How did the Red Sea change during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs?

During the early Miocene Epoch, tectonic divergence between northeastern Africa and western Arabia created a rift valley. The Mediterranean Sea flooded this depression, forming a gulf that reached as far as Yemen. By the end of the Miocene, the formation of the Isthmus of Suez cut off this connection, transforming the gulf into a saline lake where thick layers of evaporites were deposited.1

During the Pliocene Epoch, the region underwent significant geographic shifts. The Isthmus of Suez facilitated the migration of Asian animal life into Africa. Later in the epoch, the subsidence of an isthmus between Djibouti and Aden allowed the Indian Ocean to flow into the Red Sea, extending the marine environment up to the Isthmus of Suez.1