The Cretaceous-Paleogene Refugia...

Hello again,

This time we are visiting a concept that I started with last year. What if a refugia existed that had held Cretaceous species after the K-Pg extinction, and subsequently also many creatures from the Paleocene and Eocene. This we can imagine would be a large island subcontinent that had particulars of weather, isolation and location to circumvent the Cretaceous extinction among others.

So here are some of the most interesting creatures from this scenario.

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Descendants of the "Condylarth" Hyopsodus, which was already something like a rodent, here takes the niche of Rabbits and even Capybaras (as shown here).


The Pantodont Titanoides has given rise to hefty Chalicothere-like browsers with big tusks.
 
 
The small alligator, Allodaposuchus, gives rise to a new lineage of Notosuchian-like terrestrial crocodiles.


Most of the surviving Dinosaurs look rather boringly like known forms, but Thescelosaurus-like Ornithischians have become larger, quadrupedal selective feeders of the lower levels of growth.


Psittacotherium-like animals have continued on their trajectory of root-eating durophagy, and become compact, wombat-like burrowers.


Caprolestid Plesiadapiforms have become arboreal, cat-like predators with dentitions resembling Thylacoleonids.
 
 
Barylambda has become a 2-ton grazer which makes use of its stocky tail to move as a cumbersome biped.


 Boverisuchid crocodiles have adapted their latent bipedalism to become Theropod like running hunters.


The "Condylarth" Chiriacus has given rise to a dainty, worm-eating nocturnal animal which resembles the Falanouc of Madagascar, or a mammalian Kiwi.


Deltatheridian Metaherians have gone from being small quoll-like predators to Clouded-Leopard-like forest predators with big saber teeth.
 
 
Plesiadapiforms have taken their Rodent-like facial shape to its logical conclusion, and become something like a ground-squirrel.
 
 
A creature like the Cimolestan, Kopidodon has become a specialized scrubland browser, moving like a large wallaby, and feeding on succulents and melons.

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Those are about all of the main ideas that seemed distinct and interesting enough to draw. Needless to say there are various Dinosaurs of the typical Cretaceous kinds, but generally somewhat dwarfed and still generally resembling their known species. Many kinds of insect, fish, tree, bird, turtle and squamate are rather typically of Cretaceous of Paleogene lineage, but either resemble known forms from the fossil record, or related forms known today.

Thanks again, I hope you liked it!

All images, designs and writing on this blog are the property of Timothy Donald Morris, do not use, reproduce, or copy them without my permission.
© Timothy Donald Morris 2023

 

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