Q:   Many of the "beasts" we study, be they dinosaurs or prehistoric mammals, were colossal in size. Why are the "beasts" not as gigantic today as they were in the past? What caused the shift in size?
— B. Ramsey
A:   Mammals, like most classes of vertebrate animals, are able to grow to many sizes. It is a phenomenon of humans (or perhaps simply of our culture) that we are most impressed by larger species. We rarely hear news reports about the most "medium-sized" beast ever discovered. In fact, most mammals are, and always have been, quite small.

The producers of "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts" chose larger animals because of the general popular interest in bigger animals. But remember, some of the most interesting mammals to have ever lived were actually really small: early rodents, ancient bats, small shrews, tiny primates, and itsy bitsy marsupials are abundant in fossil sites. Most of the newly discovered fossil species of mammals are really small. Maybe the producers should consider another sequel, called "Scampering with Microvertebrates."

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Q:   Did any prehistoric mammals live in the state of New Jersey?
— W.B.
A:   Entelodont fossils from 19-20 million years ago have been found in the "Squankum Marls" of northern New Jersey. For more information on New Jersey fossils you can check with the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, N.J.

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