By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Two exceptionally rare fossils discovered on Scotland's Isle of Skye are transforming our understanding of mammalian evolution. These fossils belong to Krusatodon, a primitive, shrew like mammal that lived alongside dinosaurs. Unlike modern small mammals with lifespans of just a year or less, these early mammals could live for seven years or more.
The fossils include a nearly complete juvenile and adult skeleton of Krusatodon, offering rare insights into early mammal development. Researchers used advanced X-ray imaging to examine the growth patterns in the teeth of these fossils, similar to counting tree rings, revealing that the juvenile was about two years old while still weaning, an unusual trait for its time.
Krusatodon kirtlingtonesis lived approximately 166 million years ago during the Jurassic period when Skye was a lush, subtropical environment with warm seas and dense forests. This period marked the early stages of mammal evolution, with these small, primitive creatures laying the groundwork for the diverse array of mammals we have today.
Dr. Elsa Panciroli from National Museums Scotland emphasized that these findings provide crucial insights into the evolutionary history of mammals. The juvenile Krusatodon discovered in 2016 is the only known Jurassic mammal skeleton of its kind, while the adult, found in the 1970s, is among the most complete mammal skeletons from this era globally.
Dr. Stig Walsh, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland, noted that finding these two rare fossils in different growth stages has significantly advanced our knowledge of early mammalian life. The study, published in Nature, involved collaboration with researchers from the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Chicago, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and Queen Mary University of London.
