"Mammal Evolution in Plio-Pleistocene Africa: Grassland Expansion's Limited Impact"
New research suggests that the expansion of grasslands may not have been a significant driver of mammal evolution in Plio-Pleistocene Africa. The study analyzed the responses of 58 modern herbivorous species to changes in woody cover across African parks and reserves. The results indicate a preference for environments with approximately half woody cover, suggesting that savannah ecosystems with grass carpeting interspersed by shrubs and trees were more likely to have proliferated. The research highlights the importance of considering present-day mammal communities and urges caution when using fossils as indicators of past landscape changes.