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Latest 4 Research Tidbits

It’s time to explore the 4 latest tidbits.

A tidbit is a well-nuanced quote, story, or FAQ within science, philosophy, critical thinking, or history. First up.

1.

A Science Story.

From History:
Subject: Mammal Evolution.
~66 Million years ago (tentative placeholder date)

The Avashishta bacharamensis is dated to about 72 to 66 million years ago. It is known from a single tooth from Late Cretaceous India, Avashishta may represent a late-surviving haramiyidan, a non-mammalian mammaliaform near the mammal line. Its classification is debated, so this is best marked as a tentative “possible last known” entry.

For sure, non-mammal mammaliaforms lived to about 150 million years ago. For example, the Late Jurassic docodont mammaliaform from Portugal. It had many mammal-like traits, including complex teeth and mammaliaform-style tooth replacement, but belonged to a side branch outside the living mammal line.

 


That Science Story, 

was first published on TST 17 hours ago.
2.

A Science Story.

From History:
Subject: Mammal Evolution.
~215 Million years ago (+/- 10 million)

The Brasilodon is an early mammal/mammaliaform threshold at 225 million years ago. The more conservative textbook marker is the Morganucodon at 205 million years ago. The Natural History Museum notes that Brasilodon dates to 225 million years ago and predates Morganucodon, which is usually considered the first mammal, by about 20 million years.

 


That Science Story, 

was first published on TST 17 hours ago.
3.

A Science Story.

From History:
Subject: Mammal Evolution.
~125 Million years ago

Using Tritylodontidae again, same as last n0n-mammaliaform therapsid. They are the best public-facing “last non-mammal cynodont” marker: advanced, rodent-like, herbivorous cynodonts that persisted into the Early Cretaceous. Nature describes tritylodontids as nonmammaliaform herbivorous cynodonts that originated in the Late Triassic, diversified in the Jurassic, and survived into the Early Cretaceous.

 


That Science Story, 

was first published on TST 17 hours ago.
4.

A Science Story.

From History:
Subject: Mammal Evolution.
~260 Million years ago

For the beginning of Cynodonts, use the Late Permian, around 260 MYA, with early forms such as Procynosuchus. This is the branch where the mammal-like jaw, teeth, palate, and breathing package really starts tightening toward mammals.

 


That Science Story, 

was first published on TST 18 hours ago.

The end.

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