Re: Speculative dinosaur species

[Graydon <graydon@dsl.ca>]

On Sat, Jul 28, 2001 at 11:40:14AM -0500, Andy Farke scripsit:
> But this brings me to another question. . .would animals similar to otters
> and beavers have evolved? My personal feeling is that they would have, once
> the climate started to cool down. I don't see crocodilians sticking around
> in the northern U.S. and Canada. Perhaps the small aquatic critters niche is
> one that the mammals would have successfully exploited.

Burrowing riverine aquatic mammals, very likely; otters, very likely
not. Mustelids are canivores, and it's not at a clear that a mammalian
carnivore niche is going to open.

-- 
                           graydon@dsl.ca
               To maintain the end is to uphold the means.