Scientists have found a beaverlike mammal that roamed with dinosaurs ,l64 million years ago.

By Jill Egan
recent discovery is changing the way scientists think about the |urassic period. That's the time when huge dinosaurs roamed Earth. Scientists thought that the only mammals alive at that time were small creatures that
feared dinosaurs. Scientists have discovered the

fossil of a furry mammal in the Inner Mongolia region of China. They believe the mammal swam in lakes and ate fish.

They also think the creature lived about

Cesforacasda Iufras i m i I i s was discovered in the trnner Mongolia region of China.

million years ago! Researchers say that the fossil is the first evidence that some ancient mammals lived in or
164

"It doggy-paddled around,

ate aquatic

near water.

animals and insects, and burrowed tunnels for its nestl' Called Castoro cauda lutrasimilis, the fossil is the largest known Jurassic mammal. Scientists believe the beaverlike animal weighed between 1.1 and 1.7 pounds. It was about the size of a small female platypus.

Home, Sweet Beaver's Home

"[The mammal] probably lived along a river or lake banksi' sardZhe-Xi Luo. He was part of the team from Beijing, China, that discovered the fossil.

Scientists found evidence that the furry mammal had a wide, scaly tail. They found traces of short, dense fur

that would have kept water from the animal's skin. The creature also had limbs made for swimming. And its teeth were like those of a seal and used for chewing fish.

The creature's teeth are small, while the beaver has large front teeth, like other rodents. The creature didnt snack on bark and leaves, which is the diet of beaYers. The fossil didnt turn out to be the beaver's long-lost cousin, but it is still important. Its discovery changes the old idea that mammals had to wait for the dinosaurs to die out before living in the water. This furry creature took to the water about 100 million years before
dinosaurs disappeared.

Close, but No Beaver

The creature is not related to today's beavers, but they are similar. For example, its backbone is like a beaver's backbone. Both have broad, flat tails and short, dense fur for warmth. However, the ancient creatures and beavers arent alike in several ways.

The fossil find also suggests there are probably plenty of other early mammals yet Io be found. Will you be the one to find'them?