#mesozoic mammal

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

Results from the #paleostream!

Spec evo terror bird rail (a wish by a happy customer), Tyrannophontes, Edmontosaurus and Patagomaia.

There is another image, but it will deserve it's own post.

[alphynix]

Although most Mesozoic mammals were rather small, a few different lineages produced some pretty hefty-sized forms – most notably the metatherian Didelphodon, the gondwantherians Adalatherium and Vintana, and the eutriconodont Repenomamus.

And now we've got another one to add to that list.

Patagomaia chainko lived towards the end of the Cretaceous, about 70 million years ago, in what is now Patagonia near the southern tip of South America. Known from some partial leg and hip bones, it was potentially the largest known Mesozoic mammal yet discovered – estimated to have been similar in size to a modern bobcat, roughly 50cm tall at the shoulder (~1'8") and weighing around 14kg (~31lbs).

Distinctive anatomical features of the bones indicate it was an early therian mammal, the group that contains both modern marsupials and placentals, but it can't currently be classified any more specifically than that. Mesozoic therian fossils are very rare in the southern continents, so Patagomaia's presence in late Cretaceous South America adds to their known range and diversity, as well as providing an example of surprisingly large body size for the time.

Without more material it's impossible to tell what Patagomaia's ecology was. I've gone for a fairly generic life appearance here, and while what's known of its joints and muscle attachments doesn't indicate climbing specializations, plenty of unexpected tetrapods still like to get up on tree branches.

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[dinodorks]

[ The fossilised remains of a Psittacosaurus, an Early Cretaceous ceratopsian, and Repenomamus, one of the largest mammals during the Mesozoic. ]

"When dinosaurs ruled the Earth, we tend to think of the mammals at the time — including our distant ancestors — as small and quivering in the shadows. "We've always had this picture of mammals as the literal underdogs," says Elsa Panciroli, a paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. "They're being trampled. They're cowering in the darkness at night, just trying to avoid being eaten." But a remarkable new fossil, originating in the early Cretaceous some 125 million years ago and now described in the journal Scientific Reports, conjures a rather different possibility. It consists of two intertwined skeletons — an upstart mammal sinking its teeth into a much larger dinosaur. "Our best guess is that the mammal was in the middle of attacking the dinosaur," says Jordan Mallon, one of the authors of the new study and a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature. If true, such a revelation shakes our traditional view of dinosaur domination and mammal submission. It suggests a more complex ancient food web in which certain dinosaurs were prey and some mammals were predators. In the case of this particular fossil that was unearthed in modern-day northeast China, "this mammal appears to have been particularly gutsy or voracious," Mallon says."

Read more: "This fossil of a mammal biting a dinosaur captures a death battle's final moments" by Ari Daniel.

[housecow]

the problem with me working around fossils is that when i see a mollusk my first thought isn’t “wow how did this thing live” but “holy shit that would’ve been delicious”

[thatshowthingstarted]

An Amazing fossil captures the struggle for existence during the Mesozoic !

While there is little doubt that many a Mesozoic mammal became a meal for a dinosaur, it may come as a surprise to learn that some mammals also dined on dinos.

A dramatic fossil unearthed in northeastern China shows a pugnacious badger-like mammal in the act of attacking a plant-eating dinosaur, mounting its prey and sinking its teeth into its victim's ribs about 125 million years ago.

Dating to the Cretaceous Period, it shows the four-legged mammal Repenomamus robustus - the size of a domestic cat - ferociously entangled with the beaked two-legged dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis - as big as a medium-sized dog. The scientists suspect they were suddenly engulfed in a volcanic mudflow and buried alive during mortal combat.

Photo by Gang Han

This illustration shows the Cretaceous carnivorous mammal Repenomamus robustus attacking the plant-eating dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis moments before a volcanic debris flow buries them both about 125 million years ago in China. Michael W. Skrepnick/Handout via REUTERS

[paleonativeart]

Day 6: Deltatheridium pretrituberculare

A weasel-sized metatherian of the Mesozoic mammal. It lived in what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous, 80-70 million years ago.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

im sorry im rewatching Dominion and its so fucking funny. they really brought dimetrodon & lystrosaurus' Permian Asses into it

[herebecritters]

I’m afraid you’re about to experience some bad luck

[hasellia]

Kollikodon Presents: Hot Cross Bunodon WIP GAHHHH!! So close to Easter! I juuuuust missed it! Maybe I can make it presentable tomorrow? maybe...

[bulkhead08]

A Leptoceratops chases a Didelphodon away from her territory.

[anymoretastelessdemands]

Hailing from the Triassic, Domestic Lystrosaurs are popular pets across Mesozoic City, owing to their adaptability to a variety of living environments and their friendly and curious nature. With small tusks and proficient burrowing capabilities, they can be prone to mildly destructive behaviours such as biting and scratching on furniture, but this can easily be mitigated with a steady supply of toys and activities to keep their attention, as well as having other Lystrosaur friends to play with.

[hydrostorm]

meme of the two guys on the bus and im looking out the window smiling because i dont engage in fandom

[covenawhite66]

The analysis of a small collection of tiny fossilized jawbones bearing distinctive back teeth flips our understanding of when and where modern mammals evolved on its head, according to the team of researchers who produced it.

Each of these specimens, measuring an inch or less, had distinctive back teeth. According to the latest analysis which revisits them, the oldest fossil predates those found in the Northern Hemisphere by some 50 million years.

The teensy teeth in question are called tribosphenic molars, which interlock top and bottom to cut, crush, puncture and grind plant food and insect prey.

The mammal jawbones from the Mesozoic era were discovered: in Madagascar, Argentina, India, and again, most recently, in Australia.

[aclkplm208-blog]

Drawing: Walking in the Yixian Formation

The drawing of Walking in the Yixian Formation, full color painting coming soon.

[paleonativeart]

My own paleoart of mammals from last March, I had previously experienced with drawing actual mammals such as livestock, but I was able to drawing extinct animals where I was never been drawn before.

And yes, I finished with March of the Mammals prompt list for now.