Great American Interchange

The Great American Interchange was a major event around 3 million years ago when land animals from North and South America migrated across a land bridge called the Isthmus of Panama. This exchange allowed species like North American mammals, such as wolves and bears, to move into South America, while South American animals like armadillos and giant rodents moved north. This migrations led to significant changes in the ecosystems and caused some species to thrive or decline. The interchange is notable because it dramatically reshaped the animal populations on both continents and is a key example of biogeographic change driven by continental shifts.