Which one of the following geologic time periods is associated with th

Which one of the following geologic time periods is associated with the first appearance of the marsupials?

Lower Cretaceous

Upper Cretaceous

Early Jurassic

Middle Jurassic

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UPSC CAPF – 2022

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The first appearance of marsupials in the fossil record is associated with the Upper Cretaceous geologic time period.

– Marsupials (Metatheria) and placental mammals (Eutheria) are thought to have diverged from a common ancestor during the Cretaceous period.
– The earliest definitive marsupial fossils date back to the Upper Cretaceous, specifically from North America and Asia.

The Cretaceous period spans from approximately 145 to 66 million years ago. It is divided into the Lower Cretaceous (145-100.5 million years ago) and the Upper Cretaceous (100.5-66 million years ago). Mammals, including early marsupials and placentals, diversified significantly during the Cretaceous, particularly after the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the period. Earlier mammal forms existed in the Jurassic, but the divergence and appearance of distinct marsupial lineage fossils occurred later.

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