THE MIOCENE PERIOD 817 



showing that the earlier connection between the Mediterranean 

 and Indian Ocean regions had come to an end. 



Close of the Miocene in Europe. In Europe, as in America, con- 

 siderable disturbances occurred in the later part of the period, and 

 at its close. Before its end, the Alps had had a period of growth, 

 usually placed at the close of the Lower Miocene. The Apennines 

 and other mountains of southern Europe also were in process of 

 development during the later Miocene. In the Caucasus Mountains, 

 Miocene beds occur up to heights of 2,000 meters. It will be seen, 

 therefore, that deformative movements, involving the great moun- 

 tain systems of the continent, were in progress in southern Europe 

 during the later part of the Miocene period. As in America, wide- 

 spread movements which were not notably deformative attended 

 the growth of the mountains, with the result that the sea which 

 had overspread southern Europe was greatly restricted, though 

 not reduced to its present size. Igneous activity appears to have 

 attended the movements of the time, but not on so great a scale 

 as in North America. 



Other continents. The Miocene of Asia has not been generally 

 separated from the other Tertiary formations, but is known to be 

 widely distributed in the southern part of the continent. 1 In 

 Japan 2 and some other parts of northeastern Asia, the Tertiary 

 (Miocene?) contains petroleum and metaliferous veins. A rich 

 Miocene fauna, both marine and terrestrial, is found in Java. 



In Africa, Miocene formations occur in Algeria and in Lower 

 Egypt. Australia and New Zealand are rich in Miocene beds, some 

 of which are marine, and some terrestrial. Igneous rocks are 

 associated with the sedimentary. The beds are found up to heights 

 of 4,000 feet, giving some clue to the extent of post-Miocene crustal 

 deformation here. 



In South America, Miocene beds probably occur in the western 

 coast, and are known to have extensive development on the eastern 

 plains of the southern part of the continent, 3 where the distinction 

 between the Upper Oligocene and the Miocene is not sharp. The 



1 Oldham, Geol. of India. 2 Geology of Japan, Imp. Geol. Surv., 1902. 



3 Hatcher, Sedimentary Rocks of Southern Patagonia, Am. Jour, of 

 Science, Vol. IX, 1900; and Ortmann, Princeton Univ. Repts. of Expedition 

 to Patagonia, Vol. IV, Pt. II. 



