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Re: Why Did Mammals Survive the 'K/T Extinction'?



On Thu, Feb 4th, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Joe Cooper <joe0727@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> couldn't some of the mammals just go into hibernation?

Only if the impact happened at the right time of year, and even then only for a 
few months, so it 
wouldn't have been a long-term solution.

If the impact occured during the spring, when animals were emerging from 
hibernation, then they'd 
lack the fat reserves to be able to return to hibernation immediately. If it 
occured soon after 
hibernation had begun however, then hibernating animals may have had a slight 
advantage - 
although starvation may have still been the norm when they emerged months later 
to find few food 
reserves handy.

Would the world climate at the time have made winter hibernation in lower to 
mid latitudes 
necessary? If there were no freezing winters in the areas most affected by the 
impact, there may 
not have been any hibernating species around (except perhaps at high altitudes).

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS Specialist                         Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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