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In the words of Dr.Vector
Topic Started: Jul 6 2008, 11:31 PM (637 Views)
Sliver Slave
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I'm going back to basics.

As Dr.vector said, "he'd go back to the Triassic and rub out the cynodonts (basal synapsids get to live). Would mammals still evolve, or would reptiles get the whole pie?"

So assuming that for whatever reason, cynodonts, and thus mammals, do not evolve. Kt still happens, ut what happens after that? Do birds and reptiles get it all?
Something is upsetting the ostriches.

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Carlos
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Appearently reptiles and birds could indeed became dominant...or not. You, there was a linage of mammal like reptiles, the Therocephalians, which lived until the Triassic before becoming extinct, possibly due to competion with cynodonts.
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Saxophlutist
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Birds (Including Avians and Paravians) would be much more diverse. Having the Dromaeosaurid and Troodonts would mean they would be able to fill the niches that mammals could fill, as illustrated by many polar species in Spec. (Much unlike what are considered birds today.)
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Sliver Slave
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I'm going back to basics.

Saxophlutist
Jul 7 2008, 10:11 AM
Birds (Including Avians and Paravians) would be much more diverse. Having the Dromaeosaurid and Troodonts would mean they would be able to fill the niches that mammals could fill, as illustrated by many polar species in Spec. (Much unlike what are considered birds today.)
Well, non avian dinosaurs would still go extinct, but would non archosaur reptiles and things like crocodilians and birds take on different niches?

I wonder what could take the whale niche. hmm....only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be crocodilians. they don't seem to ones for filter feeding though. Maybe they could be dolphins..:P
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Carlos
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Actually, some extinct crocodilians did developed filter feeding.

Besides archosaurs, lepidosaurs (squamates, tuataras and possibly turtles and tortoises) would be much more diverse as well
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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Livyatan


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Jul 7 2008, 11:12 AM
Saxophlutist
Jul 7 2008, 10:11 AM
Birds (Including Avians and Paravians) would be much more diverse. Having the Dromaeosaurid and Troodonts would mean they would be able to fill the niches that mammals could fill, as illustrated by many polar species in Spec. (Much unlike what are considered birds today.)
Well, non avian dinosaurs would still go extinct, but would non archosaur reptiles and things like crocodilians and birds take on different niches?

I wonder what could take the whale niche. hmm....only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be crocodilians. they don't seem to ones for filter feeding though. Maybe they could be dolphins..:P
Why would you say that? Is the K-T event still going to occur? If so, I'm not quite sure what would happen afterword. Perhaps squamates might take over as one of the theories put forward on Tetrapod Zoology.
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Sliver Slave
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I'm going back to basics.

yes, K-T still happens. Only difference is that Cynodonts never evolve.

Hmm, with no other very large land reptiles, would terror birds be more diverse, or survive at all?
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Livyatan


Sliver Slave
Jul 7 2008, 05:12 PM
yes, K-T still happens. Only difference is that Cynodonts never evolve.

Hmm, with no other very large land reptiles, would terror birds be more diverse, or survive at all?
I suspect birds would probably have more significance in the ecosystems of post-KT without mammals.
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Sliver Slave
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I'm going back to basics.

Squamates would probably inhabit many large terrestrial carnivore niches as well.

Terror birds would probably have a bigger significance as predators in south and north america.
Edited by Sliver Slave, Jul 8 2008, 02:24 PM.
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sam999
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It's birds, reptiles or reptomameles. As for what the would would look like who knowns?
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ATEK Azul
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I think Therocephalians have a chance with all of those niches opened up.

If not we get terror Birds, giant Crocodillians and giant Reptiles like the one that was in Australia. This would also be a simular sitchuation in the water and herbivore niches.
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