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The Origin and Evolution of Mammals - Moodle

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288 THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF MAMMALS<br />

(a) 50<br />

45<br />

North America<br />

(b) 60<br />

South America<br />

40<br />

50<br />

No. <strong>of</strong> species<br />

(c)<br />

No. <strong>of</strong> species<br />

35<br />

30<br />

25<br />

20<br />

15<br />

10<br />

5<br />

0<br />

30<br />

25<br />

20<br />

15<br />

10<br />

5<br />

0<br />

10–100 100–1000 >1000<br />

Body size range (kg)<br />

Eur asia<br />

10–100 100–1000 >1000<br />

Body size range (kg)<br />

No. <strong>of</strong> species<br />

Figure 7.28 <strong>The</strong> end-Pleistocene mammalian megafaunal extinction on different continents (Owen-Smith 1999).<br />

All<br />

All<br />

window <strong>of</strong> time between 11,500 <strong>and</strong> 10,500 years<br />

ago. <strong>The</strong> dating for South America is less precise,<br />

but probably slightly later (Less <strong>and</strong> Fariña 1996).<br />

In contrast, the northern Eurasian extinction was<br />

spread over a far longer period <strong>of</strong> some tens <strong>of</strong><br />

(e)<br />

90<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

No. <strong>of</strong> species<br />

(d)<br />

No. <strong>of</strong> species<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

10–100 100–1000 >1000<br />

Body size range (kg)<br />

0<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

Africa<br />

0<br />

10–100 100–1000 >1000<br />

Body size range (kg)<br />

10–100 100–1000 >1000<br />

Body size range (kg)<br />

All<br />

Australia<br />

Extinct<br />

Surviving<br />

All<br />

All<br />

thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> years (Stuart 1999), beginning about<br />

50,000 years ago <strong>and</strong> not being completed until<br />

about 10,000 years ago. <strong>The</strong> Australian megafaunal<br />

extinction was completed much earlier, between<br />

51,000 <strong>and</strong> 38,000 years ago, although there is little

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