Scarce emergence of new species drove the decline of African megaherbivores, study suggests

A study by the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), the National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH) and the University of Alcalá offers a new explanation for the decline of African megaherbivores.

The short version

• These animals, weighing more than a tonne (2,200 pounds) and today including elephants and hippopotamuses, are known for acting as ecosystem engineers.
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• The model incorporated data on body mass, tooth crown height, evolutionary relationships among families, and the environmental changes the continent has undergone.

What happened

Around 7.2 million years ago, Africa's climate began to grow drier, driving changes in landscapes and vegetation types that led to a reconfiguration of ungulate communities (hoofed mammals). At the start of this phase, both the emergence of new species and the disappearance of others increased.

Why it matters

However, 3.6 million years ago, new species stopped emerging at the same pace, while extinctions kept rising and accelerated at the onset of the Pleistocene, 2.58 million years ago.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Phys.org via the links above and below.