During the Cenozoic Era, fauna in general underwent dramatic changes. Species like dinosaurs, large swimming reptiles, microscopic plankton had extinguished by this time. Many present-day mammals, like placental, marsupials, and ungulates originated during this era. Present-day animals such as horses, llamas, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, camels, giraffes, sheep, goats etc have ancestors that were born during Cenozoic time. One mammal that underwent an immense diversification is the elephant. Additionally, the first hominids showed up at this time too.
How did animal life change and evolve throughout this era?
After the dinosaur extinction, the spread and evolution of mammals became very prominent. Animals like whales, sharks, and elephants were originated in prehistoric forms. There was so much diversity during this era that it got the name “The Age of Mammals.” One of the most dominant specie were the birds, with the exception that these were land, wingless birds that were one of the predators of that time.
Examples of both carnivores and herbivores throughout this era.
The main carnivores and herbivores of the cenozoic were marsupials, as well as large earth reptiles. These were very abundant in Australia. In South America, marsupials were also present. They were recognized as carnivores and herbivores. The first bats (flying mammals) evolved during this period too. Here also happened the origin of pack hunting for the carnivores. The spread of grass and other abundant plant life was to the advantage of herbivores, which were abundant as well.
Any large events that impacted or changed the animal life during this era.
During this era the tectonics move to the modern-day positions. This can be proved by present-day discoveries of same animal fossils in two different continents, meaning that they were together once. The evolution of grass played an extremely important role during this era, due to the fact that it impulsed the evolution of birds and mammals who fed with it. One group that presented a lot of diversity were snakes, which evolved into a variety of types. A series of climatic changes also changed significantly the life and evolution of all animals. They all adapted to their environments, that’s why there were such diversity of them, since they all lived in different parts where seasons were different. Every mammal took over its environment, no matter if it was cool or hot.