Beringia: A Land Bridge that Connected Continents

            The Bering Strait, also known as Beringia, is a land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. It dates back to between 12,000 and 30,000 years ago. “During the Last Ice Age, the water level of the oceans was lower, exposing land.” (What is Beringia?) As the Earth turned cold the climate and landscape of the Bering Strait stayed the same. The landscape of Beringia consisted of grasslands with light snowfall. There is evidence that small shrubs and spruce trees also grew there. Native Indians and animals crossed to America by walking the 55-mile long land bridge. The migrating animals were mostly elk, mammoths, caribou, and horses. DNA found near the site of the Bering Strait gave evidence of the animals and humans that lived there. About 12,000 years ago the Ice Age ocean water levels rose due to melting snow and ice. This caused Beringia to be submerged under water.

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