About 15 million years ago, the diversity of mammals worldwide reached an astounding peak. As the continental landmasses shifted and temperate climates encouraged flowering plants, woodlands, and grasses to grow in abundance, mammals stepped into ecological niches left vacant by the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Oligocene and Miocene epochs saw the foundations of modern-day mammal groups. Adaptations of the jaw, teeth, skull, limbs, and other traits led to mammals that were better adapted for every mode of life. ""The Age of Mammals"" explains how mammals and birds increased their collective footprint to dominate the Earth, and how they evolved to present-day form.

 

This book is part of a book series called The Prehistoric Earth .

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 192 pages in this book. This is a reference book. This book was published 2009 by Facts On File Inc .

Thom Holmes is a writer specializing in natural history subjects and dinosaurs. Noted for his expertise on the early history of dinosaur science in America, he was the publications director of The Dinosaur Society for five years and the editor of its newsletter, Dino Times.