Re: H1N5 (and Bakker's virus extinction hypothesis) now H5N1

[tholtz@geol.umd.edu]

> How the whole animal world was decimated?  What specifically do you mean?
>
> At that time, if I understand correctly, mammals were rodent-like little
> things.   Do we even know if they were decimated?  If they were, it is not
> impossible that a superflu bug did it.
>
> Is there evidence of decimation of cold blooded animals, invertebrates,
> and
> of fish?   Maybe that's a dumb question, and it could even be that I've
> seen
> the answer but cannot now bring it to mind.
>
> Yours,
> Dora Smith
> Austin, TX
> tiggernut24@yahoo.com

Ummm, well, the K/T extinction is far, far, FAR more than the extinction
of non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and some marine reptiles. These are
just the attractive--but rare--big vertebrates. Many other groups were
strongly affected. Among them:
Ammonoids
Belemnoids
Inoceramids
Rudists
Many genera of foraminiferans
Many genera of rudists
Several freshwater shark lineages
Bennittetalian plants
Several mammal lineages

Hope this helps,

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
        Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
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