World's greatest mass extinction triggered switch to warm-bloodedness (IMAGE)

University of Bristol

World's greatest mass extinction triggered switch to warm-bloodedness

Caption

The origin of endothermy in synapsids, including the ancestors of mammals. The diagram shows the evolution of main groups through the Triassic, and the scale from blue to red is a measure of the degree of warm-bloodedness reconstructed based on different indicators of bone structure and anatomy.

Credit

Credit: Mike Benton, University of Bristol. Animal images are by Nobu Tamura, Wikimedia.

Usage Restrictions

None

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.