Final answer:
During the Cenozoic, the Arctic Ocean became almost completely surrounded by land masses, resulting in thermal isolation of the Arctic Ocean, global sea level rise, and warming of the Arctic Ocean. The thermal isolation occurred because the surrounding land masses prevented warm water from flowing into the Arctic. Despite the colder temperatures, the Arctic Ocean also experienced warming over time due to global climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Cenozoic, the Arctic ocean became almost completely surrounded by land masses, resulting in thermal isolation of the Arctic Ocean, global sea level rise, and warming of the Arctic Ocean.
The thermal isolation of the Arctic Ocean occurred because the surrounding land masses prevented warm water from flowing into the Arctic. This isolation caused the Arctic Ocean to become colder.
However, despite the colder temperatures, the Arctic Ocean also experienced warming over time due to global climate change. As the Earth's climate cooled during the Quaternary Period, sea levels fell as a result of water getting frozen in glaciers. This created land bridges between continents, allowing land animals to move to new areas.