Burst of Innovation Found in Jurassic Mammals

Plants and Animals





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An illustration showing docodonts, now extinct mammals that saw an explosion of skeletal and dental changes (including the special molar teeth that give them their name), in the Middle Jurassic. April Neander

During the Middle Jurassic about 200 million to 145 million years ago, mammals were evolving 10 times faster than they were by the time the Jurassic was over, according to a new study published in Current Biology. Some of these key innovations include live birth, warm bloodedness, and fur.