Which geological epoch is associated with the estimated origin time of the entire Lycosidae family?
Answer
Late Eocene.
Tracing the evolutionary emergence of the wolf spider family involves correlating molecular divergence times with geological epochs, often calibrated using available fossil evidence. Current estimates place the initial origin of the entire Lycosidae family in the Late Eocene epoch. This time frame places the ancestral wolf spiders as existing prior to the profound global climatic transformation often described as the shift from a stable 'greenhouse world' into the fluctuating 'ice-house world.' This deep origin predates the major diversification events that occurred as the climate began to cool significantly shortly thereafter.
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