David and the monster! Incredible fossil reveals a dinosaur locked in a fight to the death with a tiny badger-like mammal 125 million years ago
Incredible fossils of a dinosaur and a badger-like mammal found locked in battle are among the first evidence that mammals attacked larger dinosaurs.
An incredible fossil of a dinosaur and a badger-like mammal has been revealed by scientists locked in an eternal battle with death.
The 125-million-year-old fossil captures the dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a large plant-eating dinosaur.
This is among the first evidence that mammals attacked older dinosaurs, rather than targeting their young.
The well-preserved fossil dinosaur is a species of Psittacosaurus, which was roughly the size of a large dog and whose name translates as ‘parrot lizard’.
Meanwhile, the mammal of the fossil pair is a badger-like creature, called Repenomamus robustus.
An incredible fossil of a dinosaur and badger-like mammal revealed by scientists locked in an eternal battle with death
125-million-year-old fossil captures dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a large plant-eating dinosaur
Although not large by dinosaur standards, it was among the largest mammals of the Cretaceous period, a time when mammals had not yet come to dominate the Earth.
The fossil was collected in Liaoning Province, China, and both skeletons are nearly complete.
A closer look shows the mammal perched on top of its prey, gripping the large dinosaur’s jaws.
It can also be seen biting dinosaurs’ ribs, while using its hind legs to cling to dinosaurs’ hind legs.
It is believed that the pair may have been buried by a sudden landslide and debris after the volcanic eruption.
Study co-author Dr Jordan Mallon from the Canadian Museum of Nature said: ‘The two animals are locked in a deadly battle, intimately involved, and this is one of the first evidences of actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur.
‘The coexistence of these two animals is not new, but what is new to science with this amazing fossil is predatory behaviour.
‘The weight of evidence indicates that an active attack was underway.’
The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The well-preserved fossil dinosaur is a species of Psittacosaurus, which was roughly the size of a large dog and whose name translates as ‘parrot lizard’. Meanwhile, the mammal of the fossil pair is a badger-like creature, called Repenomamus robustus.
A closer look shows the mammal perched on top of its prey, gripping the large dinosaur’s jaws. It can also be seen biting dinosaurs’ ribs, while using its hind legs to cling to dinosaurs’ hind legs.