3. Habitat and Lifestyle of Prehistoric Squirrels
Prehistoric squirrel habitat and way of life were intimately entwined with the surroundings they lived in. The Earth was in a global warm phase during the Eocene era when these extinct rodents first arose. Large forests spread over most of the earth grew under this environment, which also gave arboreal creatures like early squirrels a perfect habitat.
These prehistoric forests differed greatly from the ones we find now. Their varied and rich environment was created by their predominance of gymnosperms—cone-bearing plants—and primitive angiosperms, or blooming plants. For the developing squirrel-like species, the profusion of trees bearing many kinds of nuts, seeds, and fruits offered a bountiful food supply.
Prehistoric squirrels led mostly arboreal lives, that is, spent much of their time in trees. Their physical adaptations—sharp claws and agile bodies—let them easily negotiate the challenging three-dimensional terrain of the forest canopy. Among the various benefits of this arboreal way of life were protection from ground-dwelling predators and access to food supplies out of reach for many other species.
These early squirrels were apparently diurnal, active during the day when they could maximize their developed vision. A behavior still seen in many modern squirrel species, they most likely spent their days searching for food and storing extra in caches for later use. Their survival during periods of need may have been greatly aided by this food-storing behavior, which also helped to distribute seeds, therefore indirectly affecting the makeup of their forest environments.
Although they were mostly suited for life in the trees, prehistoric squirrels most certainly occasionally traveled groundward. Finding some kinds of food or nesting materials as well as for traversing between trees too far apart for jumping between would have required this kind of activity.
From just fossil evidence, it is more difficult to ascertain the social structure of prehistoric squirrels. Still, their modern relatives and other early animals suggest that they lived in loose social groups. These groupings could have given advantages including more awareness of predators and maybe cooperative young care.
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