This surprising mammal fossil is giving scientists something to chew on
Paleontologists have discovered a 165-million-year-old mammal fossil in China named Megacauda sungei. The specimen provides rare evidence of early mammalian traits, such as chewing and suckling, dating back to the middle Jurassic period.
Why it matters
This discovery offers critical insights into the evolutionary history of mammals and their development of key biological functions during the age of dinosaurs.
Weekly Dose of Wonder This fossil of a mammal biting a dinosaur captures a death battle's final moments Over the years, a section of the Inner Mongolia region of China has coughed up heaps of remarkable fossils, ranging from feathered dinosaurs to flying reptiles.
"To say it's [a] hot spot is actually [an] understatement," says Zhe-Xi Luo , a paleontologist at the University of Chicago.
Research News A fossil feather from the age of dinosaurs may explain why only some birds survived For new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines, follow NPR’s Short Wave podcast.
Many of these fossils wind up at the nearby Paleontological Museum of Liaoning, a facility that Luo and his colleague, Thomas Martin of the University of Bonn, visit each year to examine new finds. A decade ago, a specimen in a thick slab of shale caught their eye.
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