Humans' Ancestors: Coexisting with Dinosaurs - New Research Reveals

A new study by researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Fribourg suggests that placental mammals, including humans, dogs, and bats, evolved during the Cretaceous period and co-existed with dinosaurs before their extinction. The study used statistical analysis of the fossil record to determine that placental mammals originated before the mass extinction event caused by an asteroid strike. However, it was only after the extinction that modern lineages of placental mammals began to evolve, indicating that they were better able to diversify once the dinosaurs were gone.