Colossal Flood Created the Mediterranean Sea

Live Science ^ | Dec 9, 2009 | Andrea Thompson

[JimRed]

I recall reading a fictional book many years ago about the filling of the Mediterranean basin- in prehistoric times but in the presence of humans. I think it was called “And The Waters Prevailed”, but I could be wrong.

[Natufian]

Now that, I would pay really good money to see. C’mon science, let’s that the old time machine thing going.

[colorado tanker]

It rained all night
The day I left
The weather it was dry
The sun so hot,
I froze to death
Savannah, don't you cry

Oh, Savannah,
Oh don't you cry for me
For I come from North Africa
With my banjo on my knee

[GL of Sector 2814]

Harry Turtledove wrote a novel called, "Down in the Bottomlands". It's an alternate history in which the Atlantic Ocean did not reflood the Mediterranean Sea 5.5 million years ago in the Miocene Epoch, as it did in our history. The Mediterranean Basin thus remains dry to the present day in this time line, as a vast sunken desert called the Bottomlands, averaging nearly two kilometers below mean sea level, with summer temperatures reaching well above 40°C and with little or no rainfall.

While there are still humans (and Neanderthals, for that matter) running around, history is utterly different.

[SunkenCiv]

That’s appropriate, since the banjo is descended from an African gourd-based musical instrument. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Could be, but I was pretty young then... See blam's remark, and BTW, great memory! Here's the search link:

Google

[xcamel]

BINGO!

[SunkenCiv]

• The Mediterranean Was A Desert
• Mediterranean Sea Dried Up Five Million Years Ago
• mediterraneanflood keyword

[SunkenCiv]

Evolution in Your Face
by Patrick Huyghe
Omni

Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, is home to more than 300 species of cichlids. These fish, which are popular in aquariums, are deep-bodied and have one nostril, rather than the usual two, on each side of the head. Seismic profiles and cores of the lake taken by a team headed by Thomas C. Johnson of the University of Minnesota, reveal that the lake dried up completely about 12,400 years ago. This means that the rate of speciation of cichlid fishes has been extremely rapid: something on average of one new species every 40 years!

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1607979/posts?page=98#98