Artist Rendition of a Tritylodontid (IMAGE)

Kyoto University

Artist Rendition of a Tritylodontid

Caption

Tritylodontids are the last known family of near-mammalian reptiles, before mammals with features such as advanced hearing evolved. Researchers have uncovered dozens of fossilized teeth in Kuwajima, Japan and identified this as a new species of tritylodontid. This suggests that tritylodontids co-existed with some of the earliest mammal species for millions of years.

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Seishi Yamamoto/Hiroshige Matsuoka

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Please credit Seishi Yamamoto/Hiroshige Matsuoka

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