New research shows that mammals did not diversify as a result of the death of the dinosaurs

CPB postdoc Rich Grenyer worked on research which contradicts the previously accepted theory that the rapid rise of today's mammals was prompted by the extinction of the dinosaurs

A new, complete 'tree of life' tracing the history of all 4,500 mammals on Earth shows that they did not diversify as a result of the death of the dinosaurs, says new research published in Nature this week (29th March 2007).

CPB postdoc Rich Grenyer worked with colleagues at Imperial College London and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) on research which contradicts the previously accepted theory that the Mass Extinction Event (MEE) that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago prompted the rapid rise of the mammals we see on the earth today.

The full reference for the article is : Olaf R. P. Bininda-Emonds , Marcel Cardillo , Kate Jones , Ross D. E. MacPhee , Robin M. D. Beck , Richard Grenyer , Samantha A. Price , Rutger A, Vos , John L. Gittleman  and Andy Purvis. The delayed rise of present-day mammals, Nature 446, 507-512