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How did the Altai Mountains divide the Western and Eastern Steppe?

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Map showing the extent of the Eurasian steppes, highlighted in green, stretching from eastern Europe through Ukraine and southern Russia, across Kazakhstan, and into Mongolia and northern China. The map labels the Western Steppe and Eastern Steppe regions and includes major geographic features, countries, and ancient sites within the steppe zone. — the Steppe Extent of the Eurasian steppes.

The Altai Mountains serve as the geographic boundary that divides the Eurasian Steppe into two distinct segments.

The Western Steppe extends eastward from the Danube River and the Black Sea until it reaches the Altai range. In contrast, the Eastern Steppe begins at the Altai Mountains and stretches eastward to the Greater Khingan Range, encompassing Mongolia and its surrounding regions.1

This division is significant because the two regions possess different environmental characteristics. The Western Steppe is a vast, relatively lower-lying expanse of grassland, while the Eastern Steppe is higher, colder, and drier, representing a harsher environment for human habitation. By acting as a physical marker between these two zones, the Altai Mountains delineate the transition between the more temperate western plains and the extreme, high-altitude conditions of the east.1