From ScienceDaily:
Paleontologists have documented how dramatic shifts in climate have led to dramatic shifts in evolution. One such event, the Grande Coupure, was a wipeout of many European mammal species 33.9 million years ago when global temperatures and precipitation declined sharply. What has been puzzling is that during the same transition between the Eocene and Oligocene periods, North American mammals fared much better. A new study explains why: the rise of the Rocky Mountains, already underway for millions of years, had predisposed populations to adapt to a cold, dry world.
…
In Europe, meanwhile, tectonic developments weren’t a major factor driving local climate. When the global climate change happened, that continent’s mammals were evolutionary sitting ducks. Other studies have already suggested that Europe’s mammals were largely overrun and outcompeted by Asian mammals that were already living in colder and drier conditions. More.
Follow UD News at Twitter!