Meet our weird reptile ancestors: Bizarre 235-million-year-old creatures gave rise to mammals

Two new species of cynodonts have been identified after sitting undiscovered in a museum for decades. The ancient creatures are thought to mark the evolutionary step between reptiles and mammals. The bizarre specimens feature reptile-like bodies, mammal-like skulls and jaws that are thought to be among the oldest ancestors of mammals.

The animals were among the first to display mammal-like features. The remains of the two newly identified species were left undiscovered among the collections at the Museum of Earth Sciences in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where they have been since 1946, reports Live Science.
The two preserved skulls and two jaw remnants are thought to be between 237 million and 235 million years old.

They were first found in the Santa Cruz do Sul in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1946.


Source: Daily Mail
Tue 11 Oct 2016 at 07:14