Oldest-Known Fossil of Creature That Seems Part Reptile, Part Mammal Found

Learn how the Gorgonopsian fossil was found in Mallorca, dating back 270 million years, and was discovered far from other places the saber-toothed animal prowled.

By Paul Smaglik
Dec 17, 2024 10:01 AM
Life appearence of the gorgonopsian of Mallorca
Reconstruction of the appearance in life of a gorgonopsian in a floodplain of the Permian of Mallorca (Henry Sutherland Sharpe ©)

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The oldest known saber-toothed predator, dating back over 270 million years ago, appears to have been an animal caught in the evolutionary middle, according to a report in Nature Communications.

The gorgonopsian excavated in Mallorca laid eggs, unlike most mammals. But it was warm-blooded, unlike reptiles. Its leg shape and position were halfway between mammal and reptile. And its saber teeth were more commonly associated with mammals like Smilodon, which emerged in North America about 2.5 million years ago. It looked sort of like a 3-foot-long dog — but without ears or fur.

Discover the Gorgonopsian

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