Oldest Mammal Is Discovered in China
Chinese and American researchers have discovered the oldest known mammal, a 195-million-year-old furry creature the size of a large paper clip. The tiny mammal, named Hadrocodium wui, possessed crucial mammalian features, such as the separation of the middle ear bones from the lower jaw, 45 million years earlier than had previously been observed in the fossil record. The animal, whose discovery was announced in the May 25 Science, had an unusually large brain, sensitive hearing and a strong jaw. Its distinctive teeth suggest that it ate insects. The fossil was found in the Lower Lufeng Formation in China.
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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II.
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