Wikipedia
The Orleanian age is a period of geologic time ( MN 3–5, (mya)), within the Miocene and used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Astaracian age and follows the Agenian age.
Agenian-Early Orleanian migrationAt the time for Oligocene- Miocene boundary (23.8 mya), the Tethys Seaway, a deep through between the Arabian and Iranian Plates, isolated Africa from Eurasia; an isolation that lasted until the gradual closure of the Tethys at the end of MN 3 (19-18 mya), and America was connected to Asia by the Beringian landbridge. The horse-like equid Anchitherium dispersed into Asia over the latter and is known on the Iberian Peninsula from MN 3 and from Asia Minor in MN 6. It has not been found on the Balkan Peninsula, which suggests that the Balkans were isolated from Asia Minor at that time. In Western Europe, the pig-like suids Hyotherium appears in MN 1 and Xenohyus in MN 2. The hippo-like anthracothere Brachyodus appears in Western Europe in MN 3 and, while the MN 1-3 fauna is rare in the Eastern Mediterranean, also in Greece from around MN 3-4. The spalacid (rodent) Debruijnia is known from Asia Minor from MN 3 and from Aliveri, Greece, from early MN 4, suggesting the presence of some kind of early connection between Asia Minor and the Balkans.
Middle Orleanian migrationThe connection between Eurasia and Africa, known as the " Gomphotherium-landbridge", was re-established at the end of MN 3. However, temporary landbridges appears to have connected Africa to Eurasia before the final closure of the Tethys Seaway, allowing some mammals to emigrate between the landmasses. With the Balkans solidly connected to Asia Minor, the seaways to the Paratethys were closed, which transformed the shallow sea into an isolated basin with its own endemic fauna. The Gomphotherium-landbridge provided the African hyrocoid Pliohyrax with the opportunity to emigrate to India where it is known from the end of MN 3. It has been found in Turkey from MN 6 and, as the primitive deinothere (elephant-like) Prodeinotherium is known from Lesbos, Greece, it seems likely there was a connection between the regions around 18.4 mya.
Emigration occurred in both directions across the landbridge around 20.7 mya. The MN 3 fauna of Negev, Israel, provides a mixture of African and Eurasian taxa representative for this interchange: the elephant-like Prodeinotherium and Gomphotherium, the carnivorous Anasinopa, the small ungulate Dorcatherium, the early pika Kenyalagomys, and rodent Megapedetes from Africa; and the bovid Eotragus, the suid Listriodon, and Rhinocerotidae from Asia. The first to emigrate from Africa were the proboscideans (elephant-like) Gomphoteres and Deinotheres who eventually formed part of the Bugti fauna in India around 18.3 mya and are known from the eastern Mediterranean around 18.4 mya and the Iberian Peninsula at the beginning of MN 4, 18 mya. Emigrants from Asia, included the bovid Eotragus, the suid Bunolistriodon, the nimravid (cat) Prosansanosmilus, and rodents such as Megacricetodon, Democricetodon, Cricetodon, and Eumyarion. The subfamily Democricetodontinae appeared in Asia Minor during MN 1-2, in Africa and Asia during MN 3, in America during MN 3-4 and finally in the Balkans and Western Europe during MN 4.
Usage examples of "orleanian".
Besides, it was almost Mardi Gras time, a good time for any Orleanian to be home.
He read on a plaque that the airport was named after John Moisant, an Orleanian who had been a world aviation pioneer, and he noted that the initials were the same as his own, which could be a favorable omen too.
Like most New Orleanian Creoles, they clung ferociously to their French heritage and to the culture that was the last remaining tie to the prewar life they had once known.
The social heirarchy of the town was nothing but meaningless drivel, no one cared who was who in New Orleans outside New Orleans, but there was no explaining that to an old-line New Orleanian or Zoe.
New Orleanian who just wanted to make big tourist bucks during Carnival.
New Orleanians were an innately hospitable people, and she was no exception.
New Orleanians never trusted a stranger with whom they could not establish at least one common relative.
New Orleanians generally cared little what went on beyond the boundaries of the Big Easy.
He watched shadows of the revelers dancing on the curtains like a Balinese puppet show and he wanted to be content where he was, alone at this table, though he was beginning to think Aspen would be a better place, with most of the other uptown New Orleanians who opted out of the krewes and the balls.
The emergency room served as family doctor for about a hundred thousand New Orleanians, Jules figured.
There was nothing New Orleanians loved so much as their gossip and their intrafamily connections.
Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to.
New Orleanians, as grand a legacy as anything the underwater city could claim.
New Orleanians, they picked themselves up, dried themselves off, and were open for business within months.
New Orleanians spoke no other tongue but up until now Guy had spoken American.