According to a recent study, the Age of Man, also known as the Anthropocene, started in 1610.
Researchers believe that the arrival of Europeans in the Americas proved to be the biggest impact man had ever had on the planet.
The Europeans’ arrival in the Americas actually marked the beginning of a new epoch known as the Age of Man.
The researchers published the findings of their new study in the journal Nature.
However, there is a scientific dispute on when the Anthropocene began; some scientists believe that the Age of Man debuted with the industrial revolution or with the first nuclear testing. They believe these two events are more relevant to the beginnings of the epoch of man.
Others argue that it’s too early to determine the starting point of this new epoch, saying that this can only be concluded after thousands and even millions of years.
A team of researchers from the Anthropocene Working Group is currently working to determine the official start date, which they said they will announce sometime next year.
Geologists divide the history of our planet into big periods of time, which coincide with important changes that took place on Earth.
These changes involve events like continental shifts, important changes of climate and asteroids hitting our planet.
Right now we live in what’s known as the Holocene Epoch. This began at the end of the Ice Age, approximately 11,500 years ago.
Many experts believe that the man has drastically changed the planet and it is time for a new epoch.
Geologists are studying rocks, sediments and ice and are looking for the signal known as “the golden spike”. This signal will reveal the changes suffered by our planet since the Age of Man began.
The latest study reveals that the researchers have found the golden spikes signals and these suggest that the Anthropocene began in 1610.
The scientists explain that the arrival of the Europeans in the Americas marked the beginnings of a very important global transformation.
Dr.Simon Lewis, one of the authors of the new study, believes that after the Europeans discovered the Americas, global trade began to move animal and plant species around the world much easier.
Image Source: bbc
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