Mammals Shifted to Land Habitats by Late Cretaceous, Study Finds

Speedy summary

• New research from the University of Bristol reveals that many mammals shifted towards a ground-based lifestyle before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction 66 million years ago.
• Present-day mammals inhabit flowering plant-dominated ecosystems (angiosperms), which developed during the late Cretaceous and became prominent during the Cenozoic Era.
• Mesozoic mammals were mostly small, wiht most under 5 kg in weight, suggesting their size was influenced by changing habitats rather than dinosaur suppression.
• Researchers analyzed ancient mammalian limb bone fragments from therian species found in Western North America, identifying adaptations to terrestrial environments.
• The study highlights how angiosperm vegetation provided diverse ground habitats that likely shaped mammalian evolution more than dinosaur dominance or influence.
• this is one of the first studies utilizing small bone elements to uncover locomotory patterns across an entire community rather than individual species.

indian Opinion Analysis

This research sheds light on how environmental factors like vegetation shifts profoundly influence evolution. For India, such studies emphasize Earth’s interconnected ecological history-offering lessons for biodiversity conservation amid rapid habitat changes today. As India houses diverse ecosystems critical for global biodiversity, understanding past evolutionary adaptations provides insights into maintaining ecological balance amidst current challenges such as deforestation and urban expansion.

Moreover, scientific advancements analyzing minimal fossil evidence signify refined methods applicable globally-potentially beneficial for India’s paleontological studies given its rich prehistoric sites. cross-disciplinary approaches highlighted in this study may inspire further collaborations between Indian researchers and international teams working on evolutionary biology.

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