Name:
Miacis (Greek for "mother animal"); pronounced me-ASS-iss
Habitat:
Woodlands of Europe
Historical Epoch:
Late Paleocene (55 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 8 inches long and 1-2 pounds
Diet:
Insects, small animals and eggs
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; weasel-like body
About Miacis:
Although a handful of Mesozoic mammals coexisted with dinosaurs (the best-known being Repenomamus, which actually ate dinosaurs, Miacis was one of the first carnivorous furballs to appear on the scene after the Mesozoic Era, popping up in Europe a mere 10 million years or so after the dinosaurs went extinct, in the late Paleocene epoch. Judging from its small, sleek, weasel-like build, the tiny Miacis probably spent most of its time high up in trees, where it feasted on bugs, small animals, and bird eggs.
