'Top predator' from the Jurassic measures just half a meter
Researchers have identified a small Jurassic-era mammal, Megacauda sungei, which possessed a soft palate that allowed it to swallow and breathe simultaneously. This evolutionary adaptation was crucial for suckling and is considered a key milestone in mammalian development.
Why it matters
The discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary history of mammals and the biological adaptations that enabled their survival and brain development.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources a) Photograph of the fossil. b) X-ray fluorescence image (the skeleton is shown in yellow, the remains of the coat and soft tissue in dark gray, and the surrounding sediment in turquoise), c) Diagram with the most important bones labeled. Credit: Li et al., Nature The "top predator" from the Jurassic is relatively small: Megacauda sungei measures just half a meter (1.6 feet) from its nose to the tip of its tail. The furry ancestor of today's mammals hunted its prey in water 165 million years ago. The cusps of its teeth were also curved backward to enable it to catch its slippery prey.
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