18 million years
or 4 meters to today
Geological era: Cenozoic / Neogene Miocene
A group of mammals in Africa is developing into diurnal, human-like monkeys. They are the ancestors of all gibbons and great apes living today and thus the ancestors of all humans. They have only weakly pigmented skin and a relatively thin coat. The thumb, which is movable against the other fingers, allows the use of tools. The forward facing eyes allow good spatial vision.
The collision of different continental plates creates large mountain ranges: The Indian plate presses against the Eurasian plate and leads to the Himalayan unfolding. The African plate also presses against the Eurasian plate, creating the Zagros Mountains (Iran) and the Alps.