The evolution of mammals is redefined by a 280 million-year-old saber-toothed predator fossil.
By extending therapsid origins by millions of years, the discovery of the earliest therapsid fossil in Mallorca changes our view of animal evolution. During the middle to late Permian epoch, therapsids—the ancient progenitors of mammals— were essential to the ecosystems of Earth. Although their origins have long remained a mystery, these animals eventually gave rise to mammals in the early Mesozoic. Important new information on the evolutionary timeline of mammals and their ancient cousins has been revealed by a ground-breaking d...