Mammal body-size responds to climate change in ancient Wyoming
Thursday, October 22, 2015 - 07:40
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Evidence from fossils suggests that multiple global warming events, which occurred over 50 million years ago, impacted the evolution of mammals living in ancient Wyoming. Using over seven thousand fossilized teeth, paleontologist Amy Chew found a reduction in body size of mammal populations, hypothesized to be related to warming events. This work, to be presented at the upcoming Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference in Dallas, Texas, provides a unique glimpse at the long-term impact of climatic change on mammal populations.
