When the Dino-Killing Asteroid Hit, Mammals Were Already on the Move

The end-Cretaceous extinction—the massive extinction event widely attributed to an asteroid impact that wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs approximately 66 million years ago—had a profound impact on the evolution of all life on Earth. Specifically, mammals eventually diversified into thousands of distinct species. By studying mammal remains from the end of the Cretaceous period (approximately 145 to 66 million years ago) and the early Paleogene period (66 to 23 million years ago) an international team of researchers has found new evidence confirming the theory that many arboreal (tree-living) mammals were evolving to live on the ground before the end-Cretaceous extinction. As detailed in a study published Tuesday in the journal Palaeontology, this change in lifestyle may have influenced which mammals survived the dino-killing asteroid. “It was already known that plant life changed toward the end of the Cretaceous, with flowering plants, known as angiosperms, creating more diverse habi ... Read full article.