Book excerpt: 00 This study presents current data on vertebrate survival and extinction across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in Montana. Nearly all the common taxa of reptiles (except dinosaurs), amphibians, and fish survived the end of the Cretaceous Period; extinctions were concentrated among rare groups and those found in near-shore habitats. The author concludes that ocean regression and climatic deterioration may explain these selective extinction patterns better than catastrophic hypotheses. This study presents current data on vertebrate survival and extinction across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in Montana. Nearly all the common taxa of reptiles (except dinosaurs), amphibians, and fish survived the end of the Cretaceous Period; extinctions were concentrated among rare groups and those found in near-shore habitats. The author concludes that ocean regression and climatic deterioration may explain these selective extinction patterns better than catastrophic hypotheses.