Rare fossil discovery reveals mammalian evolution secrets

Подробнее о видео

In the middle of the Jurassic Period, small mammals had much longer lives than their modern counterparts, and spent years instead of weeks being cared for by their parents. This suggests that at some point, small mammals underwent a significant shift in how quickly they grow – but it is unclear precisely what caused it. The finding is based on two fossilised skeletons of an extinct mouse-sized creature called Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis, which lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland around 166 million years ago.

Learn more ➤

Subscribe ➤

Get more from New Scientist:
Official website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
LinkedIn:

About New Scientist:
New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human.

New Scientist