Scientists have discovered an ancient hybrid of platypus, beaver and otter. What he looked like

Scientists have discovered in China the fossil (remains) of a species of mammal called Megacauda (Megacauda sungei) and lived in the rivers and lakes of this region about 165 million years ago – that is, in the time of the dinosaurs. According to the researchers, it was a furry animal that swam like a platypus, hunted like an otter — fish and salamander — and had a tail like a beaver. This is the oldest semi-aquatic species discovered, Reuters reports.

Megacauda reached a length of 50 cm and weighed from one to two kilograms. It had some very important anatomical features that are related to modern mammals, including humans. So, she had the same musculoskeletal structure of the throat, which allows you to swallow chewed food in pieces, rather than large portions.

“The discovery of the megacauda adds to the growing body of evidence that mammals can be ecologically diverse, even in an ecosystem dominated by dinosaurs,” explains Zhe-si Lu, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and author of the study published in the journal Nature.