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No. By the time the dinosaurs went extinct mammals still played a relatively minor role ecologically. It is generally accepted that an asteroid or comet struck the earth, causing ecosystems to collapse worldwide and resulting the extinction of many groups of animals including the dinosaurs.
No, early mammals did not cause the extinction of dinosaurs. The extinction of dinosaurs is believed to have been caused by a combination of factors, such as a large asteroid impact and volcanic activity, which led to drastic environmental changes that the dinosaurs could not survive. Mammals actually flourished and diversified after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
In the Mesozoic era, most ecological niches for higher animals were filled by reptiles. With their extinction around 66 million years ago, most of the niches were available for mammals, including herbivores, carnivores, and insectivores. Mammals, which create their own body heat, were better prepared to exist in temperate and cold climates than cold-blooded reptiles.
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Is it possible the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs has any connection with the existence of humans?
It is possible that the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs created conditions that allowed mammals, including early human ancestors, to thrive and evolve. The elimination of dominant dinosaur species may have opened up ecological niches that mammals were then able to occupy and evolve into various forms, eventually leading to the emergence of humans.
What are mammals in mesozoic era?
Mammals in the Mesozoic era were small, mostly nocturnal creatures that lived alongside dinosaurs. They evolved from reptiles and were characterized by their fur, ability to produce milk, and differentiated teeth. These early mammals played a crucial role in the evolution of the mammalian lineage that eventually led to the diverse group we see today.
What are the dominant organisms or the tertiary period?
During the Tertiary period, dominant organisms included mammals such as early primates, rodents, horses, and whales. These mammals diversified and expanded in various environments as the climate changed, leading to the rise of new species and the extinction of others. Birds also continued to diversify during this time.
251 million years ago what dominated the earth?
251 million years ago was the time of the Permian Extinction, the single largest extinction of biological life in the history of Earth. Before the extinction the dominant animals were probably therapsids, mammal like animals that were either mammals or the ancestors of mammals.
What major animal group replaced the dinosaurs and reptiles in the Cenozoic Era?
mammals The mass extinction that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period left a lot of empty spaces for the surviving animals to fill. Lizards and crocodilians were around, but in general, land life in the earliest millennia of the Cenozoic was sparse. No animals really replaced the dinosaurs in the early years of the Paleocene epoch, but if you're asking which of the tetrapods eventually took over, I think it's a tossup between the birds and the mammals, depending on which continent you're considering and how a many millions of years you wish to traverse. In presumptive South America and Europe, the mammals were primarily small insectivores and/or herbivores; based on the fossil evidence, none had teeth that were designed for cutting meat. The birds that survived the extinction pulses vied with the mammals for dominance and the issue swung back and forth for millennia. By the late Paleocene, in Europe and South America, huge, very obnoxious-looking birds - some as tall as 7-8 feet with huge, very aggressive bills - became the dominant meat-eaters. In Asia, this seems not to have been the case. .
Which two forms of life existed together on the earth during the same period?
Dinosaurs and early mammals coexisted on Earth during the Mesozoic Era. This era lasted from about 252 million years ago to 66 million years ago, with mammals evolving alongside dinosaurs until the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
During which era did mammals become common?
Mammals became the dominant land animals in the early Paleocene period of the Cenozoic era, after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era.
Why weren't dinosaurs and cavemen together?
There was a mass extinction, killing of the dinosaurs before early hominids (humans) came along.
If humans evolved from the sea where did the dinosaurs evolve from?
Humans evolved from mammals like dinosaurs such as dimetrodon. All Vertebrate's evolved from the sea, Dinosaurs and Humans alike (the first were neither Reptiles nor Mammals but Tetrapods). These Tetrapods were the first to make the move from ocean to land: At the time of the Dinosaurs the only Mammals were tiny mouse like creatures unable to increase in size and complexity due to the domination of the Dinosaurs - that small size helped the early mammals to survive underground whilst the Dinos perished during the extinction event. And the rest, is history!
Did mammals appear in the fossil record after dinosaurs became extinct?
No, mammals lived alongside dinosaurs and their earliest known fossils of about 200 million years old are almost contemporary with the early dinosaur fossils.
Is it possible the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs has any connection with the existence of humans?
It is possible that the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs created conditions that allowed mammals, including early human ancestors, to thrive and evolve. The elimination of dominant dinosaur species may have opened up ecological niches that mammals were then able to occupy and evolve into various forms, eventually leading to the emergence of humans.
What type of animals were seen in Prehistoric art work?
Dinosaurs and early Mammals were seen in early artwork. Prehistoric birds were featured too.
Did the dinosaurs truly die out 65 millions of years?
All scientific evidence points to the fact that dinosaurs died out 65.5 million years ago, with the exception of birds. Birds evolved from dinosaurs in the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous, and thus are considered a type of dinosaur. Of course, birds survived the K-T extinction and thrive today (there are more species of birds known than mammals).
When did the first dinosaurs and mammals evolve?
The first dinosaurs AND the first mammals both appeared in the Triassic period From the Mesozoic era.
What are each of the eras known for please answer?
Precambrian Era: Formation of Earth, origin of life, and evolution of simple organisms. Paleozoic Era: Explosion of complex life forms, including fishes, plants, and early amphibians. Mesozoic Era: Age of dinosaurs, rise of mammals and birds, and eventual extinction of dinosaurs. Cenozoic Era: Dominance of mammals, diversification of primates, and evolution of humans.
Mammals and birds are descended from what group of vertebrates?
Mammals and birds are both descended from a group of vertebrates known as archosaurs. This group included early reptiles and gave rise to both dinosaurs (which birds evolved from) and the ancestors of mammals.
Why was dinosaurs around?
Actually dinosaurs and mammals began at about the same time (some 200 million years ago) and lived side by side for millions of years ... but the dinos won and wiped out all the early mammals except for the little, nocturnal ones like mice (our ancestors).
