Prehistoric Evidence Shows Mammals Evolved Rapidly When Dinosaurs Went Extinct

Three new species of ancient mammals have been found by scientists, indicating rapid evolution following the dinosaur extinction.

The finding of three new species of ancient animals from the birth of modern mammals is described in a study published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. It suggests fast development shortly following the dinosaurs' catastrophic extinction.

"Previous studies suggest that there was relatively low mammal species diversity across the Western Interior of North America in the first few hundred thousand years after the dinosaur extinction (what is known in North America as the early Puercan), but the discovery of three new species in the Great Divide Basin suggests rapid diversification following the extinction," says Atteberry. "These new periptychid 'condylarths' account for just a small portion of the site's more than 420 mammalian remains. Thus, we haven't fully captured the richness of animal diversity in the early Paleocene, and numerous more new species are expected to be discovered."

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