23. The present Sahara Desert really is only a few
thousand years old. About 7 or 8 thousand years ago the area underwent
a pronounced wet phase and portions of it were habitable parkland
where cattle could be grazed (The Times Atlas of World History,
1978). More than 10,000 years ago, during the last glaciation,
lakes
and streams were present in the Sahara, and elephants, giraffes,
and
other animals roamed the grasslands and forests which covered
much of the region. Not long ago radar was used to discover a
fossil river which once flowed across the Sahara; the river bed
is now buried beneath the desert sands. By the way, what does
any of this have to do with the age of the earth?
Last updated:
Wednesday, 30-Nov-2005 17:06:12 CST
