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A Mesozoic gliding mammal from northeastern China.

Jin Meng1, Yaoming Hu, Yuanqing Wang

  • 1Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024, USA. jmeng@amnh.org

Nature
|December 15, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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A new Mesozoic mammal fossil reveals early gliding flight in mammals, pushing back the earliest evidence by 70 million years. This discovery highlights diverse early mammal locomotion and arboreal adaptations.

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Vertebrate evolution
  • Mesozoic mammals

Background:

  • Gliding flight has evolved independently multiple times in vertebrates.
  • Fossil evidence for gliding mammals from the Mesozoic era is scarce.
  • Understanding early mammal locomotion provides insights into ecosystem dynamics.

Observation:

  • A new fossil mammal from the Mesozoic era was discovered in Inner Mongolia, China.
  • The fossil exhibits a large patagium (flying membrane) and adaptations for arboreal life.
  • Specialized insectivorous dentition suggests a specific ecological niche.

Findings:

  • This represents a previously unknown group of Mesozoic mammals.
  • The discovery provides the earliest direct evidence of gliding flight in mammals, dating back at least 70 million years earlier than previously known.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The mammal possessed a sizable, hair-covered patagium supported by elongated limbs and tail.

    • Implications:

    • Early mammals exhibited diverse locomotor strategies, including aerial habits.
    • This finding predates or coincides with the early evolution of avian flight.
    • The discovery reshapes our understanding of mammalian diversification and adaptation during the Mesozoic era.