Final answer:
Between 12,000 and 11,000 years ago, the Pleistocene ended with an increase in temperature and precipitation, affecting species and ecosystems. This led to habitat changes, sea-level rise, and the extinction of cold-adapted megafauna such as woolly mammoths.
Step-by-step explanation:
Increase in temperature and increase in precipitation:
The transition between 12,000 and 11,000 years ago marks the end of the Pleistocene, and climate changes typical of this period included an increase in temperature and an increase in precipitation. During this time, known as the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, the environment was significantly altered, affecting ecosystems and species that thrived in the colder climates.By the end of the Pleistocene, ice sheets and glaciers were retreating, leading to a rise in sea levels.
Land bridges disappeared and habitats were lost or transformed, contributing to the extinction of various megafauna like the woolly mammoths. These animals, adapted to the cold, lost their natural environments while also facing pressure from human hunting.The overall climate warming disrupted traditional patterns of animal migration and plant growth, altering food resources and leading to changes in biodiversity. This period illustrates how even seemingly minor changes in average temperature and precipitation can have profound effects on global ecosystems and species distribution.