Researchers at several Colorado universities say ancient
ancestors of rhinos and pig-like tapirs were able to eke out a
living in the Arctic Circle 53 million years ago, despite six
months of winter darkness. Back then, the Arctic appears to have
been much milder than it is now--a bit like Colorado's weather,
with forests that provided food such as flowering plants in the
summer and twigs and evergreen needles in the winter,Â United
Press International reports. The study provides clues into how
the world looked millions of years ago as well as how animals
might adapt and migrate if Earth's climate continues to warm,
writesÂ U.S. News & World Report. Authored by University of
Colorado at Boulder professor Jaelyn Eberle (pictured), Henry
Fricke of Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and John
Humphrey of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, the study
analyzed the animals' fossilized teeth to discern their eating
habits in order to rule out that they either hibernated or
migrated to escape the Arctic's winte