Topic summary
Mammalian evolution
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Evolution of mammals.
Most of the evidence consists of fossils. For many years, fossils of Mesozoic mammals and their immediate ancestors were scarce and fragmentary. However, since the mid-1990s, numerous significant discoveries particularly in China have greatly expanded knowledge in this area. The relatively new techniques of molecular phylogenetics have also shed light on some aspects of mammalian evolution by estimating the timing of important divergence points for modern species. When used carefully, these techniques often, but not always, agree with the fossil record.