#1
#1 out of 914.65%
10h ago
This 250-million-year-old fossil proves mammal ancestors laid eggs | CNN
Cnn.com and 2 more
- New analysis reinforces that mammal ancestors like Lystrosaurus laid eggs, with evidence from a nearly born specimen studied via advanced imaging.
- CT-based tomography at a European facility revealed the embryo inside without damaging the specimen, confirming an unfused lower jaw in the hatchling.
- The study suggests eggs were large and leathery, aiding survival in harsh, post-extinction environments by delaying desiccation and supporting precocial young.
- The eggs imply precocial hatchlings capable of feeding themselves soon after birth, aiding rapid recovery after the Great Dying.
- The evidence supports a theory that egg-based reproduction contributed to Lystrosaurus' resilience during the end-Permian extinction.
- The scientists used non-destructive imaging at a European facility, aligning with prior findings that eggshells may be soft or leathery rather than hard.
- The finds tie large yolk content and egg size to hatchling maturity, shifting views on lactation origins and early mammal ancestry.
- The discovery comes from a near-complete egg-bearing specimen first identified in the Karoo region and re-examined with modern tomography.
- The new evidence aligns with earlier LiveScience reporting that the egg was found in 2008 and contained a nearly complete embryo, with a potentially leathery shell.
- Published in PLOS One, the integrated study strengthens long-standing hypotheses about egg-laying in mammal-like ancestors and their survival strategies.
Vote 2
