News Item:
Dinosaur extinction did not trigger evolution in mammals
When T-Rex ruled the planet, the evolution of mammals was stunted because dinosaurs were bigger, a whole lot bigger, and mammals were on the menu, so the mammals had to stay small, so they could hide, right? If mammals, however, had been allowed to evolve to a higher level during all those extra millions of years under dino-rule, we human versions would probably be even smarter [?] than we are now, right?
Wrong… according to the newest theory on the subject.
The idea is backed up by research just published in the science journal, Nature. Apparently there was no spurt in mammal evolution after the last dinosaur went belly-up in the boneyard. We mammalian types clung to the familiar for quite a long time after that. In fact, we seem to have waited an extra 10 million years or so before deciding it might be safe enough to grow a little larger, and maybe even go play out in the open, instead of hiding under bushes and shrubs.
Full Story: ABC News
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2 users commented in " The dinosaurs got a bum rap "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackNo animal with the size greater than a cat survived the aftermath of the meteorite. But if it wasn’t for the extinction of large dinosaurs, mammals would never have got a chance to get larger. So there is still a relationship, though mammals didn’t need to branch out for another 10-20 million years after the crash.
Well, i agree with that. If ever there were mammals present, they would all have been eaten by those “magnifique” beasts.
It would have been really pleasant though, to be leaving in the jungle, far from oil crisis, and nuclear wars, and to be leaving a peaceful life, just trying to evade getting in the bellies of the dinos.
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