Africa : A Song of Green
Africa Was a Dense Forest: Before the Shift
The Great Green Canopy
Before the land fractured and the skies dried, Africa was a continent wrapped in green. Vast, uninterrupted rainforests covered the equatorial belt, stretching from the Atlantic to the regions that would one day be dry savannas. This was a world teeming with life, where trees held the sky and roots drank from deep, hidden springs.
In the dense canopy, early primates thrived — climbing, leaping, nesting. Food was abundant. Fruit-bearing trees dotted the landscape. The air was thick with birdsong and the movement of creatures whose lives depended on the branches above.
It was a paradise… for now.
Elephant-like creatures with 4 tusks trudged gently through clearings.
Scientific Interlude: The Late Miocene Forest Belt
During the Late Miocene (~7 million years ago), Africa’s central zone supported dense tropical rainforests due to:
High atmospheric CO₂, which favored large, fast-growing trees.
Warm temperatures and consistent rainfall, sustained by tropical ocean currents and a stable climate.
Limited tectonic disruption, which allowed ecosystems to stretch uninterrupted across thousands of kilometers.
Fossil pollen, plant impressions, and soil samples reveal that equatorial Africa supported forests similar to today’s Congo Basin — only more expansive.
Early apes like our ancestors found home
A Life in the Trees
For early apes and primates, this forest was not just home — it was everything. Their anatomy reflected it:
Long arms and grasping feet for swinging and climbing.
Forward-facing eyes for judging distance through foliage.
Diets heavy in fruits, leaves, and the occasional insect.
Movement on the ground was minimal. Survival was found in the trees, and evolution had answered that call.
But the forest, like all things, was not permanent.
A time when every breath was shared among countless creatures
Nowsense Realization: A World Unaware It Was Ending
In this moment, no creature sensed the urgency of change. The vines still curled. The rivers still meandered under the canopy. But the balance was tipping. The winds from the future had already begun. And deep beneath the forest floor, tectonic forces were preparing to draw a line through paradise.