hiatusses in the South Atlantic since the middle Miocene. The opening of Drake Passage in early Oligocene times and the closure of the CAS at ~6 Ma, i.e., tectonic processes, have been identified as the key triggers [...] emplacement of the plateau influence the climatic, oceanic environments, and Earth’s biota? What can we deduce about water mass changes during early stages of the plateau’s evolution? Did emplacement of the Agulhas [...] important driver of Cretaceous-Paleogene/Neogene climate changes in the Southern Ocean but the opening of gateways and subsequent migration of continents also has had a profound effect on the regional climate