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Nature 426, 509-511 (4 December 2003) | doi:10.1038/426509a

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Mammalian evolution: Isolationist tendencies

Jean-Jacques Jaeger1

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For some 40 million years, the Afro-Arabian landmass existed in splendid isolation. A newly described fossil fauna from the end of that time provides a window on the evolution of the continent's large mammals.

During most of the Cenozoic era, from the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago until roughly 24 million years ago, Afro-Arabia was an island continent drifting steadily northwards towards Eurasia1. Fossil mammals documenting this period are scarce and belong almost exclusively to endemic forms restricted to Afro-Arabia, such as proboscideans2, hyraxes3 and elephant-shrews.

  1. Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université Montpellier II, CC64, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France.
    Email: jaeger@isem.univ-montp2.fr