Paleozoic and Mesozoic Mammalian Ancestors

The evolutionary root of the mammalian lineage can be traced back to more than 300 million years in the past. A rich Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossil record documents the transition from the most reptilian-looking ancestors of mammals to the most modern ones. The exact relationships of these taxa and whether their biology was mammal-like or not are still in the center of stimulating debates.

This topic will try to highlight how, between the Carboniferous and Cretaceous, the ancestors of mammals transformed, evolved, and invaded various ecological niches, from the basal-most pelycosaurs, through to the Permo-Triassic non-mammalian synapsids, and to Mesozoic mammals.