With the extinction of large cats and dogs, rats have evolved into massive apex predators, including the wolf-like "Falanx" and the polar-bear-like "Bardelot" .
It certainly is! Written by Scottish paleontologist and geologist Dougal Dixon and published in 1981, is considered the foundational work of the "speculative zoology" genre. After Man: A Zoology of the Future
The book is famous for its bizarre yet scientifically grounded creatures, like the "Vortex" (a giant filter-feeding penguin) and the "Nightstalker" (a flightless, predatory bat). Legacy and Influence Dougal Dixon's After Man, the Initial Pitch Document With the extinction of large cats and dogs,
Dixon imagines a world where the Mediterranean has closed up, Australia has collided with Asia, and South America has split from North America. The book is famous for its bizarre yet
Many new creatures resemble modern ones but are descended from entirely different ancestors. For example, "Rabbucks" are descendants of rabbits that have evolved to fill the niches of deer and antelope.