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Questions for Discussion: Mike Novacek: Fossils in the Gobi

  • Discuss two cases for which this interview explains the important combination of luck and ability to spot the unexpected in searching for fossils.
  • The reproductive habits in mammals are among the most important characteristics of the group. Explain how this interview reveals new evidence for hypotheses about reproductive evolution -- even though the soft tissues most intimately involved in this process do not fossilize.
  • This interview explicitly states a specific perspective on the relationship between mass extinctions and adaptive radiations. Describe and discuss this relationship as it applies to dinosaurs and mammals.
  • Discuss how Dr. Novacek's view of the relationship between the K-T extinction and the evolution of mammals refutes the old notion that evolution represents progressive improvement.