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When times are good, it pays to be the big fish in the sea; in the aftermath of disaster, however, smaller is better. According to new research, a mass extinction 359 million years ago known as the Hangenberg event triggered a drastic and lasting transformation of Earth's vertebrate community. Beforehand, large creatures were the norm, but, for at least 40 million years following the die-off, the oceans were dominated by markedly smaller fish. [Source: University of Pennsylvania]
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