Current:Home > InvestSurpassing:Fossil shows mammal, dinosaur "locked in mortal combat" -Capitatum
Surpassing:Fossil shows mammal, dinosaur "locked in mortal combat"
Oliver James Montgomery View
Date:2025-04-06 01:42:12
A first-of-its-kind fossil of a mammal and Surpassinga dinosaur from around 125 million years ago "locked in mortal combat" challenges the idea that dinosaurs ruled the land, researchers wrote in a study published Tuesday.
The new fossil, discovered on May 16, 2012, in China's Liaoning Province, shows a mammal attacking a dinosaur about three times its size. The mammal, a carnivorous Repenomamus robustus, was the clear aggressor, researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports.
"The mammal died while biting two of the dinosaur's left anterior dorsal ribs; its mandible plunges downward into the indurated sediment to firmly clasp the bones," the study's authors wrote.
The discovery of the two creatures is among the first evidence to show actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur, Dr. Jordan Mallon, palaeobiologist with the Canadian Museum of Nature and co-author on the study, said in a press release.
Repenomamus robustus is a badger-like animal that was among the largest mammals living during the Cretaceous period.
The dinosaur was identified as a Psittacosaurus, an herbivore about the size of a large dog.
Paleontologists had previously surmised Repenomamus preyed on dinosaurs because of fossilized bones found in the mammal's stomach.
"The co-existence of these two animals is not new, but what's new to science through this amazing fossil is the predatory behavior it shows," Mallon said.
Experts believe the attack was preserved when the two animals got caught in a volcanic flow. The area where the fossil was discovered has become known as "China's Pompeii" because of the many fossils of animals that were buried en masse by mudslides and debris following one or more volcanic eruptions.
After the find, scientists worked to confirm the fossil was not a forgery. The researchers said the intertwined skeletons and the completeness of the skeletons suggest the find is legitimate and that the animals were not transported prior to burial.
Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the research, tweeted about the find, suggesting it was like Wile E. Coyote catching the roadrunner. He said the find turns "the old story of dinosaur dominance on its head."
- In:
- Fossil
Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (82678)
Related
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Inside Climate News Staff Writers Liza Gross and Aydali Campa Recognized for Accountability Journalism
- Maralee Nichols Shares Glimpse Inside Adventures With Her and Tristan Thompson's Son Theo
- Karlie Kloss Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Husband Joshua Kushner
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Stop Buying Expensive Button Downs, I Have This $24 Shirt in 4 Colors and It Has 3,400+ 5-Star Reviews
- Promising to Prevent Floods at Treasure Island, Builders Downplay Risk of Sea Rise
- Where There’s Plastic, There’s Fire. Indiana Blaze Highlights Concerns Over Expanding Plastic Recycling
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- These 8 habits could add up to 24 years to your life, study finds
Ranking
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Barbenheimer opening weekend raked in $235.5 million together — but Barbie box office numbers beat Oppenheimer
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $400 Shoulder Bag for Just $95
- Can the New High Seas Treaty Help Limit Global Warming?
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Global Warming Could Drive Pulses of Ice Sheet Retreat Reaching 2,000 Feet Per Day
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defies Biden administration threat to sue over floating border barriers
- Frustrated by Outdated Grids, Consumers Are Lobbying for Control of Their Electricity
Recommendation
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Why The View Co-Host Alyssa Farah Griffin's Shirt Design Became a Hot Topic
Climate Change Enables the Spread of a Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacteria in US Coastal Waters, Study Says
US Emissions of the World’s Most Potent Greenhouse Gas Are 56 Percent Higher Than EPA Estimates, a New Study Shows
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
Environmentalists Want the FTC Green Guides to Slam the Door on the ‘Chemical’ Recycling of Plastic Waste
Get a $65 Deal on $212 Worth of Sunscreen: EltaMD, Tula, Supergoop, La Roche-Posay, and More
Increasingly Large and Intense Wildfires Hinder Western Forests’ Ability to Regenerate