A 236-million-year-old fossil challenges the story of mammalian live birth

AI Summary

New fossil evidence suggests cynodonts, ancient mammal-like reptiles, may have given live birth significantly earlier in evolutionary history than previously thought. This challenges existing theories about mammalian live birth origins dating back 236 million years.

Some cynodonts may have been giving birth to live young much sooner in evolutionary history than previously assumed. A new Frontiers in Mammal Science study has offered the first compelling evidence that cynodonts may have been viviparous—a reproductive mode characterized by live birth.