*The Great Smoky Mountains are among
the oldest mountains in the world, formed perhaps 200-300 million
years ago. They are unique in their northeast to southwest
orientation, which allowed species to migrate along their slopes
during climatic changes such as the last ice age, 10,000 years ago.
In fact, the glaciers of the last ice age affected the Smoky
Mountains without invading them. During that time, glaciers scoured
much of North America but did not quite reach as far south as the
Smokies. Consequently, these mountains became a refuge for many
species of plants and animals that were disrupted from their
northern homes. The Smokies have been relatively undisturbed by
glaciers or ocean inundation for over a million years, allowing
species eons to diversify.
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