For decades, scientists viewed it as a young river system, but modern research suggests a far more ancient origin. For a long time, scientists debated whether the river flowed westward into the Pacific before reversing its course.
Tracing the Amazon River Age Through Geological History
During the Cretaceous period, around 145 to 66 million years ago, a network of rivers drained the western interior of what is now South America. These layers of mud and sand act like a historical record, revealing the river’s past.
Forests retreated, and the river fragmented into isolated lakes and streams. The emergence of the Amazon River is directly linked to the uplift of this mountain range, which redirected rainfall patterns and created the necessary gradient for a massive river system to develop.
Tracing the Amazon River’s Ancient Origins Through Geological History
The water we see today flows through a channel that has evolved over millions of years, shaped by shifting landscapes and changing climates. Findings indicate that a proto-Amazon river system was flowing across South America approximately 9 to 10 million years ago, during the Miocene epoch.
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