Ancient Mammal Fossil from Madagascar Sheds Light on Diversity of Mesozoic Animals

Researchers have discovered that mammals may have been far more diverse during the time of the dinosaurs than previously thought. Scientists have discovered a new fossil from Madagascar that reveals fascinating perspectives on the growing diversity of Mesozoic mammals.

The fossil mammal is Vintana sertich. In this case, the researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of the fossil, conductive comparative analysis and describing the geological setting of the fossil, its cranial anatomy, its dental morphology and function, its braincase and its sensory abilities.

Vintana is a member of an extinct and previously poorly studied group of mammals, called the gondwanatherians. This group is named based on their geographic distribution on the southern continents, also known as Godwana.

The researchers used micro-CT scans to provide finer details of both the external and internal anatomy of the animal. These scans, in particular, allowed the investigators to digitally separate, or segment, individual cranial bones and virtually dissect the specimen.

"With this monograph, the shroud of mystery over the enigmatic and extinct mammal clade Gondwanatheria is lifted," said John Wible, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Through CT scans, the amazingly preserved skull of Vintana sertich is dissected, described and reconstructed. The authors breathe life into this fossil by reconstructing its brain, inner ear, jaw musculature, orbit and nasal cavity, and set the bar high for how such studies will be done in the future."

The findings reveal a bit more about this group of mammals and show that they were more diverse than expected. Scientists are now looking forward to future discoveries for this particular group.

The findings are published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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