Tag Archives: Mammals
Mammals almost wiped out with the dinosaurs
Over 90 percent of mammal species were wiped out by the same asteroid that killed the dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago, significantly more than previously thought, a new study concludes. Paleontology News — ScienceDaily
Mammals began their takeover long before the death of the dinosaurs
New research reports that, contrary to popular belief, mammals began their massive diversification 10 to 20 million years before the extinction of the dinosaurs. Paleontology News — ScienceDaily
Do bearded dragons dream? Reptiles share sleep patterns with mammals and birds
Brain sleep appeared early in vertebrate evolution. Researchers describe the existence of REM and slow-wave sleep in the Australian dragon, with many common features with mammalian sleep: a phase characterized by low frequency/high amplitude average brain activity and rare and … Continue reading
Discovery of extinct bat doubles diversity of native Hawaiian land mammals
The Hawaiian Islands have long been thought to support just one endemic land mammal in the archipelago’s brief geologic history, the Hawaiian hoary bat. But new fossil evidence indicates that a second, very different species of bat lived alongside the … Continue reading
Well-preserved skeleton reveals the ecology and evolution of early carnivorous mammals
Prior to the rise of modern day mammalian carnivores, North America was dominated by a now extinct group of mammalian carnivores, hyaenodontids. Fossils of hyaenodontids are relatively common from the early Eocene, but most are specimens of teeth. A new … Continue reading
Well-preserved skeleton reveals the ecology and evolution of early carnivorous mammals
Prior to the rise of modern day mammalian carnivores (lions and tigers and bears, as well as weasels, raccoons, wolves and other members of the order Carnivora), North America was dominated by a now extinct group of mammalian carnivores – … Continue reading
Loss of large land mammals could change landscapes forever
Paleontologists have looked at the environmental changes that occurred in North and South America after large megafauna went extinct over the past 15,000 years, and found long-lasting impacts. Particularly in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, the loss of mammoths and … Continue reading
Ice-age lesson: Large mammals need room to roam
A study of life and extinctions among woolly mammoths and other ice-age animals suggests that interconnected habitats can help Arctic mammal species survive environmental changes. Paleontology News — ScienceDaily
Mammals, ‘secret weapon’ against viruses
(ANSAmed) – Rome, October 11 – the mammals have a secret weapon against the virus, which is also used by plants and invertebrates: defend themselves using the right arm of Dna, Rna, neutralizing attacks. The discovery, the result of two … Continue reading