Jurassic Fossil Reveals Ancient Origins of Mammalian Swallowing and Swimming
A 165-million-year-old fossil from China, named Megacauda sungei, reveals that early mammal relatives possessed modern-like throat structures for swallowing and swimming adaptations. This discovery, published in Nature, suggests that complex feeding mechanisms evolved long before modern mammals, filling a gap in understanding early mammalian anatomy and semi-aquatic lifestyles.