For 600,000 years during the tail end of the Miocene epoch, the Mediterranean was a dried-up salt plain cut off from the Atlantic Ocean. Around 5.3 million years ago, the eastern and western ...

We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? For 600,000 years during the tail end of the Miocene epoch, the Mediterranean was a dried-up salt plain cut off from the Atlantic Ocean.