Tag Archives: mammal
Fossils reveal how bizarre mammal beat extinction
Animals that live on islands are among the most at risk from extinction. A remarkable eighty percent of extinctions occurring since 1500AD have been on islands, with inhabitants facing dangers from climate change, sea level rise, invasive species, and human … Continue reading
Understanding Caribbean mammal extinctions of the past spurs renewed focus on conservation
Paleontologists report they have clear evidence that the arrival of humans and subsequent human activity throughout the islands of the Caribbean were likely the primary causes of the extinction of native mammal species there. The evidence, they say, highlights the … Continue reading
Pattern of mammal dwarfing during global warming
More than 50 million years ago, when the Earth experienced a series of extreme global warming events, early mammals responded by shrinking in size. While this mammalian dwarfism has previously been linked to the largest of these events, new research … Continue reading
Biologists follow ‘fossilizable’ clues to pinpoint when mammal, bird and dinosaur ancestors became athletes
A new study is the first to draw a link between RBC size and microscopic traces of blood vessels and bone cells inside bones. They found that extinct mammal and bird relatives had smaller RBCs and were likely better athletes … Continue reading
Fossilized evidence of a tumor in a 255-million-year-old mammal forerunner
An extinct mammal relative harbored a benign tumor made up of miniature, tooth-like structures, paleontologists report. The tumor, a compound odontoma, is common to mammals today. But this animal lived 255 million years ago, before mammals even existed. Paleontology News … Continue reading
Mammoth Mammal Fossils Found at Site of LA Subway Dig
Unearthing the skull and tusks. Photo: Metro. During construction of the Metro Purple Line extension, workers stumbled across the remains of an ancient elephant. The first discovery, made just before Thanksgiving, was of a 3-foot section of tusk fragments, as … Continue reading
Endangered venomous mammal predates dinosaurs’ extinction, study confirms
The University of Illinois and University of Puerto Rico have completely sequenced the mitochondrial genome for the Hispaniolan solenodon, filling in the last major branch of placental mammals on the tree of life. read more (e) Science News – Paleontology … Continue reading
Endangered venomous mammal predates dinosaurs’ extinction, study confirms
Biologists have completely sequenced the mitochondrial genome for the Hispaniolan solenodon, filling in the last major branch of placental mammals on the tree of life. The study confirmed that the venomous mammal diverged from all other living mammals 78 million … Continue reading
Mammal diversity exploded immediately after dinosaur extinction
The diversity of mammals on Earth exploded straight after the dinosaur extinction event, according to new research. New analysis of the fossil record shows that placental mammals, the group that today includes nearly 5,000 species including humans, became more varied … Continue reading
New fossils intensify mystery of short-lived, toothy mammal found in ancient North Pacific
New fossils from the Aleutian Islands intensify the mystery surrounding a toothy, hippopotamus-sized mammal unique to the North Pacific. The oddball creature suction-fed shoreline vegetation, say paleontologists. The Unalaska Island animal is a new genus and species of Desmostylia. The … Continue reading