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 Dinosaurs had their day in the previous era, but the Tertiary Period was the Age of Mammals. Although mammals first evolved back in the Mesozoic Era, many familiar groups such as hoofed mammals, rodents, and carnivores evolved during the Tertiary.
First warm tropical forests, then cooler, drier grasslands provided rich habitats where mammal species could thrive and diversify.
To find out more about mammal life in the Tertiary Period, select from the following:
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Basic Overview
Get the full story on the Tertiary Period, and learn how climate shift and continental drift changed the course of mammal evolution. You’ll hear one of evolution’s most fascinating stories—how feet became flippers for the whales of our world.
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Image Gallery
View fascinating images of close relatives of today’s mammals. You’ll also see some world’s best examples of Tertiary plants, reptiles, and fishes, all from the extraordinary Fossil Lake site in Wyoming.
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Evolutionary Essentials
Investigate convergent evolution—one of the key concepts of evolution—and learn how different species living on different continents at different times can develop similar features.
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Featured Scientists
Meet a Field Museum scientist whose expeditions at Fossil Lake have given us a fascinating window into the world of Tertiary plant and animal life. |
Continue to Basic Overview. >>
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