Later the action of plate tectonics (based on the theory of continental drift) caused the island to separate. During the recurring periods of glaciation (from 10,000 to 25,000 years ago) the waters receded from the Taiwan Straits leaving a natural land bridge which provided a corridor for numerous bird and animal species.
而後來在距今一萬年前的幾次冰河期間，海水數度退去，台灣海峽露出底來，台灣和華南地區之間動植物播遷頻繁，因此許多生物親緣極近；種類也因而要比大洋中隆起的孤島多得多。