triassic Late Triassic Middle Triassic Jurassic Early Jurassic Middle Jurassic Late Jurassic Middle-Late Jurassic View all periods →