Jurassic fossil offers early evidence of suckling in a mammal forerunner

New Scientist reports that a fossil of Megacauda sungei, a semi-aquatic mammal forerunner found in Inner Mongolia, dates to between 163 million and 168 million years ago. Its preserved throat anatomy let researchers identify features they say would have allowed it to suckle and chew, suggesting these traits arose before the common ancestor of living mammals.