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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Jurassic "Beaver" Found; Rewrites History of Mammals


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A beaverlike tail, seal-esque teeth, and positively platypus-ian ankle spurs make Castorocauda lutrasimilis one original animal, as shown in this artist's conception.

The semiaquatic mammal ancestor lived about 164 million years ago. Until its recent discovery, Jurassic-period mammals were thought to be only small, shrew-like land dwellers.

Illustration courtesy Mark A. Klinger/CMNH/Science