mammals

["Dino Rampage" <dino_rampage@hotmail.com>]

I'm somewhat curious about the great diversity of mammals that evolved 
during the Mesozoic, but I must admit, my knowledge of the taxonomy and 
classification of early mammals is somewhat lousy (no problem with extant 
ones though) What are the known groups of Mesozoic mammals, their relations 
to each other and their possible ecological niche? Are there also pictures 
of Mesozoic mammals I can download from the Internet?

Docodonts, dryolestids, pantotheres, multituberculates zalambdalestids, 
Gobiconodon, Cimolestes, Deltatheridium, Didelphodon, Alconodon, 
Gypsonictops & Purgatorius all lived alongside the dinosaurs, yet we hear 
very little about their way of life. Are they all simply possibly analogues 
of the small mammals we have today? (eg opposums, possums, tree shrews, 
shrews, moles, rodents, elephant shrews, colugos etc?) Are there any 
Mesozoic mammals that would have filled larger niches like those of 
mongooses, weasels, genets, civets & raccoons?

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