How Desmostylians Survived the Miocene

Scenario: In an alternate timeline, the Desmostylians, a once-thriving order of marine mammals known for their unique teeth, managed to survive beyond the Miocene era. With this survival, they encountered new environmental pressures and competition for resources, specifically from the Sirenians, also known as manatees and dugongs. To adapt to these new challenges, the Desmostylians might have undergone significant evolutionary changes. For instance, coat coloration and skin thickness might have taken precedence to assist in camouflaging against predators or withstanding colder water temperatures. This color variation would allow them to blend in better with their surroundings, providing a significant advantage when competing with the Sirenians. In response to the competition for food sources, the Desmostylians might have adapted wider, stronger teeth perfect for grinding plant materials, rivaling the Sirenians' ability to digest a wider variety of seagrasses. Alternatively, to deal with the food competition, some desmostylians might have also evolved to become more omnivorous or predatory, diversifying their diet to include small aquatic creatures aside from seagrasses and algae. In line with survival tactics, changes in physical attributes like size could have also occurred. In an attempt to out-compete Sirenians for food and territory, Desmostylians could potentially grow larger, making it difficult for Sirenians to push them out of favored grazing areas. Lastly, reproductive strategies might have also evolved. Desmostylians could have adapted to have shorter gestation periods, allowing them to reproduce more quickly than Sirenians and maintain or increase their population. It is fascinating to imagine how these ancient marine mammals might have adapted and evolved if they had survived into the modern day. However, such scenarios are simply hypothetical, providing a thought-provoking exercise for understanding the complex and exciting nature of evolution and adaptation.