The Quaternary in Georgia, US

Paleontology and geology

Most of Georgia remained high and dry as Early Quaternary (Pleistocene) ice sheets expanded and contracted causing sea level to fluctuate. Barrier islands formed along the present day coast and shifted position as sea level changed, leaving behind sandy sediments as a record of their migration. Estuaries associated with the barrier islands left deposits as well. Forests and grasslands developed throughout much of Georgia, and many large mammals, such as mammoths and giant ground sloths, lived in these environments.