New Evidence Emerges in Mystery of When Mammals Became Warm-Blooded
Fossil animals’ inner ear structures offer clues on when endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, evolved
Stay updated with breaking news from Romain David. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Fossil animals’ inner ear structures offer clues on when endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, evolved
Scientists figured out the origin of warm-bloodedness in mammals by analyzing the ears of 341 living and extinct species.
An abrupt shift in inner ear shape of mammal ancestors 233 million years ago, during a time of climate swings, points to evolution of warm-bloodedness.
As the first dinosaurs were finding their feet around 230 million years ago, the ancestors of modern mammals were also emerging.
The ancestors of mammals started to become warm-blooded around 20 million years later than previously thought, researchers suggested Wednesday, after analyzing inner-ear fossils hoping to solve "one of the great unsolved mysteries of paleontology."