SUCCESSIVE MAMMALIAN FAUNAS 287 



in the life of the Eocene, but of these only a few fcreodonts 

 continued into the Oligocene and all became extinct without 

 leaving any descendants behind them. ' Another curious fact 

 concerning the Paleocene mammalian faunas is that they were 

 made up entirely of small and very small animals ; not a single 

 mammal as large as a sheep has yet been found in these beds, 

 and the same is true of Europe. 



That a land-connection with the Old World existed during 

 the Paleocene epoch, is indicated by the similarity of the faunas 

 of North America and Europe. 



