A mammal swimming in Jurassic waters
2006/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
They discover the fossil of a mammal similar to beaver and otter. It is the oldest fossil of an aquatic mammal discovered to date. It is one hundred and sixty-four million years old and is housed in a museum of Chinese paleontology. This discovery has been announced in the journal Science.
In the fossil the skeleton is almost complete and, due to its appearance, this dark mammal is called Castorocauda lutrasimilis. Its name indicates that it was a mammal similar to the beaver tail otter. It is believed that the customs would also be similar to those of the otter: an important part of his life in the water, which would feed mainly with fish.
The history of mammal evolution is complex and full of branches.
Apparently, a group of relatives of C. lutrasimilis was the one who gave all the current mammals, while the branch of this species was lost.
