Post-apocalyptic 'beaver' thrived after dinosaurs died

https://ca.news.yahoo.com ^ | 10-05-2015 | By By Will Dunham

[Red Badger]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world had been wrecked. An asteroid impact in Mexico compounded by colossal volcanism in India 66 million years ago had killed about three-quarters of Earth's species including the dinosaurs.

But relatively soon afterward, a plucky critter that looked like a beaver was thriving, exemplifying the resilience of the mammals that would arise from the margins of the animal kingdom to become Earth's dominant land creatures.

Scientists on Monday announced the discovery in northwestern New Mexico's badlands of the fossil remains of Kimbetopsalis simmonsae, a plant-eating, rodent-like mammal boasting buck-toothed incisors like a beaver that lived just a few hundred thousand years after the mass extinction, a blink of the eye in geological time.

Kimbetopsalis, estimated at 3 feet long (1 meter), would have been covered in fur and possessed large molar teeth with rows of cusps used to grind down plants.

Asked what someone's impression of Kimbetopsalis might be, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science curator of paleontology Thomas Williamson said, "They would probably think something like, 'Hey, look at that little beaver! Why doesn’t it have a flat tail?"

It lived in a lush area of forests, rivers, streams and lakes as Earth's ecosystems began to recover from the catastrophe that ended the Cretaceous Period and opened the Paleocene Epoch.

[boomop1]

I will sleep well tonight.

[DannyTN]

[Uncle Miltie]

gonna have to watch this thread. bkmk

[knarf]

TOO EASY

[boomop1]

Nothing better than good Beaver.

[Uncle Miltie]

“Post-apocalyptic ‘beaver’”

I may have seen one of those once, though I was very drunk at the time.

[GQuagmire]

Where’ s the Costanza popcorn Gif?

[Uncle Miltie]

Please tell me this is not a Hillary thread.

‘Cause even post apocalypse ...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

PING! :)

[tet68]

Ward, weren’t you a little hard on the Paleobeaver last night? she said stonily.

[Raycpa]

Dodging an asteroid. That’s a close shave.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Red Badger]

If it weren’t for the beavers we wouldn’t be here...................

[Red Badger]

That would be a “Post-Apoplectic” beaver...............

[Red Badger]

http://instantrimshot.com/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’ve got a million of ‘em!

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

We’ll be here all night ! TRY THE VEAL!....................