A Jurassic mammaliaform swimmer and transformation of the mammalian pharynx
Researchers have discovered a well-preserved Jurassic mammaliaform fossil in China that provides new insights into the evolution of mammalian anatomy. The fossil suggests that semiaquatic behaviors and complex throat structures evolved much earlier than previously thought, mirroring the lifestyle of the modern platypus.
Why it matters
This discovery fills a significant gap in the evolutionary history of mammals, demonstrating that complex biological traits and diverse ecological niches were established long before the rise of modern mammals.
The discovery of a well-preserved mammaliaform fossil from the Middle Jurassic period of China reveals evidence on the evolutionary transformation of the feeding apparatus and the ecological diversity of Mesozoic era mammals. Mammaliaforms are evolutionary predecessors to modern Mammalia 1 , 2 , 3 , and their morphologies provide primary insights into the evolutionary origin of mammals. The rare preservation of a therian-like pharyngeal vault (throat passage) and hyoid skeletal anatomy (throat bones) in this mammaliaform suggests that critical soft-tissue anatomy for therian-like swallowing, drinking and suckling behaviours had evolved in the common ancestors of Docodonta and Mammalia, long before the rise of modern mammals. This fossil exhibits a wealth of features specialized for swimming, filling in a major gap of anatomical knowledge of pelvis and hindlimb for early mammals.
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