Thursday 3 November 2011

Ancient "Saber-Toothed Squirrel" Found

The fossilized skull and teeth of a fanged, shrew-like mammal have been found in Argentina, a new study says. The new species—dubbed Cronopio dentiacutus for its narrow snout and long fangs—was about 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 centimeters) long and likely used its pointy teeth to hunt and eat insects. The second oldest mammal skull ever recovered from South America, C. dentiacutus existed when dinosaurs still roamed Earth—providing a tantalizing glimpse into the history of early mammals, experts say. (more)

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