Catastrophic asteroid influence 65 million years in the past led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and plenty of different species, reshaping Earth’s ecosystems.
Mammals thrived within the aftermath, diversifying into a variety of life types, together with big birds, carnivorous marsupials, and saber-toothed cats.
Early Paleogene interval noticed a hotter planet with tropical forests and better sea ranges, permitting mammals, birds, and reptiles to proliferate.
Evolution of early mammals similar to morganucodontids marked a major enhance in mammalian variety shortly after the dinosaurs’ extinction.
Pakicetus, an early whale ancestor, emerged round 50 million years in the past, showcasing variations for aquatic life, together with a protracted cranium and eventual lack of limbs.
Megalodon, an enormous prehistoric shark, dominated the oceans roughly 23 million years in the past, rising as much as 18 meters in size, making it one of many largest sharks ever.
Terror birds, or Phorusrhacids, had been giant, flightless predators that thrived within the Americas, with species like Titanis walleri current till about 1.8 million years in the past.