Summarized information is given on the Upper Pliocene–Pleistocene deposits of the Southern Urals with data on the distribution of significant ostracod species, molluscs, large and small mammals and plant remains. The Late Cenozoic history of the Southern Urals is characterized by transgression of the Akchagylian Sea, which ingressed all river valleys of the Southern Fore-Urals during the Pliocene. The Pleistocene deposits in the area are of continental origin. The Pleistocene cover glaciations did not reach the Southern Urals; however, the Quaternary climatic fluctuations affected the history of the fauna, flora and human societies, as well as the geomorphological character of the area. The development of the territory was governed by a general activization of tectonic movements and a quick uplift of the surface. This event belongs to the most recent stage of the geological history of the Urals. According to recent fission-track data, the age of the relics of a peneplain preserved in the tops of the Ural Mountains is hardly older than the Cretaceous, which contradicts the traditional point of view. The period of formation of the modern Ural Mountains is probably also much shorter than is usually thought and corresponds mainly to Pliocene-Quaternary times. The Southern Urals is an important area for correlation between the European and Siberian/Asiatic stratigraphic schemes. To improve the correlation between these two areas and to expand our understanding of the complex geology of the area, future (bio)stratigraphical investigation of the Pliocene–Pleistocene deposits of the Southern Urals region is necessary.