Earliest known mammal identified by fossil records, scientists say
Published: Sep. 8, 2022 at 4:41 PM EDT
(CNN) – Researchers have identified the world’s oldest mammal, and it’s not a human.
An illustration of the animal shows a small shrew-like creature that scientists believe walked the earth some 225 million years ago.
They said the animal predates what was believed to be the earliest mammal by about 20 million years.
The creature was only around 8 inches long, but it lived at the same time as some of the oldest dinosaurs.
Scientists dated the creature using fossils of hard tissues, such as bones and teeth.
The dental records were published in a study for the Journal of Anatomy on Tuesday.
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