Why are the mass extinctions followed by a burst of speciation in the taxa that survive? Name three types of key adaptations of early mammals that may have allowed them to survive the dominance of dinosaurs. Why are the mass extinctions followed by a burst of speciation in the taxa that survive? Name three types of key adaptations of early mammals that may have allowed them to survive the dominance of dinosaurs. Name three types of key adaptations of early mammals that may have allowed them to survive the dominance of dinosaurs. Solution Mass extinctions are generally followed by a burst of speciation in the taxa that survive as the earth system succession that may follow in this case drives the ever-changing ecological stage on which species evolve, restructuring ecosystems and setting long-term evolutionary trajectories. The lifestyles of mammals might have given them; the advantage about 65 million years ago; when the asteroid struck; leading to mass destruction. Mammals that lived in burrows or in aquatic environments; might have been shielded from the intense heat of the impact of the asteroid. After the impact was over these mammals might have come back and led a normal life. Scarcity of food might have been the limiting factor for dinosaurs after the impact but the more generalized tastes of mammals might have allowed them to hang on. The diversity of mammals might have also supported their chances of survival and adaptation..