Researchers have discovered the fossil of a 165-million-year-old aquatic mammaliaform named *Megacauda sungei*, which provides crucial insights into the evolution of suckling. This furry ancestor of modern mammals lived during the Jurassic period and, despite measuring only half a meter long, was a "top predator" in its watery environment.
The findings, published in the journal 'Nature' by a team from the Universities of Shenyang, Chicago, and Bonn, reveal a critical evolutionary development. The creature possessed a soft palate, a feature that separates the oral cavity from the pharynx. This anatomical structure allows for simultaneous eathing and swallowing, an essential prerequisite for suckling milk.
Professor Dr. Thomas Martin, a paleontologist from the University of Bonn, explains that this ability is a key distinction from many other animals. "Crocodiles, for instance, raise their head up and use jerky movements to make their unchewed prey slide down their throat," he notes, relying on gravity. In contrast, the complex hyoid structure in mammals enables them to swallow even against gravity.
This adaptation is vital for mammalian survival, as it allows infants to safely consume nutrient-rich milk without it entering their nasal passages. "It was this adaptation that made ain development, eventually leading to humans, possible," stresses Martin. The evolution of the soft palate is directly linked to the rise of mammals.
The discovery of this feature in *Megacauda sungei*, which also had teeth curved backward to catch slippery prey, shows that this revolutionary adaptation appeared long before modern mammals emerged. It laid the biological groundwork for one of the most significant survival advantages in mammalian history.
Source: Nature journal
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