Abstract
The extent of terrestrial vertebrate extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous is poorly understood, and estimates have ranged from a mass extinction to limited extinctions of specific groups. Molecular and paleontological data demonstrate that modern bird orders started diverging in the Early Cretaceous; at least 22 avian lineages of modern birds cross the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Data for several other terrestrial vertebrate groups indicate a similar pattern of survival and, taken together, favor incremental changes during a Cretaceous diversification of birds and mammals rather than an explosive radiation in the Early Tertiary.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Biological Evolution*
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Birds* / genetics
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Evolution, Molecular
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Fossils*
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Genes*
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Genes, mos
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Mammals / genetics
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Mitochondria / genetics
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Phylogeny
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RNA, Ribosomal / genetics
Substances
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RNA, Ribosomal
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RNA, ribosomal, 12S
Associated data
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GENBANK/U88000
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GENBANK/U88001
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GENBANK/U88002
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GENBANK/U88003
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GENBANK/U88004
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GENBANK/U88005
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GENBANK/U88006
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GENBANK/U88007
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GENBANK/U88008
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GENBANK/U88009
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GENBANK/U88010
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GENBANK/U88011
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GENBANK/U88012
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GENBANK/U88013
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GENBANK/U88014
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GENBANK/U88015
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GENBANK/U88016
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GENBANK/U88017
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GENBANK/U88018
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GENBANK/U88019
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GENBANK/U88020
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GENBANK/U88021
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GENBANK/U88022
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GENBANK/U88023
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GENBANK/U88024
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GENBANK/U88025
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GENBANK/U88026
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GENBANK/U88027
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GENBANK/U88028
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GENBANK/U88417