Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Gregory Funston, Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Edinburgh

A fossil baby helped scientists explain how mammals thrived after the dinosaur extinction - new research

An artist's impression of the _Pantolambda bathmodon_ H Sharpe, Author provided

Sixty-two million years ago, a mother gave birth to a baby. Overcoming the shock of birth in a matter of minutes, the baby began to explore the world around it. The baby started to suckle from its mother, a natural instinct shared by all animals of its kind, the mammals.

Each day it grew, and after a month or two, it began feeding for itself on a diet of shoots and leaves. It would have become independent shortly after, but tragedy struck. After only two-and-a-half months, it died.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.